How did the eight Chinese cuisines evolve?

Since the Republic of China, cultures in various parts of China have made great progress. Jiangsu cuisine is divided into Jiangsu cuisine, Zhejiang cuisine and Anhui cuisine. Cantonese cuisine is divided into Cantonese cuisine and Fujian cuisine, and Sichuan cuisine is divided into Sichuan cuisine and Hunan cuisine. Because Sichuan cuisine, Shandong cuisine, Jiangsu cuisine and Guangdong cuisine were formed earlier, then local cuisines such as Zhejiang cuisine, Fujian cuisine, Hunan cuisine and Anhui cuisine gradually became famous, thus forming the "eight major cuisines" in China. Later, the most influential and representative cuisines, which are also recognized by the society, are Sichuan, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hunan, Anhui and Shandong, and are usually called the "eight major cuisines" in China.

The formation of a cuisine is inseparable from its long history and unique cooking characteristics. At the same time, it is also influenced by physical geography, climatic conditions, resources and specialties, and eating habits. Some people describe the "eight major cuisines" as:

Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Anhui cuisine are like beautiful Jiangnan women. Shandong cuisine is like a northern emperor who rules the world; Cantonese cuisine and Fujian cuisine are like romantic and elegant sons; Sichuan cuisine and Hunan cuisine are like celebrities with rich connotations and talents.

Eight major cuisines: Sichuan cuisine, Shandong cuisine, Guangdong cuisine, Fujian cuisine, Jiangsu cuisine, Zhejiang cuisine, Hunan cuisine and Anhui cuisine.

Sichuan cuisine

Sichuan cuisine. It is divided into Shanghe Gang centered on Leshan in Chengdu, western Sichuan, Xiahe Gang centered on Chongqing in eastern Sichuan and Xiaohe Gang centered on Zigong in southern Sichuan. Sichuan cuisine has a unified flavor in all parts of the country. It is mainly popular in southwest China and Hubei, and there are Sichuan restaurants in most parts of China. Sichuan cuisine is the most distinctive cuisine in China and the largest folk cuisine.

Sichuan cuisine includes Chongqing, Chengdu, Leshan, Neijiang and Zigong. The main feature is the variety of tastes. Zanthoxylum bungeanum, capsicum, capsicum and bean paste are the main condiments. Spicy, sour and spicy, pepper and hemp, sesame sauce, mashed garlic, mustard, red oil, sweet and sour, fish flavor, strange taste and other flavors are all thick and mellow, with the special flavor of "one dish after another" and "all kinds of dishes are delicious".

There are 38 cooking methods of Sichuan cuisine, such as frying, frying, dry-burning, frying, smoking, soaking, stewing, stewing, pasting and frying. In terms of taste, it pays special attention to color, fragrance, taste, shape and the length of north and south, and is famous for its richness, breadth and thickness. There have always been seven flavors (sweet, sour, hemp, spicy, bitter, fragrant and salty) and eight flavors (dry-burned, sour, spicy, fish-flavored, dry-fried, strange, pepper-hemp and red oil).

Shandong cuisine

Shandong cuisine consists of three flavors: Qilu, Chili and Kung Fu. It is the biggest dish in the court. Dominated by the taste of Confucius. Shandong cuisine has an important influence on other cuisines, so some people think that Shandong cuisine is the first of the eight cuisines. The formation and development of Shandong cuisine is related to Shandong's cultural history, geographical environment, economic conditions and customs. Shandong is one of the cradles of ancient culture in China.

Located in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, the climate is mild, and the Jiaodong Peninsula protrudes between the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea. The territory of mountains and rivers, rivers and lakes, rich in products, developed culture. Its grain output ranks third in the country; There are many kinds of vegetables with excellent quality, and they are known as one of the "three major vegetable gardens in the world". For example, Jiaozhou Chinese cabbage, Zhangqiu green onion, Cangshan garlic and Laiwu ginger are all well-known at home and abroad.

Cantonese cuisine

That is, Cantonese cuisine consists of three flavors: Guangfu, Hakka and Chaoshan, and there are Cantonese restaurants in most areas of China. It has a great influence at home and abroad. So many people, especially Cantonese people, think that Cantonese cuisine is the first of the eight major cuisines. Not only in Hong Kong and Macao, but also in other countries in the world, most Chinese restaurants are mainly based on Cantonese cuisine. Cantonese cuisine is the second largest folk cuisine in China, second only to Sichuan cuisine. Abroad, it is the representative food of China. Cantonese cuisine is represented by Guangfu flavor.

Fujian cuisine/dishes

Fujian cuisine is a kind of cuisine mainly formed by local flavor dishes of eastern Fujian, southern Fujian, western Fujian, northern Fujian, central Fujian and Puxian. Represented by the flavors of eastern Fujian and southern Fujian. Minnan cuisine is characterized by freshness and emphasis on seasoning, which is better than Chili sauce and mustard sauce. Representatives of Minnan cuisine include seafood, medicated diet and Nanputuo vegetarian dishes.

