英语

Chinesecuisine(TraditionalChinese:中国菜,SimplifiedChinese:中国菜)originatedfromthevariousregionsofChinaandhasbecomewidespreadinmanyotherpartsoftheworld—fromEastAsiatoNorthAmerica,Australia,WesternEuropeandSouthernAfrica. RegionalculturaldifferencesvarygreatlyamongstthedifferentregionsofChina,givingrisetothedifferentstylesoffood.Thereareeightmainregionalcuisines,orEightGreatTraditions(八大菜系):Anhui,Cantonese,Fujian,Hunan,Jiangsu,Shandong,Sichuan,andZhejiang.Amongthem,Cantonese,Sichuan,Shandong,andHuaiyangcuisine(amajorstyleandevenviewedastherepresentationoftheentireJiangsucuisine)areoftenconsideredasthestandoutsofChinesecuisineandduetotheirinfluenceareproclaimedastheFourGreatTraditions(四大菜系).OccasionallyBeijingcuisineandShanghaicuisinearealsocitedalongwiththeaforementionedeightregionalstylesastheTenGreatTraditions(十大菜系).TherearealsofeaturedBuddhistandMuslimsub-cuisineswithinthegreaterChinesecuisine,withanemphasisonvegetarianandhalal-baseddietsrespectively. InmostdishesinChinesecuisine,foodispreparedinbite-sizedpieces(e.g.vegetablesandmeatwhichisknownastofu),readyfordirectpickingupandeating.Traditionally,Chinesecultureconsideredusingknivesandforksatthetablebarbaricduetofactthattheseimplementsareregardedasweapons.Itwasalsoconsideredungracioustohaveguestsworkatcuttingtheirownfood.Fishareusuallycookedandservedwhole,withdinersdirectlypullingpiecesfromthefishwithchopstickstoeat,unlikeinsomeothercuisineswheretheyarefirstfilleted.Thisisbecauseitisdesiredforfishtobeservedasfreshaspossible,andmoreimportantly,wholefishculturallysignifieswholenessofthingsasithasaproperbeginning(head)withanend(tail).Itiscommoninmanyrestaurantsettingsfortheservertouseapairofspoonstodividethefishintoservingsatthetable.ChickenisanothermeatpopularinChinesemeals.Whilethechickeniscutintopieces,andsimilartoservingfisheverysinglepieceofthechickenisservedincludinggizzardsandheadinordertosignifycompleteness. InaChinesemeal,eachindividualdinerisgivenhisorherownbowlofricewhiletheaccompanyingdishesareservedincommunalplates(orbowls)thataresharedbyeveryonesittingatthetable.IntheChinesemeal,eachdinerpicksfoodoutofthecommunalplatesonabite-by-bitebasiswiththeirchopsticks.Thisisincontrasttowesternmealswhereitiscustomarytodoleoutindividualservingsofthedishesatthebeginningofthemeal.Manynon-Chineseareuncomfortablewithallowingaperson'sindividualutensils(whichmighthavetracesofsaliva)totouchthecommunalplates;forthishygienicreason,additionalservingspoonsorchopsticks（"公筷",lit.common/public/sharedchopsticks)maybemadeavailable.InareaswithincreasedWesterninfluence,suchasHongKong,dinersareprovidedindividuallywithaheavymetalspoonforthispurpose.Thefoodselectedisofteneatentogetherwithsomericeeitherinonebiteorinalternation. [edit]Redmeat PorkisgenerallypreferredoverbeefinChinesecuisineduetoeconomicandaestheticreasons;thepigiseasytofeedandisnotusedforlabour,andissocloselytiedwiththeideaofdomesticitythatthecharacterfor"home"depictsapigunderaroof.Thecolourofthemeatandthefatofporkareregardedasmoreappetizing,whilethetasteandsmellaredescribedassweeterandcleaner.Itisalsoconsideredeasiertodigest.However,beefismorepopularinthewestofthecountry,influencedbyIslam,andalsointheSichuanregionandpartsofthesouth,wherecattleareusedforhaulinginminingandareplentiful.