(Newswire.net — July 17, 2014) Scottsdale, AZ — With Confucian teachings dating back to 551 BC, it is no wonder that the depth of Chinese food covers such a wide variety of styles and mixtures. The popularity of Chinese food transcended from necessity as peoples in Asia migrated to different climates and terrains in order to survive. Topographical issues affected much of what was readily abundant to those that travelled the country and struggled to survive.
As we look at the Chinese menu today, we see many different meats, seafood, and vegetables that have been combined to make the meals that we see. With China being such a vast land expanse, there is little that is not eaten there. The traditional Chinese diet can vary drastically depending on the locale. For instance, Cantonese cooking, whose roots are Guangjou (or Canton), is quite fertile with soil and a conducive warm climate for vegetation and many sources of livestock as well as the border of the South China Seas to its south.
Similar to its language dispersion of dialects with each region, province, and village possessing their own domain, Chinese food changes as rapidly as the wind blows with slight demographical alterations. As peoples have migrated throughout the country, there has been a natural sharing of food preparation and sauces. The ancient civilization has had much to do with the way Chinese food developed. For instance, there are many dried foods and preserved delicacies that out of necessity for lack of refrigeration were required. As a result of these preservation tactics, certain flavors developed from the fermentation or processes that kept foods from spoiling. Fermented bean curd is jarred and almost “pickled” with a strong flavor that has become a staple for seasoning that is added to vegetables and fish. Black bean sauce is dried black beans in salt that is rinsed and drained and added with garlic as a favorite Cantonese sauce that cooked with soy sauce, is topped and sautéed with fish, chicken, and many different vegetables and noodles.
As one journeys into a traditional Chinese supermarket, it is easy to see the variety of dried and packaged foods that date back to ancient methods of preservation. Chinese food has certainly come a long way yet so much tradition of its beginnings still exist. This depth and maintenance of recipes in the Chinese restaurant kitchen is what makes it so popular with so many different flavors and approaches to preparation.
An obvious difference can be seen particularly amongst Szechuan cooking and Cantonese. The region of Szechuan province is known for its spices and hot food from Szechuan peppers and peppercorns that are freely used in most dishes. Cantonese cooking in general does not use spicy hot peppers in much the same way. Any spices in Cantonese cooking is added separately to the individual taste but not by the chef preparing the traditional meal.
Since food provides the sustenance of life, the fact that coupled with traditions and necessary time spent with family, friends, and business associates is no accident. Wedding banquets, business engagements, and even funerals are all celebrated with special Chinese food that all have significant meaning. Birthdays are celebrated with long noodles representing “long life”, while weddings are always served with red colors that represent the “blood of the Dragon” which is the fictitious good luck animal that bestows good luck and fortune upon people. The birth of babies utilizes preserved eggs in a soup porridge with pigs feet which signifies the replenishment of the necessary nutrients that a mother loses during child birth.
All told, there are a myriad of styles and food types that have evolved over centuries to influence Chinese cooking that has come to be the diverse cuisine that it is today. Jade Palace in Scottsdale, Arizona is an authentic Chinese restaurant that carries the traditional dishes and meals that many seek for such experience.
Visit them at http://www.chinesefoodscottsdale.com or call (480) 585-6630/ (480) 391-0607. 8876 E PINNACLE PEAK RD #104
Scottsdale, AZ 85255