The Comprehensive Guide to Chinese Regional Cuisines

•One of the most densely populated places in the world , it
has contrasting geographic and climatic conditions.
•Chinese meals always have a staple , fan that represents
rice and grain based food , integral to Chinese food.
2Dr Chef Sunil Kumar

• This is accompanied by
the kai, referring to the
meat and vegetable
dishes, that add flavor
and variety do not over
ride the fan.
• The possibilities for kai
are enormous. China’s
abundant variety of meats
and vegetables are stir-
fried, stewed, steamed,
baked, roasted, oil and
water-blanched, deep-
fried…every kind of
cooking method is well
represented .

• Throughout China, pork is the most
widespread and best-loved meat. In the
north and west, pork and mutton are
eaten in abundance, while south and
east China have a profusion of fish and
shellfish, as well as poultry, pork, and
soy products.
• Seasonings in Chinese cooking are too
numerous to count. A few commonly
used seasonings are soy sauce,
fermented bean pastes, black rice
vinegar, rice wine, sesame oil, chili oil,
ginger, red chili pastes, and garlic. 4Dr Chef Sunil Kumar

By far the most well known Chinese drink is tea, of which there are
numerous types. These teas range in flavor, from sweet to bitter,
earthy to smoky.
Highly favored are green teas, the choicest being “Dragon Well”
tea from Hang Zhou province.

Oolong
green
black
Oolong teas, in which the leaves are allowed to partially ferment,
are slightly bitter and metallic tasting. There are also black and red
teas .These teas are dark and strong tasting.
red

floral
Flower Scented Tea is further
processed from ready-made tea
scented with flowers.
Yellow Tea is mildly fermented and cooked to give their
distinctive yellow colour.
It smells like young sprouts and has a refined and refreshing
taste.
White tea is a Chinese specialty is pale yellow in colour, has
a withered sprout smell and has a subtle taste.

• As with tea, alcoholic drinks have a longstanding tradition in China.
Chinese women generally do not drink, leaving the country’s
alcohol consumption to the men.
• In China, wine (jiu) is made from fermented rice and other grains,
with varying degrees of alcoholic strength.

• Grape wine is not commonly
drunk, although today there
are vineyards in China
producing western style
Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots
and the like.
• Many Chinese rice wines, such
as wines from Shaoxing in
southeastern China, have a
nutty, sherry-like quality.

• Chinese versions of
western desserts such as
cookies, cakes, and ice
cream tend to be much
less sugary tasting than
their western
counterparts.
• Pastries are made with
rice flour and a number of
fillings, such as bean
paste, candied egg yolk,
lotus seed, or mashed
pumpkin.
• Often Chinese meals
simply end with fresh fruit.

• The Moon Festival in early autumn brings yue bing, moon
cakes, round pastries with various sweet fillings which are
given as gifts. Often Chinese meals simply end with fresh
fruit.

THE FOOD OF THE NORTH

Northern cuisine favors straightforward tastes, with garlic,
scallions, leeks and chilies.
Mutton and pork are the meats of choice.
Poultry is only used by the wealthy or on special occasions
Seafood is not very common.
Northern cuisine uses salt and oil liberally and doesn’t shy away
from animal fat (especially pork fat.)
Often northern Chinese will preserve vegetables for the winter,
such as cabbages, carrots and radishes (Korean Kim chi style
pickles are common.)
Cabbages and mustard greens are made into side dishes.

Rice, while common in cities and restaurants, is secondary to
wheat products such as pancakes, steamed buns, noodles,
and dumplings.
The north is famous for these grain-
based foods, many of which are eaten as
snacks. Noodles are popular.
Jiaozi is a delicious meat or vegetable
filled dumplings dipped in a black
vinegar sauce.
For breakfast there are Mantou or Baozi,
steamed buns eaten with Zhou, rice
porridge. 14Dr Chef Sunil Kumar

• Beijing, the nation’s capital, is a
gastronome’s delight, with many
national and international cuisines
available .
• It boasts of the Imperial cuisine it
once had since 1000 AD. Bear’s
paws, camel’s humps, and bird’s
nests were just a few of the exotica
gracing the emperor’s tables.
•
• The Beijing cuisine of today is
called lao Beijing cai, (‘old Beijing
food’) and, being classic northern
food, is nowhere near as exotic as
the imperial cuisine of old.
• Roasted mutton and chicken are
common in lao Beijing restaurants,
as well as salty vegetable dishes.