[1]Lambismorepopularinthefarnorthofthecountry. [edit]Vegetarianism Mainarticle:VegetarianisminChina VegetarianismisnotuncommonorunusualinChina,though,asisthecaseintheWest,itisonlypracticedbyarelativelysmallproportionofthepopulation.MostChinesevegetariansareBuddhists,followingtheBuddhistteachingsaboutminimizingsuffering.Chinesevegetariandishesoftencontainlargevarietiesofvegetables(e.g.bokchoy,shiitakemushroom,sprouts,corn)andsomeimitationmeat.Suchimitationmeatiscreatedmostlywithsoyproteinand/orwheatglutentoimitatethetexture,taste,andappearanceofduck,chicken,orpork.Imitationseafooditems,madefromothervegetablesubstancessuchaskonjac,arealsoavailable. [edit]Beverages IntraditionalChineseculture,coldbeveragesarebelievedtobeharmfultodigestionofhotfood,soitemslikeice-coldwaterorsoftdrinksaretraditionallynotservedatmeal-time.Besidessoup,ifanyotherbeveragesareserved,theywouldmostlikelybehotteaorhotwater.Teaisbelievedtohelpinthedigestionofgreasyfoods.Despitethistradition,nowadaysbeerandsoftdrinksarepopularaccompanimentwithmeals.ApopularcomboinmanysmallrestaurantsinpartsofChinaishotpotservedwithcoldbeer,acombinationknownas"冷淡杯"(Pinyin:leng3dan4bei1,literally:coldandblandcup,despitebeingstronglyflavored),whichistheveryoppositeofwhattraditionalwisdomwouldadmonish.IdeasfromChineseherbology,suchasthefournatures,influencethefoodcombinationsfavoredintraditionalChinesemeals. [edit]Contemporaryhealthtrends AccordingtotheUnitedNationsFoodandAgricultureOrganizationestimatesfor2001–2003,12%ofthepopulationofthePeople’sRepublicofChinawasundernourished.[2]Thenumberofundernourishedpeopleinthecountryhasfallenfrom386.6millionin1969–1971to150.0millionin2001–2003.[3] Undernourishmentisaproblemmainlyinthecentralandwesternpartofthecountry,while"unbalancednutrition"isaproblemindevelopedcoastalandurbanareas.Decadesoffoodshortagesandrationingendedinthe1980s.Astudyin2004showedthatfatintakeamongurbandwellershadgrownto38.4percent,beyondthe30percentlimitsetbytheWorldHealthOrganization.Excessiveconsumptionoffatsandanimalproteinhasmadechronicdiseasesmoreprevalent.Asof2008,22.8percentofthepopulationwereobeseand18.8percenthadhiloodpressure.ThenumberofdiaescasesinChinaisthehighestintheworld.In1959,theincidenceofhiloodpressurewasonly5.9percent.[4][5] AtypicalChinesepeasantbeforeindustrializationwouldhaveeatenmeatrarelyandmostmealswouldhaveconsistedofriceaccompaniedwithgreenvegetables,withproteincomingfromfoodslikepeanuts.Fatsandsugarwereluxuriesnoteatenonaregularbasisbymostofthepopulation.Withincreasingwealth,Chinesedietshavebecomericherwithmoremeats,fats,andsugarbeingconsumed. HealthadvocatesputsomeoftheblameontheincreasedpopularityofWesternfoods,especiallyfastfood,andotherculinaryproductsandhabits.ManyWestern,especiallyAmerican,fastfoodchainshaveappearedinChina,andarehighlysuccessfuleconomically.TheseincludeMcDonald'sandKentuckyFriedChicken(KFC). AnextensiveepidemiologicalstudycalledtheChinaProjectisbeingconductedtoobservetherelationshipofdiseasepatternstodiet,particularlythemovefromthetraditionalChinesediettoonewhichincorporatesmorerichWestern-stylefoods.Controversially,ProfessorT.ColinCampbellhasimplicatedtheincreasedconsumptionofanimalproteininparticularashavingastrongcorrelationwithcancer,diaes,heartdisease,andotherdiseasesthat,whilecommoninWesterncountries,wereconsideredrareinChina.Hesuggeststhatevenasmallincreaseintheconsumptionofanimalproteincandramaticallyraisetheriskoftheaforementioneddiseases.