Chinese cuisine is the work of art for people to appreciate

The Great Wall of China was built to link existing fortifications into a united defense system and better keep invading Mongol tribes out of China. It is the largest man-made monument ever to have been built and it is disputed that it is the only one visible from space. Many thousands of people must have given their lives to build this colossal construction.

The highly sophisticated food culture is a unique characteristic to Chinese culture. It is probably also the best-known feature of Chinese culture by foreigners. In almost every country in world, you can find Chinese restaurants. It is commented that Chinese is a lucky people because wherever they go, they can always have hometown food.

The vastness of China's geography and history echoes through the polyphony of Chinese cuisine. To begin, it is best to divide Chinese cuisine, with all the appropriate disclaimers and caveats, into that of four major regions: the northern plains, including Beijing; the fertile east, watered by the Yangtse River; the south, famous for the Cantonese cooking of the Guangdong Province; and the fecund west of Szechwan and Hunan Provinces.

Chinese cuisine is the general term given to the food or styles of cooking of various regional cuisines originating from China. Regional cultural differences vary greatly amongst the different regions of China, giving rise to the different styles of food. There are eight main regional cuisines, and they are: Anhui , Cantonese , Fujian , Hunan , Jiangsu , Shandong , Szechuan , Zhejiang.

Food Culture : Just as the ingredients of each dish and presentation is important, table manners and courtesy among diners are very much part of the Chinese cultural tradition. Only by combining excellent food with good manners can the high art of Chinese cuisine be truly enjoyed to the full.

As a country that pays great attention to courtesy, our cuisine culture is deep rooted in China's history. As a visitor or guest in either a Chinese home or restaurant you will find that table manners are essential and the distinctive courtesies displayed will invariably add to the enjoyment of your meals and keep you in high spirits!

Respect First : It is really an admirable custom to respect others at the table, including the aged, teachers and guests while taking good care of children.

Although the hosts in China are all friendly and hospitable, you should also show them respect. Before starting to eat dinner, the host may offer some words of greeting. Guests should not start to eat until the host says, 'Please enjoy yourself' or something like that, otherwise it suggests disrespect and causes displeasure.

Chopsticks are the primary eating utensil in Chinese culture for solid foods, while soups and other liquids are enjoyed with a wide, flat-bottomed spoon (traditionally made of ceramic). It is reported that wooden chopsticks are losing their dominance due to recent logging shortfalls in China and East Asia; many Chinese eating establishments are considering a switch to a more environmentally sustainable eating utensil, such as plastic or bamboo chopsticks. More expensive materials used in the past included ivory and silver. On the other hand, disposable chopsticks made of wood/bamboo have all but replaced reusable ones in small restaurants.

The Classic French Dessert

Almost all the famous French dishes are regional specialities, some of which have become popular throughout France (such as Coq au Vin and Foie Gras) while others are mainly enjoyed in the regions in which they originate. Although regional specialities are often offered throughout France, the quality of ingredients and preparation is often superior in their region of origin.



Chocolate Mousse (Mousse au Chocolat)

"Mousse" is the French word for "foam", while "Chocolat" is of course French for "chocolate". Consequently, "Mousse au chocolat" translates as "foamy chocolate", and is one of a number of foamy desserts.



Ingredients:

7 ounces (200 g) dark chocolate (70% chocolate),
14 ounces (400 ml) cream,
4 eggs,
1.7 ounces (50 g) sugar.


Preparation Time: 20 Minutes.
Cooking Time: 5 Minutes.
Serving for 6 people.

Method:

Break the chocolate into pieces and then melt it, using just enough heat to gently melt the chocolate. Stir the chocolate with a wooden spoon as it is melting.
While the chocolate is melting, mix the egg yolks and sugar. Also whip the egg white until it is foamy (but not stiff) and whip the cream until it is foamy.
Once the chocolate is melted, add the egg-yolk/sugar mixture to the melted chocolate, stirring until it is mixed in.
Then "fold" in some of the whipped cream, followed by some of the whipped egg white. Continue to fold in both ingredients, alternating between the two until they are both used up.
Once all the ingredients are added and mixed in, spoon the mixture into attractive glasses. Place the glasses in a refrigerator for at least an hour before serving, to allow the chocolate to cool.

Notes:

This recipe can be made with light cream. However, in blind taste tests, my readers definitely prefer both the taste and the texture if heavy (thick) cream is used.

Decoration:

After the dessert is prepared, decoration is sometimes added to the top. Most commonly, this is flakes or sticks of chocolate, which not only is visually interesting but also adds contrast (in both taste and texture) between the chocolate flakes and the underlying chocolate mousse. Other common decorations are cream or berries (raspberries and strawberries are often used). A less common but elegant edition is mint leaves.

Culture of French Food

French cuisine is extremely diverse, with only the Chinese having similar variety in their food. This variety is supported by the French passion for good food in all its forms, France's extraordinary range of different geographies and climates which support the local production of all types of ingredients, and France's long and varied history. In many ways, an understanding of the culture of French food is an understanding of France itself.


Throughout the country, French cooking involves a large number of techniques, some extremely complicated, that serve as basics. Any cook will tell you that French food will not tolerate shortcuts in regard to these fundamentals. Because mastery of sauces or pastry doughs is the center of the culinary arts, recipes themselves remain classic and constant. In a way similar to Japanese cuisine, it is expected that even the simplest preparation be undertaken in the most careful manner, which means disregarding the amount of time involved. This is one reason why French cooking has always seemed so daunting on the other side of the Atlantic.



Not only do basic cooking techniques require great skill, but they also demand a deep understanding of the ingredients themselves. Just as the vintner knows that the finest Bordeaux comes from the grapes grown on that side of the hill and not this, so too the chef knows not only from which region come the finest petits pois (small, young green peas), but from which town -- the same goes for asparagus, and even cauliflower. If there is something worth eating, and cooking, there is a best representative of such. Many foods are known by the town that made them famous, such as Pessac for strawberries, the peas of Saint-Germaine, Macau artichokes, the Charolais steer, butter of Isigny.

Meals range from the very basic, such as the traditional baguette plus cheese plus inexpensive wine, to very elaborate affairs than can involve a dozen courses and different wines consumed over several hours. Obviously, the latter type of dining is exceptional for most people. However, it is this more sophisticated dining which is typically found in "French restaurants" outside France, giving many foreigners the mistaken impression that French food is heavy and complicated. In fact, much of the French cuisine is fairly simple, relying on high quality fresh ingredients and loving preparation rather than complex recipes.

It is common in much of France to take a two hour break for lunch, with many working parents (particularly in villages and smaller towns) returning home for lunch. In some areas, mainly in the south of France, even longer lunch breaks are taken. Due to the long lunch break, businesses which close for this period typically reopen around 2PM or so and then stay open until about 7PM.