Transcript Chinese food ppowerpoint

Chinese Food:
Behind the Scenes
Patrick Brunson
Belinda Bube
Danielle Gendron
Abstract
Chinese food is well known around the
world for it’s unique and appealing flavors
along with its attractiveness to the eye. But
how authentic is the style of the foods here in
the states? We as a group have found many
significant differences between authentic
Chinese food served in its native country, and
Chinese food served in America. Finally, we will
explore not only the influence, but also the
moderate societal changes that motivated the
evolution of Chinese cuisine.
Four Main Differences
• Every food used in cooking is fresh. Chinese people
go to markets daily to pick out ingredients to achieve
a chewier and better feeling that fresh food
provides. America however does not always use
fresh food, and will substitute alternative versions
that have been altered by preservatives.
• Another main difference is the use of seasonings. In
America, it is hard to even find authentic Chinese
seasonings, such as star anise and black rise, unless
you are shopping at a specialty store.
Differences Continued…
• One of America’s most famous and popular ways of
cooking--frying--is completely absent from
authentic Chinese Cuisine. The act of frying the food
not only takes away the health factors but also
drowns the food in oil and “strips it of its
individuality”. The most common ways of cooking a
dish in China is to boil, steam, or stir-fry the food.
• The last, and one of the most important differences
is in the cooking tools. In China, the wok is very
important. It must be made out of iron and round on
all sides to ensure that the food is completely
blanched as it is tossed and stirred.
Four Major Styles
• Cantonese
– Most well-known/popular regional cuisine style
– Cantonese chefs specialize in delicate sauces,
roasted meats, as well as steamed & stir-fried
dishes with vegetables that appeal to the eye &
the palate
– Steamed rice is a staple of Cantonese cuisine,
and is the base of most meals
– Every vegetable is sliced to best show off its
color and shape, even in a stir-fry or sauce
Four Major Styles
• Szechwan
– Grown in popularity over the last few decades
– Searingly spicy foods like Kung Pao Chicken and
Double Cooked Spicy Pork
– Distinct style of cooking that is native to the
landlocked mountainous center of China
– The pungent flavors of ginger, fermented soybean,
onions and garlic characterize much Szechwan
cuisine
– Typical cooking methods in include frying, frying
without oil, pickling and braising
Four Major Styles
• Hunan
– Most well known from the Zheijiang region of China
– Characterized by thick, rich sauces and complex
pungent flavors
– Typical ingredients include scallions, chili and
pepper
– A popular favorite dish in the Hunan style is Pepper
Chicken, with small chunks of succulent chicken
quick-fried with black pepper and onions
Four Major Styles
• Shangdong
– Characterized by its emphasis on fresh ingrediants
in combinations that emphasize the flavor, aroma,
color and texture of each ingrediant
– Known for delicate flavor combinations that are
surprisingly pungent
– Garlic and scallions are frequent ingredients, as are
seafood, fresh vegetables and shoots
– One of the most famous dishes from the Shangdong
area, Birds Nest Soup, is typically served at major
affairs of state
The Naming of Dishes
• Many dishes were named for their
appearance, while others included a play
on words, which served as subtle
references to the ingredients
– A dish of shredded fish with orange might be
called “powdered gold and minced jade”
– Shrimp with green peas and scallions might
bear the name “Coral, Pearl, and Jade”
Chronology of Chinese Cuisine
BC
0.5 million years ago
Peking Man – fire for cooking
8000 BC
First rice grown
6000 BC
Domestication of pigs
1050-256 BC
Zhou Dynasty introduces chopsticks
200 BC
Ice used for refrigeration
AD
25-220
Soy milk and tofu processing
250
Tea drinking spreads throughout China
618-907
Tang Dynasty introduces stir fry
960-1279
Soy sauce becomes a common flavoring
1850
Chinese food arrives in America
1987
America fast food arrives in China-KFC
Did You Know?
• There are roughly 43,000 Chinese restaurants in the
United States, more than the number of McDonald's,
Burger Kings and KFCs combined.
• Broccoli is not a commonly used Chinese vegetable.
• Fortune cookies originated in America.
• Chinese cooking isn't a set of dishes. It's a
philosophy that serves local tastes and ingredients.
• As far back as 1942, chop suey and chow mein were
added to the U.S. Army cookbook.
Did You Know Continued…
• In 1961, before the Freedom Riders left for the first
fateful bus ride through the Deep South to protest
segregation, a number of that company got together for
dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Washington.
• In the 1980s, Peking Gourmet Inn, near Falls Church,
Virginia, had to install a bulletproof glass window near
table N17. That's where the Bushes, both father and son,
sit to this day at their favorite Chinese restaurant.
• More than a third of the world's population eats Chinese
food daily
• "Have you eaten already?" is a popular greeting among
the Chinese.
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