Certainly one of the most elegant and famous Chinese dishes,
both in China and abroad, comes from Beijing— Peking duck.
Classic Beijing duck meals are three courses, with almost every
part of the duck used.
First, a meticulously raised duck is glazed and roasted. The first
course is crispy duck skin, wrapped in thin pancakes with
scallions and dipped in a black bean sauce.
In the second course, the duck meat is stir-fried; in the third, the
bones are used to make soup.

Beggars Chicken is a local specialty, wrapped in lotus
leaves and clay and baked in hot ashes for hours

Steaming Mongolian Hotpots and barbeques are seen
everywhere.

Toffee Bananas and Apples are a specialty.

Onion Cakes and spring Onion Pancakes also originate
here .

THE FOOD OF THE EAST
Eastern Chinese cuisine, found in the cities of Shanghai
and Hang Zhou as well as the surrounding provinces, is
primarily a cuisine of sweetness.
This school uses sugar, wines, and vinegars to provide
sweet tastes and create subtlety of flavor.

• Pork and poultry are
used as well. Soups and
soupy dishes are very
popular. Shanghai is
known for its unusual
‘soup inject,’ dishes,
which are meatballs,
dumplings, or buns filled
with a gelatin and stock
mixture and cooked until
the inside is soup.

Seafood is abundant, as the Yangtze River drains into the
ocean near Shanghai.
Shanghai crab

The cuisine is based on slow braising rather than steaming
or stir frying.
Red Coking is a favored method of cooking , using soya
sauce and rice wine stock for braising meat and poultry.
Snacking is an obsession with Jiaozi and noodle dishes
found everywhere.
Though rice is grown everywhere, filling wheat based breads,
dumplings and noodle are favored , particularly in winter

The area has abundant specialties like Spare ribs from Wuxi
cooked in soya and rice wine
and Lions head meat balls from
Yang Zhou

THE FOOD OF THE WEST
The food of China’s west, including the provinces of
Sichuan, Hunan and Yunnan, is nothing less than vibrant.
It combines eastern spices with a natural abundance of
ingredients
Meats are primarily pork, beef, and poultry, while
vegetables and fruits are tenfold.
Bean dishes, such as tofu, are also common. This is a
sophisticated and highly spiced cuisine, often extremely
spicy hot.

The most famous is the cooking of Schezwan., though
Hunanese food which is similar is also popular.
The unusual ‘numbing’ flavor, called ma la in Chinese, comes
from the Sichuan red peppercorn which, when eaten, makes
the tongue and mouth numb and tingly. The Chinese believe
ma la dishes are good for the health in cold, wet weather. .
The use of chili peppers and ginger adds additional
Layers of heat. Red chili oil, sesame oil, bean pastes
And vinegars are commonly used.

Cooking styles are also unusual.
Fish flavored sauces are made from ginger, garlic, vinegar,
chili and spring onion but do have a hint of aubergines present.
Hot and sour is a common flavor here

It has its own Sichuan hotpot

Yunnan Ham This ham has a thin skin, thick meat, a bright color
and a strong aroma. It is of very high quality,
Yunnan Steam Pot chicken
As a high-quality dish of Yunnan Province, Steam-Pot Chicken is
prepared in a unique way, featuring tender chicken and delicious
and nutritious soup.

Crossing the bridge noodles
Rice noodles, a typical Yunnan snack, are prepared with high-
quality rice. Thin, long and soft, rice noodles are especially
delicious. Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles are meticulously
prepared with broth, sliced meat and seasonings.

