Chinese Cuisine
Chinese Cuisine China is a vast country, extending from the sub-tropical regions of Hunan and Kwantung in the south, right up to the dry plains of Mongolia in the north, while the western borders go right into central Asia, reaching almost to the frontier of Afghanistan. Because it is such a vast country, there are dramatic contrasts in geography and climate across China. The great diversity of regional history, customs, life and culture have caused a distinct cuisine to evolve in each of the four major provinces. The cooking of Beijing and northern China is a fusion of three distinct influences, high-class court and mandarin dishes, rustic Mongolian and Manchurian fare, and the indigenous cooking of the cold, northerly climate. Here rice is less important than wheat and a variety of pancakes, noodles and dumplings are found. Barbecuing, lacquer roasting, spit-roasting, slow-simmering and deep-frying are the most common cooking techniques in the north. Sauces are richly flavored with d...