China boasts of one of the world’s most loved cuisine. Chinese food is famous all over the world and can be easily spotted in almost every country. There is a surprising range and variety of Chinese food available.
Cuisine has always been an important aspect of the Chinese culture and people there have always loved to eat freshly prepared food. China, one of the oldest civilisations, always associated their food with its medicinal properties. Chinese cuisine is characterised by its special seasoning, cooking methods and distinct taste.
A typical Chinese meal consists of two parts. The first part is the carbohydrates or starch in the form of rice, noodles or steamed buns. The second component is the accompanying dish of vegetable or protein dish of meat, fish or poultry. It is somewhat opposite of the western concept of food where the protein is considered as the main dish and carbohydrate as side dish.
Chopsticks are the primary eating equipment in Chinese food culture for solid foods, whereas soups and other liquids are enjoyed with a wide, flat bottomed spoon. Wooden chopsticks are considered more authentic as the wood also imparts its own taste and enhances the taste of the food. I remember during my days at Tea House of August Moon, a high-end Chinese restaurant in Delhi, India, we used to engrave the name of the guest on their chopsticks to take the service standards to next level and delight the guest with hospitality. Nowadays, plastic chopstick is gaining popularity to curb trees being cut for them. However in the past, expensive materials like ivory and silver were also used by the royal families for their feasts.
With a rich and diversified heritage, Chinese cuisine can be categorised into eight cuisine styles depending on their region. I’ll write briefly about each as they have their own features both in terms of seasoning and cooking methods.
Sichuan: As the name suggests this style originated in the Sichuan province of southwest China. This cuisine is pungent and spicy, owing to the use of Sichuan pepper, hot chilli, peanuts, sesame paste and ginger. The cuisine is known for its hotness, sourness and the numbness it produces. Popular dish is hotpot.
Cantonese: This style enjoys a long history and a good reputation globally. Popular dishes are dim sum, rice rolls, lotus leaf ice, turnip cakes, buns, congee porridge and stir fried green vegetables and soups
Hunan: Also called Xiang, Hunan cuisine features a hot and spicy flavour with fresh, deep aroma. Traditional cooking methods like stewing, frying, pot roasting and smoking are used. Due to its rich geographical location, the variety of ingredients is abundant and diverse.
Anhui: This is the cuisine from the mountains and emphasises more on local herbs and vegetables. Fresh bamboo and mushrooms are used in abundance.
Shandong: It is the cuisine from North China, although it is popular till the southern tip of the country as well. It is characterised by its cooking technique, like braising. Popular dishes include sweet and sour carp, dezhou chicken, and braised sea cucumber.
Fujian: One of the most famous among the eight. Slicing is the predominant cutting style to enhance the flavour and aroma. Fujian cuisine is often served in a broth or soup and is prepared using cooking techniques of braising, stewing, steaming and boiling.
Su or Jiangsu cuisine: It is characterised by its distinctive style, special taste and featured cooking techniques that makes it quite popular among the worldwide gourmet kitchens. Dishes you can’t miss include jingling salted dried duck, clear crab shell meatballs, and triple combo duck.
Zhejiang cuisine: It is characterised by its non-greasy taste, subtle flavours and mellow fragrance. This cuisine features dishes with bamboo shoots, fresh water fish, seafood and dim sum.
Crispy Fried Prawns
Ingredients
Prawns 16 nos
(11-15, Peeled deveined tail on)
Garlic 4-6 cloves
Lemon juice 1 tbsp
White pepper powder 1/3 tsp
Salt to taste
Refined flour no 1 One cup
Corn flour ½ cup
Baking powder ¼ tsp
Panko crumbs 2 cups
Oil to fry
Ice cold water 1 cup
Method
Wash and devein the prawns and leave the tail on, keep aside.
In a separate bowl combine garlic, lemon juice, white pepper powder and salt.
Rub this marinade on the prawns and refrigerate for two hours.
Sift flour, baking powder and corn flour in a clean dry bowl.
Add oil and ice cold water to make a smooth batter.
In a separate bowl place the Panko bread crumbs.
Heat oil in a wok or deep fat fryer over medium heat.
Holding the tail dip the prawn in prepared batter and remove excess batter and toss in panko bread crumb to coat.
Deep fry over medium heat for 3-4 or until golden brown in colour.
Remove and place on kitchen paper towel to extract excess moisture; serve with choice of fried rice and sauce on the side.
Crispy Fried Prawns. Photo by the author