THE FOOD OF THE SOUTH
The food of the south is widely regarded as the country’s best
.Southern Chinese cuisine centers on Canton and Hong Kong .
This subtropical region
is rich in resources, and
Cantonese chefs have
abundant produce, seafood,
and meats at their disposal.
The cuisine incorporates
ingredients from all over
China and is known for its
sometime use of ‘exotic’
animals.

Cooking emphasizes absolute freshness of ingredients and correct
technique.
Ingredients are usually prepared with a light touch, just enough cooking
and seasoning to bring out the natural flavors of the foods.
A wide range of cooking techniques are used but steaming and stir
frying are especially common.

• The cuisine is famous for its seafood, especially
steamed fish and shellfish prepared in various ways.

• Pork and duck are glazed
with mixtures of sugar,
wine, and soy and
roasted to a beautiful
golden-red.
• Dishes are almost
always served with
freshly cooked rice, since
it is part of a rice growing
region.

Hong Kong is famous for its Dim sums

The most particular thing about Hakka food is the cooking
techniques like pressure-cooking, quick frying, stewing, and the
sauces they use.
Hakka food tends to be vinegary and salty, including a large
variety of pickled vegetables. The pickled vegetables not only
replenish the salt lost through sweating caused by hard work, it
can be stored for long periods of time.
The Hakka people are like gypsies so they eat a lot of preserved
food
BanguiSichuan veg
And pork soupTurnip cakes

INGREDIENTS DRIED FOODS
Wood ears
Shitake

Cloud ear mushrooms
Dried chilies
Dried shrimp

Sea weed
Tangerine peel

Red dates

Lotus leaves
Lotus root
Lotus seeds

Rice noodles
Wheat noodles
Cellophane noodles
Egg Noodles

Glutinous rice
Long grain rice
Spring roll wrappers
Wonton skins

Baby corn
Bamboo shoots
Peppers
Mange tout
Bean sprouts

Spinach
Chinese turnip
Bok Choy
Chinese cabbage
Spring onions

Lotus roots
Water chestnut
Lytchees
Kumquat

Dried ginger
Star anise
Sichuan Pepper
corns Curry powder
Five spice powder

Chili oil
Sesame oil
Rice wine
Rice
vinegar

This reddish-brown sauce is made from fermented
broad and soybeans and hot chilies. Never used as a
dipping sauce.
Chili bean paste
This is made from fermented black
beans. A variation is hot black bean
sauce, which has Chile paste added.
Black bean paste

Gradually add 1/4 cup boiling water to 1/4 cup dry English
mustard, stirring constantly, then add 1 teaspoon oil.
Shrimp paste
Chinese mustard
Made from pungent, pulverized
dried shrimp

This is a sweet and garlicky salted yellow soya bean sauce that's
often used as a dipping sauce. It also has the addition of sugar ,
vinegar, sesame oil , red rice for coloring and spices such as five
spice or star anise. Generally used as a dipping sauce.
Hoisin sauce
Hot garlic sauce
Yellow bean sauce

Oyster sauce This Cantonese dipping sauce is both sweet
and salty. Made with Oyster extract and spices.
Plum sauce
This comes in different varieties with some sweeter than the
others

Red sweet bean paste
This is made from adzuki beans,
and Asian cooks use it to fill buns
and dumplings and to make
puddings.
Soy sauce is made from soybeans that have been fermented and
salted. Available both light and dark

EQUIPEMENT USED
Wok and wok
brush
Traditionally made of heavy iron or steel and equipped with two
handles, this versatile, concave-shaped pan is used for stir-frying,
deep-frying, pan-frying, steaming, and stewing. Its ancient design
has been adapted for modern use with a metal ring, which the
pan sits in on the burner. Even more contemporary are the
stainless-steel woks with flat copper bottoms that rest directly on
the burner. These usually have a single long handle similar to that
on a skillet and are lighter and easier to use than the classic two-
handled pan. 55Dr Chef Sunil Kumar

Cleaver The best all-purpose tool is
made of high carbon steel, which
takes a good edge and is heavy
enough to cut through bones.
Stainless-steel cleavers are fine for
cutting vegetables but are too thin
for heavy-duty chopping.
The bamboo steamer has the
additional asset of allowing more
than one layer of food to be
steamed simultaneously - just
stack a second basket on top of
the first. These steamers are
placed above hot water in a wok.

