Wok Fusion Flavor

In order to truly capture the essence and authenticity of Chinese food, it’s important to learn its history. Much of Chinese culture is based on an appreciation of the past, and its food is no different. Though many meals could be considered “old fashioned,” many of them are just as popular today as they were hundreds of years ago. As such, it’s important to appreciate the evolution of each style of Chinese cooking.

The makeup of Chinese food consists of several different styles based on each of China’s culturally and agriculturally distinct regions. For the most part, Chinese cuisine is comprised of four main styles. These are the Cantonese style, the Beijing style, the Szechuan style, and the Shanghai style of cooking. The following excerpts explain the different nuances of each style.

CANTONESE STYLE (SOUTHERN REGION)
Canton is located in the southeastern part of China. The area is tropical and abundant with rainfall, making freshness a trait of the cuisine. It is an area that is very fertile and has a climate that is conducive to growing a variety of products such as rice, vegetables, and fruits – to get a vivid illustration; one could say that it closely mimics the climate of Florida.

Canton is surrounded by a vast amount of seas and rivers and, due to the city’s vast abundance of trade routes throughout the world. The Cantonese style is the most widely recognizable style in Chinese cuisine. Another reason for the Cantonese style’s popularity is because the first emigrants to China landed on Canton and feasted on its meals, thereby solidifying Western ideas of Chinese food with the Cantonese style of cooking. As it is seen as the “only” type of Chinese food among Westerner’s, to them it is considered to be the most desirable. Among the actual Chinese, however, it is also considered to be the best and most desirable food available. Because of Canton’s vast array of fresh products, Cantonese food is known as having a taste that is settling and pleasing to the pallet; Cantonese food is neither too hot nor too sour, but, rather, the perfect blend.

BEIJING STYLE (NORTHERN REGION)
As the former capital of China, the Beijing style has been influenced by every other style of Chinese cooking throughout the history of China. While serving as the capital, the best chefs from each region were invited and encouraged to cater to the government staffs. As a result, each chef contributed their own region’s unique style and flavor to give the Beijing style an identity that was a combination of all of China. Because of this, many Beijing style meals that were popular in the past are still widely considered to be the best in Chinese cooking.

Beijing style cooking often incorporates the use of a lot of onions and the quick frying technique. Usually, the onions are fried in oil prior to adding additional ingredients. Also, while serving as the capitol of China, many chefs arrived from the Southern part of China in order to impress the nobility. This Southern style of cooking tended to be sweeter and less salty than that of other styles. In order to ensure popularity, many of the ingredients were adjusted to fit northern tastes (where dishes were preferred to be saltier and richer in flavor). This saltiness and richness has become a defining characteristic of the Beijing style ever since.

SZECHUAN STYLE (WESTERN REGION)
The Szechuan province is located on the south central part of China. Considered to be the most fertile land in China, a vast array of crops are grown all year round. As such, it is the most self-sufficient region of China; in fact, it’s almost a country by itself. Rice, fruits, bamboo groves, vegetables, and spices are all grown in the Szechuan region, and these combine to make the Szechuan style the most diverse style of Chinese cooking.

The Szechuan Style, however, is probably best known for being hot and spicy. Different chilies and spices are grown in abundance throughout the region, and they are used freely in many meals. Salt is rarely used (as a result of the inability to mine natural salt deposits), but many other seasonings are used to make foods stronger and more nutritious.

In general, Szechuan cuisine incorporates more meat than other types of food. The meat is usually cooked somewhat dry, with a spicy and exotic flavor. There is also less of a focus on flavors, aromas, and textures than with other styles. The Szechuan style also utilizes a wide variety of ingredients to produce chewy and crunchy dishes. Walnuts, pine nuts, and sesame seeds are ever present ingredients in the dishes. Strong, pungent flavored vegetables such as onions, garlic, and green onions are a staple of the meals.

SHANGHAI STYLE (EASTERN REGION)
Shanghai is a heavy commercial and industrial region. Most of the imports end export products go through this city, and are distributed to other parts of China. Although Shanghai is a big city, it really has no cuisine to call its own. The region’s cuisine is really a combination of the styles originating from nearby provinces.

Shanghai has plentiful seafood resources given that it is located near the coastline and many rivers. The entrance of the Yangtze River, which flows all the way across China from the east to west, begins in Shanghai. As a result, most of the cuisine emphasizes a rich presence of seafood, slow stewing, basting, and the absence of thickener.

Shanghai’s most distinct identity is the use of dark soy sauce and its abundant use of sugar. The Shanghai style is known as using these ingredients to produce its rich, sweet, flavors. Some of the main dishes from the Shanghai region are shrimps basted in sauce, stir fry prawn with dragon well tea, steamed hairy crab, and boiled clams with sesame oil and soy sauce.