Food and Drink

🍲 The Infinite Charm of the Eight Cuisines
Sichuan’s spicy heat, Cantonese delicacy, Hunan’s bold flavors... every regional cuisine reflects its local climate, geography, and culture. From street food to royal feasts, each bite is a taste of adventure!

🌶️ A Multi-sensory Food Experience
Chinese cuisine is more than just "eating"; it’s a full sensory experience. Chefs combine diverse cooking techniques and rich ingredients to create culinary masterpieces that engage the eyes, nose, mouth, touch, and even ears.

🍽️ Flavors of Minority Cuisines
In addition to Han cuisine, traditional foods from various ethnic minorities offer unique, mouthwatering flavors.

🥢 Table Etiquette & Culture
Chinese food culture emphasizes not only taste but also table manners. Chopsticks are an essential tool, not just for eating, but a reflection of cultural heritage. Every meal is a celebration, rich in warmth and respect.

📜 The History of Cuisine
From the ancient art of "fire-starting by rubbing wood" to modern culinary techniques, Chinese cuisine has a history spanning thousands of years. Today, it continues to shine brightly on dining tables worldwide!

1. Sichuan Cuisine (川菜)

• Origin: Sichuan Province, Chongqing
• Features: Hot, spicy, and mouth-numbing flavors, using lots of chili, peppercorns, garlic, and broad bean paste.
• Notable Dishes: Kung Pao Chicken, Ma Po Tofu, Dandan Noodles, Hot Pot.

2. Cantonese Cuisine (粤菜)

• Origin: Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, Macau
• Features: Mild, fresh, and natural taste with a wide variety of ingredients and intricate cooking techniques.
• Notable Dishes: Char Siu (BBQ Pork), Cantonese Roasted Goose, White Cut Chicken, Dim Sum.

3. Hunan Cuisine (湘菜)

• Origin: Hunan Province
• Features: Spicy, hot, and salty, known for its liberal use of fresh and dried chili.
• Notable Dishes: Steamed Fish Head with Chopped Chili, Chairman Mao’s Red Braised Pork, Hunan Rice Noodles.

4. Shandong Cuisine (鲁菜)

• Origin: Shandong Province
• Features: Salty, umami, and a focus on fresh seafood with a strong use of soups, scallions, ginger, and garlic.
• Notable Dishes: Sweet and Sour Carp, Braised Sea Cucumber, Dezhou Braised Chicken.

5. Jiangsu Cuisine (苏菜)

• Origin: Jiangsu Province
• Features: Mild, slightly sweet, delicate, and precise in cooking methods with an emphasis on freshwater seafood.
• Notable Dishes: Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish, Yangzhou Fried Rice, Beggar’s Chicken.

6. Zhejiang Cuisine (浙菜)

• Origin: Zhejiang Province
• Features: Light, fresh, and tender, with a preference for frying and use of yellow wine.
• Notable Dishes: West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy, Dongpo Pork, Steamed Pork with Rice Flour.

7. Fujian Cuisine (闽菜)

• Origin: Fujian Province
• Features: Light, fresh, sweet and sour, with a notable use of red vinasse and a mix of woodland and seafood ingredients.
• Notable Dishes: Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Fuzhou Fish Balls, Drunken Ribs.

8. Anhui Cuisine (徽菜)

• Origin: Anhui Province
• Features: Salty, fresh, and light, with a preference for hams and a focus on preserving the original flavor of ingredients through braising, stewing, and steaming.
• Notable Dishes: Stewed Bamboo Shoots, Stewed Soft-Shelled Turtle with Ham, Li Hongzhang Chop Suey.

These eight cuisines form the backbone of Chinese culinary traditions, with each representing a different aspect of China's diverse food culture.

🍾 Baijiu: A World-Famous Spirit

Baijiu, one of the six major types of strong liquor worldwide, is known for its complex brewing process and high alcohol content. Its origin can be traced to various dynasties, including the Eastern Han, Tang, and Song dynasties, with most attributing its peak development to the Song Dynasty. Today, Baijiu remains one of China's most iconic beverages, with famous brands like Maotai, Wuliangye, and Luzhou Laojiao. These brands represent not only traditional distillation methods but also the cultural legacy of China. Baijiu is a drink of celebration, ritual, and socializing.

🍷 Huangjiu: One of the Oldest Wines in the World

Huangjiu, or yellow wine, is a unique Chinese alcoholic beverage with over 5,000 years of history. Made from rice or glutinous rice, it typically has an alcohol content of 10-15%. Its fermentation process results in a mild, sweet flavor with no sharp aftertaste. Huangjiu is commonly used in cooking and drinking, and it is widely regarded as a quintessential Chinese drink. Famous brands include Shaoxing wine, produced in Zhejiang, and Red Rice Huangjiu from Fujian.

🏅 Medicinal Alcoholic Drinks: A Unique Blend of Herbs and Spirits

In addition to traditional wines and liquors, China also has a tradition of medicinal alcoholic drinks. These beverages are often made by blending wine or spirits with herbs, flowers, or fruit peels, and sometimes even animal derivatives. Medicinal alcohols like goji berry wine, ginseng, and deer antler wine are believed to offer health benefits. These beverages have been an important part of Chinese traditional medicine, which is still widely practiced today.

🍻 Toasting & Drinking Rituals: Alcohol as a Social Bond

In China, alcohol is more than just a drink—it’s a key part of social rituals, etiquette, and bonding. Whether at family gatherings, festivals, or with friends, toasting is an essential tradition. A famous example comes from the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where three heroes become blood brothers by mixing their own blood into wine as a symbol of loyalty. This dramatic act may seem extreme, but it epitomized the deep bond of brotherhood in ancient China.

📚 Alcohol and Poetry: Inspiring Generations of Writers

Alcohol has always been a source of inspiration for Chinese poets and writers. Many of China’s great poets and literary figures created their works in the company of wine, using it as a muse for their creativity. The bond between wine and poetry is deeply embedded in Chinese culture, where wine has been a symbol of artistry, inspiration, and emotional expression for centuries.