This wide, flat wire strainer
with a long bamboo
handle is very useful for
removing deep-fried
foods from hot oil or
noodles from boiling
water. The most common
size for home use is 6"
diameter.
Flat wire strainer

The sizzling platter
Sizzling-platter dishes, also called "iron-plate" dishes, have
recently become popular menu items in Chinese
restaurants. These dishes are named for the heavy iron
platter that is used for serving. The platter is heated to a
high temperature, placed on its wooden tray, and delivered
to the table. When hot stir-fried food is spooned onto the
platter, the sizzle is very dramatic.

Clay-pot dishes are the
Oriental version of the
American casserole. The
main difference is that
they are cooked on top of
the stove rather than in
the oven. The design of
the clay-pot assures good
retention of heat, so that
even if dinner is delayed,
the food stays piping hot.

MONGOLIAN HOTPOT
A Mongolian hotpot is traditionally a copper stove with a
chimney in the centre, in which charcoal is put. The
lighted charcoal keeps the stock around it at a steady
simmer, and pieces of sliced meats and vegetables are
cooked by just plunging them shortly in the stock.

PAN FRYING
The presentation side of the food should be fried first as this side
will have the better appearance because the fat is clean, then
turned so that both sides are cooked and colored.

Fast frying in a wok or frying
pan in a little fat or oil,
e.g. Vegetables ,
strips of beef or chicken or
seafood
STIR FRYING

Deep-frying is used to
produce crisp- textured
food. Often, the food is
deep-fried, removed from
the oil and drained. the oil
is then reheated and the
food deep-fried again, so
that it is extremely crispy.
DEEP FRYING

PAPER FRYING ,DEEP
FRYING
Small pieces of meat or fish
are seasoned, the food is
wrapped in sheets made
of glutinous rice flour.
Cellophane paper can
also be used the food is
served in its paper
wrapping The paper is
thrown away.

Steaming is a traditional Chinese cooking method
that is ideal for today's trend towards healthy eating.
The technique was developed for when a moist dish
was required as an alternative to a roasted one. It's
good for vegetables, fish, meat and dumplings.
STEAMING

Roasting is done in a moderately hot oven and has a
reasonably long cooking time with a flash of high heat
at the beginning of the cooking process
ROASTING

RED COOKING
It is a process whereby
meat is slowly simmered
in dark soya sauce
imparting a reddish tinge
to the final product - is a
popular cooking
technique in eastern
China.

STEWING
This is a time-honored moist cooking
technique that transforms less
tender cuts of meat unsuitable for
quick-cooking methods into melt-
in-your-mouth meats . In China,
stews are usually cooked in an
clay pot over a charcoal fire. The
stew is cooked for a very long
time - up to four hours - producing
meat almost jelly-like in
tenderness.

SNACKS AND STARTERS
SPRING ROLLS

STEAMED GLUTIONOUS RICE IN LOTUS LEAVES
Glutinous rice flavored with dried shrimp, mushrooms.
Oyster, Soya and chili sauces and sesame oil,
wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed

SPICY SALT and PEPPER SPARE RIBS
Spare ribs marinated with Light Soya sauce, rice wine, sesame
oil, five spice powder, ground Schezwan peppercorns, fried in a
egg and flour batter and sprinkled with chili flakes and chopped
spring onions.

SPRING ONION PANCAKES
Crisp, flaky pancakes made from hot water dough, speckled
with spring onion greens.

BRAISED CHICKEN WINGS
Chicken wings marinated with dark and light
Soya sauces and Hoisin sauce and then
braised till the wings get a sticky coating.

