Eating Your Way Across China 123THE ROLE OF FOOD IN CHINA
The West is just catching on to the role that food plays in our
well-being, something that has been well known to Chinese
for thousands of years. Food in China is a central theme,
ingrained intricately in life and language. When someone
wants to politely greet you, they say, “Have you eaten?” When
someone is feeling unwell, they are instructed to balance
their body by eating ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ foods. Every festival,
family gathering, business deal, celebration and significant
event is marked by eating. Sacred alters are decorated with
food offerings.
Food defines life’s milestones, relationships and cadence
in China. There are special foods for special occasions:
mooncakes are given as gifts during the mid-Autumn festival,
noodles should be eaten at birthdays to signify long life, and
so on.
Chinese food is based around five different core tastes
—sweet, sour, salty, hot and bitter. Cooking styles range from
fast and hot searing in a wok to the slow melding of flavours
of a simmering hot pot. Ingredients used provide delightful,
delicate flavouring that melds to create a unique experience
with each bite of food taken.
LIVING TO THE RHYTHM OF FOOD
Typically, morning begins with a quick stop at a streetside
stall before beginning the tasks of the day. Here you can pick