Countless delicious and fantastic dishes, easily adapted to the climate - this is the best way to describe the famous Chinese cuisine. During its long history, The Chinese greatly valued food and the very way of producing and preparing food, so their attitude towards food led to the popularity of their specialties.
The flood of new directions in cooking was accompanied by a large number of books, syllabuses and films about food. As Chinese culture is one of the oldest, many books and films have been published that are closely related to Chinese cuisine, so it is not surprising that Asian flavors are available in almost every country today.
Chinese food was the first food from abroad that transmitted the gastronomic experience of another culture and in that way it experienced great popularity.
How has Chinese food influenced cuisine and culture in the world?
What influences has Chinese cuisine itself suffered throughout history?
We find out why Chinese specialties easily gain fans, so many domestic culinary enthusiasts, are happy to explore and why they become a favorite fast food dish even more easily.
The influence of Chinese cuisine on world cuisine - the introduction of new trends
In addition to Italian, there is Chinese cuisine one of the most popular and widespread cuisines around the world. One of the reasons why Chinese cuisine is so popular is the fact that many Chinese immigrated to America in the 19th century, working and making their way to the world.
That's how it was created American-Chinese food, which is actually the one that many people around the world know and is served in Chinese fast food restaurants. The Chinese have managed to spread their tradition through cooking to the market of all the world's metropolises, so it is not surprising that in New York, the center of the world as many call it, there is a special Chinatown where you can feel the true spirit of a people.
Either through the migration of peoples, or through the silk trade and during the long colonial period, Asian flavors have found refuge in many parts of the world. They cocooned there and today they have a great influence. We all want to try strange combinations of flavors, to learn to eat Chinese specialties with two sticks like real Chinese, but also to understand why rice is such an important ingredient in Asian cuisine.
For example, the Chinese believe that only barbarians use escajg, so they invented the famous Chinese chopsticks that today synonymous with Chinese cuisine.
Culinary products and ways of preparing food - from China to the kitchens of the world
Under the influence of China, rice has become one of the most common grains in the world kitchen, and what surprises many is the fact that making pasta actually a Chinese heritage. Namely, Marco Polo brought a large part of Italian traditions from Eastern China to Italy, including those that involve making pasta.
In addition to various foods, the Chinese also developed different food preparation and storage techniques, so the canning of food, which the Chinese do not practice today, originates precisely from Chinese cuisine. What is interesting is that it is pickle making process, which is very popular in our cooking tradition, originated precisely from China.
The expansion of Chinese restaurants around the world
The influence of Chinese food on culture is also reflected in the opening of Chinese restaurants Worldwide. The expansion of Chinese restaurants and their cuisine in general was triggered by pop culture, as well as a large number of films and books, and Chinese food became not only our favorite, but also easily accessible with the opening of a large number of Chinese fast food restaurants.
On the territory of Serbia the expansion of Chinese restaurants took place in the nineties. In the meantime, the number of restaurants grew, but only in Belgrade and Novi Sad, while today it is possible to find a Chinese fast food restaurant in almost every major city. There are many Chinese specialties that we like to eat, so it is difficult to answer the question of which Chinese dish Serbs like the most.
The first food delivery people
Chinese restaurants stand out as the first restaurants in the world that, in addition to Italian pizzerias and Italian restaurants, started with food delivery. Today, the delivery of Chinese food is what makes many young people happy, who, due to their fast lives, do not have much time to devote to cooking.
Also, this method has allowed people all over the world to experience the charms and tastes of exotic cuisine enjoy the comfort of their own home, without washing dishes and spending time on cooking, chopping and preparing food.
Historical influences on Chinese cooking
It is Chinese cuisine itself suffered different influences throughout history. Due to its territorial location, it is not surprising that Chinese cuisine was exposed to influences that came from India, from the Persian Empire, from Mongol tribes, as well as from European traders.
Despite all that, early Chinese culture still gave the basic seal to Chinese cuisine. What the Chinese are still very popular for today is the famous Chinese rice, which fits perfectly as a side dish with many culinary specialties, and whose cultivation was practiced by the oldest civilization in the world.
The Chinese formed known techniques for food preservation, such as vegetable fermentation and salting, but also started an avalanche of sauces and other condiments that are still being produced. Many techniques that were established in the territory of China are still part of their culinary repertoire today.
Indian influence on Chinese cooking
A large number of dishes, as well as preparation methods and all that, flowed into China from India during the silk trading period, which is completely logical. Buddhism, which began its journey precisely from India, left a big mark on Chinese cuisine.
Buddhism introduced into Chinese cooking the belief in how sacred animals are, and with the advent of Buddhism, vegetarianism also appeared, which introduced the use of vegetables as the basis of each specialty into Chinese cooking.
Some of the ingredients and preparation methods that originated in India are:
- coriander,
- sugar cane,
- mixing dry spices.
As a result of the silk trade, Chinese cuisine also pre-weaved the influence of the Persian Empire and the influx of spinach, eggplant, pomegranate, garlic, walnuts, sesame, figs and oil directly from the Middle East into the kitchens of China.
Mongolian tribes and influence on Chinese food
In the interior of China, the influence of the Mongols, who were passionate gourmets, is particularly visible. They liked dishes with meat the most - lamb and mutton, and the use of meat in specialties is a Mongolian influence. The Chinese took over the preparation methods from the Mongols grilling over an open flame on a spit for which they are now very famous all over the world.
European influence on Chinese culture and cuisine
As China met the West through the spice trade, many ingredients from Europe have taken root in Chinese cuisine, so you can still find them in their kitchen today: hot peppers, potatoes and sweet potatoes, corn, tomatoes.
Many products are came directly from America via Europe to China, so that throughout its history, Chinese cuisine has suffered numerous influences, and only what really suits it has been kept until today and included in its specialties, known all over the world.
Characteristics of Chinese cuisine - wealth of spices
Chinese cuisine is known as extremely healthy, and the Chinese themselves are known for their longevity, which many associate with what the people eat. Although Chinese cuisine is first associated with spices, recognizable flavors of Asia are primarily a product of excellent balance of meat and vegetables, as well as mixing different flavors.
What is it that makes Chinese cuisine so special?
The Chinese believe that real Chinese dishes must include everyone five key flavors - sweet, salty, spicy, sour and bitter, so the combination of spices and these flavors in the most diverse specialties around the world is actually the influence of Chinese cuisine.
It is interesting that distant both spatially and gastronomically, Asian cuisine has become at home in the Balkans, and that it has become recognizable and quite well-liked. The imperative of Chinese food, known all over the world, consists of vegetables, mainly rice, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and zucchini, combined with meat, namely chicken, pork, veal and duck, and sauce, whether it is soy sauce or Szechuan sauce.
Chinese cuisine has undoubtedly influenced many world-famous chefs, and it certainly has left its mark in the culinary world both because of its characteristic way of combining foods, and because of the way of preparation itself, but also because of their own healthy diet.
We are sure that everyone has at least once tried a Chinese specialty or something that resembles Chinese food, and if you haven't, it's the right time to take that step and feel the rhapsody of flavors which Chinese dishes promise.
READ: WHERE CAN I BUY THE BOOK TRADITIONAL RECIPES OF HOME SERBIAN CUISINE?
Read more:
The Recipes and Kuvar online portal is ranked among the TOP 50 websites in Serbia!
Don't miss a recipe - Recipes and cookbook online on Facebook. Stay tuned, follow the Recipes and Cookbook twitter notifications!
