Chinese Food

There was a time when it was the custom in North China families that every new bride should make her debut in the kitchen on the third day after her wedding .As the future cook of the household, she was expected to begin showing off her culinary repertoire by first making flour noodles and some accompanying dishes .If she displayed mastery in kneading, rolling and cutting the dough, she would win the admiration of the other young women of her neighborhood.
Today, the roles in Chinese families have changed. Women are no longer the only cooks; both husbands and wives are not only breadwinners but also share the household chores. Husbands today must learn cooking skills so they, as well as their wives, can serve varied and tasty meals to their families. Also, family gatherings and parties can become occasions when couples can display their cooking skills as a team-though often it is still the wife who shows the greatest mastery.
The origins of China's cuisines date back thousands of years .The land is so vast that eight distinctive cooking styles developed-in the provinces of Sichuan, Shandong, Guangzhou, Jiangsu, Hunan, Fujian and Anhui and the capital city of Beijing-to take advantage of the many different local foods available.
However, all these regional styles originated in everyday cooking long before they diverged along their unique paths. Family-style cooking is basic to Chinese cuisine; though the regional styles are distinguished by local ingredients and different techniques, all eight have one thing in common: they all use the freshest foods available and rely on simple, uncomplicated ways of preparing them.
In recent years, the cuisines of China have received high praise from foreign tourists. Visiting Chinese from overseas have come looking for the foods and flavors of their hometowns and for special dishes characteristic of other regions of their motherland. Many want recipes they can try out for themselves once they return home, but some well-known dishes are too complicated, and family-style recipes have not been available.
It is for this reason that we are introducing the Chinese Food.We hope it will be of help to every visitor, but especially to homemakers abroad who want to cook Chinese food.
The focus of this introduction is on family-style Chinese cooking. It includes recipes chosen from all the different cooking styles of North and South China .The recipes use everyday ingredients and simple techniques easily within the grasp of most homemakers .The illustrations are of actual dishes created by Chinese housewives. However, we have also included recipes for some of China's most celebrated dishes. Although their preparation is more time-consuming and involves many more steps, they are not as complicated as they may appear at first glance and you may wish to try them when you want to regale your family or guests with a special feast.