Cuisine Focus- Chinese Regional- Part 2

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This week I would like to continue from where we left off last week. In the information that follows you with find the details surrounding China’s regional cuisines of Anhui, Beijing, Dongbei, Uygur, Hubei, Hui and Tibetan.

Anhui Cuisine

Anhui cuisine is highly distinctive, focusing not only on the selection of ingredients, but also cooking methods used. The cuisine itself is made up of specialties from South Anhui, Yanjiang and Huai Bei. The surrounding area is very mountainous which in turn plays a major role in the types of ingredients grown for use within the menus in the region.

Classical Dishes from Anhui

Stewed Carp in Brown Sauce
Li Hongzhang Assorted Dish
Steamed Frog with Mushroom
Luo He Bean Cake
Steamed Partridge

Ingredients Utilised in Anhui Cuisine

Vinegars: Anhui Old Vinegar

Seasonings- Oils: Horse Bean, Thick Chili Sauce

Fruit: Huangshan Kiwi Fruit

Poultry: Partridge

Fish: Mandarin Fish

Beijing Cuisine

Often referred to as the Capital City cuisine; Beijing has been the capital of China throughout many dynasties. Many cooking methods have been introduced to the cuisine of Beijing as the years have passed by. The city boasts many great chefs amongst its culinarians. Many of them have come from various other regions in China, hence bringing with them various regional influences.

Classical Dishes from Beijing

Beijing Style Roasted Duck
Stir Fried Pork Slice with Bean Sauce
Poached Noodles with Bean Sauce
Poached Lamb
Royal Court Dish

Ingredients Utilised in Beijing Cuisine

Vegetables: Potato, Tomato, Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Red Cabbage, Leek

Nuts and Seeds: Peanut

Vinegars: Beijing Old Vinegar

Seasonings- Oils: Sweet Bean Sauce, Sesame Oil

Meat: Lamb

Poultry: Duck

Dongbei Cuisine

Pinpointing the true tastes of the Dongbei (northeastern China) cuisine is not the easiest of tasks.

There are many external influences from both home and abroad; along with traditional cooking techniques with the huge complexities of Imperial culinary methods and we are greeted with an extremely unique cuisine.

Dongbei cuisine is predominantly comprised of dishes with generous amounts of meat bound in thick salty sauces.

Classical Dishes from Dongbei

Stewed Sour Cabbage
Stir Fried Eggplant, Bell Pepper and Tomato with Bean Sauce
Braised Pork and Rice Noodles
Braised Chicken and Mushroom

Ingredients Utilised in Dongbei Cuisine

Vegetables: Potato, Tomato, Eggplant, Bell Pepper, Corn

Seasonings- Oils: Black Bean Paste, Peanut Oil, Corn Oil

Fruit: Apple

Meat: Pork

Poultry: Chicken

Uygur Cuisine

Not unlike the native Uygur people and their culture, food in this region resembles that of Central Asian cuisine as opposed to the conventional cuisines of China.

Meat, in particular lamb is a major player in many dishes. Fact has it that Xianjiang roast lamb is just as famous as Beijing’s roast duck.

Classical Dishes from Uygur

Roasted Mutton Cubes on Skewers
Sinkiang
Roasted Whole Lamb
Crispy Pancake

Ingredients Utilised in Uygur Cuisine

Nuts and Seeds: Sunflower Seeds, Watermelon Seeds

Fruit: Grape, Watermelon, Fig, Raisin, Apricot

Meat: Beef

Hubei Cuisine

The use of fish plays a major part in the cuisine of Hubei. By blending various other ingredients with fish as the predominant ingredient many dishes have been developed over the years.

The cuisine itself consists of dishes from Wuhan, Jinnan, Xiangyuan and South East Hubei.

Steaming and simmering are the main cooking techniques used in the production of the dishes.

Classical Dishes from Hubei

Steamed Wuchan Fish
Re Gan Noodle
Pork Bone and Lotus Root Soup
Stir Fried Preserved Ham and Garlic Sprout

Ingredients Utilised in Hubei Cuisine

Vegetables: Red Chili, Green Chili, Birds Eye Chili, Cucumber

Herbs (Dried and Fresh): Dry Chili

Seasonings- Oils: Chili Paste, Rice Wine

Fruit: Kiwi

Fish: Wuchan Fish

Seafood: Crab

Hui Cuisine

Originating in Huangshan City Hui cuisine has become well known for the strict selection of ingredients used in the production of the dishes housed within this cuisine. It is one of the many minority cuisines within China; Hui cuisine is often referred to as Muslim food.

Many aspects from the more popular cuisines have been borrowed and introduced to Hui cuisine.

Classical Dishes from Hui

Double Boiled Lamb Soup
Braised Beef with Brown Sauce in Porcelain Pot
Sautéed Shredded Ox Liver
Steamed Beef in Rice Flour

Ingredients Utilised in Hui Cuisine

Vegetables: Cucumber, Zucchini

Nuts and Seeds: Sunflower Seeds, Watermelon Seeds

Vinegars: Xingjian Vinegar

Seasonings-Oils: Xingjian Oil

Fruit: Grape, Watermelon, Fig, Raisin, Apricot

Meat: Beef, Lamb

Tibetan Cuisine

Tibetan cuisine does not have any truly distinctive characteristics. The cuisine is made of 4 typical flavors- Qiang, Lhasa, Rong and Court.