Main fundamental differences between Chinese and European cuisine

China is rich in its traditions. And most of them are closely connected with food. The process of cooking has a literal sacred significance, so not everyone can become a chef. It is necessary to spend years in training and only by maturity to become a professional. The Chinese stand out for their unique approach – they love to eat good food, but are quite restrained, avoiding gluttony. The wonderful world of Chinese meals does not stop there, we suggest getting to know all the intricacies better.

Subtleties and peculiarities of cooking

One of the basic tenets of Chinese cooks is to try to spend as little time as possible on the cooking process. Frying, stir-frying or boiling should take no more than an hour. Otherwise, it is considered that the dish loses its useful and nutritious properties.

It can take a long time to prepare the products themselves. Everything must be thoroughly washed, cleaned, prepared and chopped. The last point is the most important. The Chinese do not cut anything after cooking, unlike Europeans. You will almost never meet a dish that is served on the table, and from it small pieces are cut to each guest at the table. Rather, the slicing will take place earlier and each person will take a piece for themselves.

Finely chop all the ingredients – vegetables, meat, fish. The pieces should be small so that they can be easily grasped with chopsticks. On the table you will most often find dishes of rice, fish, vegetables and meat. In this case, meat is necessarily cut into small pieces and most often mixed with various vegetables and spices. This approach allows you to avoid heaviness in the stomach after a meal.

Subtleties and peculiarities of serving

Unlike Europeans, there is no changing and passing of dishes in Chinese families. Although the diet includes a variety of soups, stews, desserts, etc., they are served at once. All dishes are put on the table in small bowls, so one should not be surprised that the meal may start with sweet cakes and end with a spicy soup.

Sticks are necessarily used as cutlery, spoons and forks are not used in everyday life. Such dishes as soup or noodles are eaten very simply – first the chopsticks are used to pick out the gush, and the yushka is drunk as a substitute for a hot drink.

Tea traditions

Chinese culture pays special attention to tea. There are more than a hundred types, so it is not difficult to find a drink to suit personal preferences. You will find not only traditional black tea, but also drinks based on jasmine, rose, various herbs and flowers. Tea is necessarily brewed in special teapots and never diluted with water. For each tea drinking – a new portion. Tea left over after a meal is simply poured out.

The most important thing is that no lemon, sugar or jam is added to the tea. It is believed that such additives can simply spoil the flavor of the drink.

Ceramic or porcelain dishes are used for brewing. Only in such a case it is possible to achieve a unique disclosure of tea notes and its beneficial properties.

The Chinese approach to food may seem unusual, but it demonstrates care for your body and those around you. Not surprisingly, the culinary tradition is growing in popularity.