The biggest feature of Minnan medicinal diet is to make medicinal diet with seafood, and make use of local special natural conditions to cook delicious food with good fragrance, taste and shape according to seasonal changes. Nanputuo vegetarian dishes come from Nanputuo Temple, a thousand-year-old temple. It is a typical traditional temple vegetarian dish, with rice flour, bean products, vegetables, mushrooms and fungus as the main ingredients. There are more than 40 kinds of famous dishes, and each dish is named after its color, such as "colorful flowers welcome guests", its main ingredient is "double mushrooms compete for beauty" or its shape is "half moon sinking into the river".

Minnan cuisine also includes local snacks. Whether it's seafood such as fried oysters, fish balls, scallion snails, soup and blood clams, or meat such as roasted brown, crispy pigeons, brisket and fried spiced dishes, or snacks such as oil onion fruit, leek boxes, pancakes and batter, people are salivating. I want to eat a big meal.

Jiangsu gourmet

Jiangsu cuisine Jiangsu cuisine is generally called "Jiangsu cuisine" in cookery, but it is often called "Huaiyang cuisine" in general restaurants. It is composed of Xu Hai, Huaiyang, Nanjing and South Jiangsu, and is the second largest cuisine in the court. Today, the state banquet is still dominated by Huaiyang cuisine.

Jiangsu cuisine is separated from the original Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine. The original Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisines can be divided into Huaiyang Cuisine, Nanjing Cuisine, Sunan Cuisine, Zhejiang Cuisine and Anhui Cuisine. Later, Zhejiang cuisine and Anhui cuisine became one of the eight major cuisines because of their exquisite selection of materials, fine knife work, moderate saltiness and sweetness, exquisite shape and distinctive features. The Xuhai flavor of the original Shandong cuisine and the Huaiyang, Nanjing and Sunan flavors of the original Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine constitute Huaiyang cuisine. Represented by Huaiyang and Sunan flavors.

Zhejiang cuisine

That is, Zhejiang cuisine represented by hangzhou dishes. The flavor of Zhejiang cuisine is relatively uniform. Mainly popular in Zhejiang. Close to the southern Jiangsu flavor in Jiangsu cuisine and the southern Anhui and riverside flavor in Anhui cuisine.

Zhejiang cuisine has a long history, and its flavor includes the characteristics of dishes in Hangzhou, Ningbo, Shaoxing and Wenzhou. Hangzhou dishes pays attention to the freshness, liveliness and tenderness of raw materials, mainly fish, shrimp and seasonal vegetables, and pays attention to knife work, with fresh and tender taste and outstanding original flavor. Ningbo cuisine is salty and good at cooking seafood. Pay attention to freshness, softness and smoothness, emphasize original taste and taste.

Shaoxing cuisine is good at cooking seafood and poultry. The dishes emphasize the fragrant, crisp and glutinous taste in the mouth, and the soup is rich in flavor and rich in pastoral flavor. Wenzhou cuisine is also called "Oucai", which is mainly seafood. The taste is fresh, light but not thin, and the cooking pays attention to "two lightness and one heaviness", that is, light oil, light food and heavy knife work. Zhejiang cuisine has the characteristics of bright color, delicious taste, tender and refreshing, small and exquisite, delicate and beautiful.

Hunan cuisine

Hunan cuisine, represented by Changsha cuisine. Hunan cuisine has a national unified flavor. Mainly popular in Hunan, it is the third largest folk food. Hunan cuisine includes the characteristics of dishes in Xiangjiang River Basin, Dongting Lake Area and Xiangxi Mountain Area. The Xiangjiang River Basin centered on Changsha, Hengyang and Xiangtan is the main representative of Hunan cuisine. It is characterized by strong oil color, heavy benefit, fresh fragrance, hot and sour, soft and tender, and is especially suitable for stews and pickles.

The dishes in Dongting Lake area are good at cooking fresh river, poultry and livestock. It is characterized by large quantity, thick oil, salty, spicy and soft, and is famous for stewing, boiling and steaming. Xiangxi cuisine is good at cooking delicacies, smoked bacon, all kinds of bacon and chicken. Its taste is mainly salty, sweet and sour, with strong Shan Ye flavor. One of the biggest characteristics of Hunan cuisine is spicy and the other is wax.

Anhui cuisine

Anhui cuisine is different from Anhui cuisine. Anhui cuisine is mainly popular in Huizhou and western Zhejiang. It is closer to Sunan cuisine and Zhejiang cuisine in Jiangsu cuisine. There are more than 200 varieties of Anhui cuisine, and the main characteristics of its flavor are: being good at cooking, paying attention to cooking, rarely frying, being used to adding ham to taste, refreshing crystal sugar and being good at maintaining the original flavor.

Many dishes are stewed with charcoal fire and served in the original pot, which not only embodies the simple and elegant style of the emblem, but also smells fragrant and appetizing. Its representative dishes are: braised horseshoe turtle, Huangshan braised pigeon, pickled fresh mandarin fish, braised civet, Huizhou hairy tofu, Huizhou peach fat roasted meat and so on.