A trend that a majority of Chinese food lovers may notice is that Chinese cuisines are differentiated by their associated provinces (administrative division of certain countries) , and thus individuals who are not native to China may not understand the significance of each cuisine. An old saying in China once stated: “The people of the mountains put food first (山民以食为天 shān mín yǐ shí wéi tiān). From this statement, it can be determined that Chinese cuisine is highly valued among the Chinese people. The plethora of cuisines include unique tastes and ingredients that are signature to that associated province. Chinese cuisine is mainly divided into four categories: Sichuan Cuisine (四川菜), Cantonese Cuisine (广东菜), Yang Cuisine (扬菜),and Beijing Cuisine (北京菜).
Sichuan Cuisine, naturally, comes from the Sichuan province (四川省）. Sichuan Cuisine is characterized by spicy food because of Sichuan’s signature spicy peppers (麻辣). Sichuan Cuisine utilizes more chili and soy sauce, so the color of the dishes is relatively dark. There are countless famous Sichuan cuisine dishes, such as Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐 Má pó dòufu), shredded pork in garlic sauce (鱼香肉丝 Yú xiāng ròu sī), and Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡 Gōng bǎo jī).
Sichuan’s Famous Mapo Tofu
Cantonese cuisine originates from Guangzhou and Fujian, which are cities situated in Southern China. Cantonese cuisine pays great attention to the original taste and has no strong color. The taste is light, and the famous Cantonese dish is a hotpot known as Buddha Jumping Over the Wall or Buddha’s Temptation (佛跳墙 Fútiàoqiáng). This famous dish is made from steamed Abalone with Shark’s Fin and Fish Maw in Broth. When it comes to Cantonese cuisine, seafood is never uncommon. Although cooking styles can differ, steaming is the most common option.
Beijing Peking Duck
Yang cuisine originates from the cities of Jiangsu (江苏), Shanghai（上海) and Zhejiang（浙江）. Dishes from Yang cuisine are often characterized as sweetness within the saltiness. When cooking, more sugar is included in the recipe so the color turns out richer with the use of soy sauce. Some of the famous Yang dishes include braised lion’s head (红烧狮子头 Hóngshāo shīzi tóu) and sweet and sour spareribs (糖醋排骨Táng cù páigǔ).
Last but not least, let’s talk about my favorite: Beijing Cuisine. This cuisine is particularly special as it lies in the capital city within the heart of China. Beijing Cuisine is enjoyed not only in its original city, but all around the country. It is characterized by a heavy, bold taste and a lot of soy sauce, so the color is also rather dark. The famous Beijing cuisine is Mooshu pork (木须肉 Mù xū ròu) and Beijing roast duck (北京烤鸭 Běijīng kǎoyā).
Now that you’ve learned so much about each type of specialty cuisine, make sure to step foot in an authentic Chinese restaurant, and savor the unique flavors of each cuisine! Bon Appétit!
Sources:
https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-food/eight-cuisine.htm
https://hakkasan.com/stories/eight-culinary-traditions-china/