Eastern Chinese Cuisine
Eastern Chinese cuisine is also known as Shanghai Cuisine. This region is special in that on of China’s major river systems run through it. The Yangtze river and its many tributaries allow farmers to plant and harvest many fresh vegetables. They also allow them to grow rice. This region also borders the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea. Both fresh water and sea water provide an abundance of fresh fish and seafood for people in this area. There are also mountainous regions that provide an idea climate for growing tea.
The most recognized form of cooking in this region is known as “red- cooking.” This term refers to slow-cooking items for a long period of time in a soy-based sauce. The use of Chinese Five Spice is one of the key elements in this type of cooking. The traditional spices in this mix consist of bajiao(star anise), cloves, cinnamon, huajiao(Sichuan pepper), and ground fennel seeds. There are many variations on the recipe however. Many families develop their own “master sauce” and they pass it on to their ancestors. Even when using the popular stir-frying technique, the sauce is usually added at the beginning of the process rather than near the end.
Eastern China is known to produce many great food items but there are several that stand out. In the city of Shaoxing, they produce China’s finest rice wine. There are many “drunken” dishes that use this wine in flavoring the dish. Since many of their “non-drunken” dishes also use rice wine in flavoring, this Shaoxing is also used. Chenkiang black rice vinegar is also made in this region. This type of vinegar is thought, by many, to be the best variety of dark rice vinegar.
There are many notable dishes that come from this region of China. Here are a few of them; Xiaolongbao(steamed Shanghai buns), Hairy Crab, 1000 year old eggs, Chow Dofu-“Stinky Tofu,” Eight Precious Rice Pudding, and Wuxi spare ribs. Xiaolongbao are very similar to Jiaozi. They are also a dumpling and instead of being folded in half, they are pinched upwards and then steamed. Hairy crabs are fresh water crabs that only go in salt water to reproduce. They have dark patches of hair on their claws. The females are prized for their roe and the Chinese believe the meat of these crabs have a Yin or “cooling” effect on one’s body. Thousand year old eggs are preserved duck, chicken, or quail eggs. They are preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, and rice hulls for several weeks to several months. Chow Dofu is fermented tofu. Once fermented, it picks up a pungent smell that many think is off-putting. Eight precious rice pudding gets its name from the traditional recipe in which there were eight varieties of candied fruit that were incorporated in the recipe. These candied fruits resembled eight precious stones. Wuxi spare ribs are slow-cooked for a long amount of time and are very tender when done.
There are several famous teas that come from this region. Because there are mountains in parts of this region, they have an ideal climate for producing great tea. The Chinese believe that perfect tea is grown under 6000 feet. The region produces white teas. These teas are called white because the leave have yet to oxidize when they are harvested. Another excellent tea is called Ti Kwan Yin and is an oolong tea. It gets its name from the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy.
As you can see, there are many excellent items and dishes that come from this region of China. The Silk Road, extending from Xian to parts of the Mediterranean as well as Turkey, can be credited for many things in Chinese cuisine. Foods such as coriander, sesame seeds, grapes, walnuts, peas, and garlic were brought to Northern China from the west. Many of these items were traded along the many river systems and found their way to Eastern China.
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http://chinesefood.about.com/od/regionalchinesecuisine/p/shanghaicuisine.htm
Eastern Chinese cuisine is also known as Shanghai Cuisine. This region is special in that on of China’s major river systems run through it. The Yangtze river and its many tributaries allow farmers to plant and harvest many fresh vegetables. They also allow them to grow rice. This region also borders the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea. Both fresh water and sea water provide an abundance of fresh fish and seafood for people in this area. There are also mountainous regions that provide an idea climate for growing tea.
The most recognized form of cooking in this region is known as “red- cooking.” This term refers to slow-cooking items for a long period of time in a soy-based sauce. The use of Chinese Five Spice is one of the key elements in this type of cooking. The traditional spices in this mix consist of bajiao(star anise), cloves, cinnamon, huajiao(Sichuan pepper), and ground fennel seeds. There are many variations on the recipe however. Many families develop their own “master sauce” and they pass it on to their ancestors. Even when using the popular stir-frying technique, the sauce is usually added at the beginning of the process rather than near the end.
Eastern China is known to produce many great food items but there are several that stand out. In the city of Shaoxing, they produce China’s finest rice wine. There are many “drunken” dishes that use this wine in flavoring the dish. Since many of their “non-drunken” dishes also use rice wine in flavoring, this Shaoxing is also used. Chenkiang black rice vinegar is also made in this region. This type of vinegar is thought, by many, to be the best variety of dark rice vinegar.
There are many notable dishes that come from this region of China. Here are a few of them; Xiaolongbao(steamed Shanghai buns), Hairy Crab, 1000 year old eggs, Chow Dofu-“Stinky Tofu,” Eight Precious Rice Pudding, and Wuxi spare ribs. Xiaolongbao are very similar to Jiaozi. They are also a dumpling and instead of being folded in half, they are pinched upwards and then steamed. Hairy crabs are fresh water crabs that only go in salt water to reproduce. They have dark patches of hair on their claws. The females are prized for their roe and the Chinese believe the meat of these crabs have a Yin or “cooling” effect on one’s body. Thousand year old eggs are preserved duck, chicken, or quail eggs. They are preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, and rice hulls for several weeks to several months. Chow Dofu is fermented tofu. Once fermented, it picks up a pungent smell that many think is off-putting. Eight precious rice pudding gets its name from the traditional recipe in which there were eight varieties of candied fruit that were incorporated in the recipe. These candied fruits resembled eight precious stones. Wuxi spare ribs are slow-cooked for a long amount of time and are very tender when done.
There are several famous teas that come from this region. Because there are mountains in parts of this region, they have an ideal climate for producing great tea. The Chinese believe that perfect tea is grown under 6000 feet. The region produces white teas. These teas are called white because the leave have yet to oxidize when they are harvested. Another excellent tea is called Ti Kwan Yin and is an oolong tea. It gets its name from the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy.
As you can see, there are many excellent items and dishes that come from this region of China. The Silk Road, extending from Xian to parts of the Mediterranean as well as Turkey, can be credited for many things in Chinese cuisine. Foods such as coriander, sesame seeds, grapes, walnuts, peas, and garlic were brought to Northern China from the west. Many of these items were traded along the many river systems and found their way to Eastern China.
Wikipedia.com
Google.com
http://chinesefood.about.com/od/regionalchinesecuisine/p/shanghaicuisine.htm