TURNIP CAKE
Blanched grated turnip is mixed with dried shrimp,
dried mushrooms, sausages, seasonings and rice
flour. It is spread onto a tray and steamed. Prior to
service, they are cut into squares and deep-fried.
Served with light Soya or chili sauce for dipping.

TEA EGGS
eggs
3 cups water
1 tablespoon black tea leaves (cheap quality
leaves are fine)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 pieces star anise
1 piece cinnamon or cassia bark
1 teaspoon cracked peppercorns (optional)
1 tablespoon dried mandarin peel (optional)
Method
Place eggs in small saucepan with the water.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
Remove the eggs from the water. Water a
teaspoon or a knife tap each egg on two sides to
crack them slightly.
Put back in saucepan. Add all other ingredients
and simmer for 2 hours, adding water as
necessary.

Hard-Boiled eggs or quail eggs braised in a fragrant tea and
Soya mixture.
TEA EGGS

PICKLED CUCUMBER OR CABBAGE
Salt, ginger and red chilli are applied to the main ingredient.
Sesame oil , peppercorns and dry chilli are heated in a wok
and are poured over the vegetable along with vinegar and pinch
of sugar .

CANTONESE CORN SOUP
Thickened soup of creamed corn with egg white
threads. Could be plain, with chicken, seafood or
vegetables

SHARKS FIN SOUP
Sharks fin and minced chicken cooked in stock, flavored with a
hint of Soya and red rice vinegar.

TOMATO EGG DROP SOUP
A slightly thickened tomato flavored stock with egg
threads

BEANCURD AND SPINACH SOUP
This simple, but beautiful soup is also known as emerald and
white jade soup. It is basically a good chicken stock flavored with
light Soya sauce, with pieces of tofu and spinach leaves floating
in it.

SLICED FISH and CORIANDER SOUP
Seasoned stock with sliced fish and coriander leaves.
This is a flavorsome clear soup.

HOT AND SOUR SOUP
A hearty soup made of a thickened stock, with sliced
chicken or seafood along with bamboo shoots, black
mushrooms, bean curd, shredded greens and egg
threads

JADE CHICKEN SOUP
Spinach flavored thick soup with small chicken balls in it.

CLEAR VEGETABLE SOUP
A clear stock with sliced bamboo shoots, sliced carrots, baby
corn, mushrooms shredded greens and tomato quarters.

CANTONESE STYLE STEAMED FISH
Marinated and steamed whole fish onto which hot oil with
springs onion, shredded ginger and pepper is poured

DEEP FRIED SQUID FLOWERS WITH SPICY SALT
Blanched squid, marinated in ginger juice and rice wine,
deep fried and tossed with chopped ginger, spring onions,
Sichuan peppercorns, crushed black pepper and five spice
powder.

SWEET AND SOUR PRAWNS WITH VEGETABLES
Prawns marinated with rice wine, ginger, sesame oil and
corn flour are tossed in a wok and then served in a sauce
made of spring onions, red and green peppers, tomato
ketchup, rice vinegar, sugar, Soya sauce and sesame oil.

LOVE BIRD PRAWNS
Dishes with one main
ingredient presented in
two ways often
symbolize affection and
happiness, hence the
name.
Half the prawns are
fried and coated with a
sauce of Soya, rice
wine and sesame oil
and the other half with
a chili bean and tomato
flavored sauce.

SALT AND PEPPER SOFT SHELLED CRABS
Marinated soft-shelled crabs are coated with egg and
dusted with flour and fried till golden. They are cut in half
and served, topped with stir fried spring onion and red
chilies.

SCALLOPS WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE
Stir-fried scallops with a sauce of black beans, Soya and
oyster sauces spring onions ginger and garlic

LOBSTER FU RONG
Fu Rong means egg whites
and denotes a classic
Cantonese cooking method.
Lobster meat tossed with rice
wine ginger and salt and
coated with a batter of
beaten egg whites and cream
of tartar. The meat is then
fried till fluffy.
The chicken stock, rice wine
and salt, white pepper,
sesame oil and corn flour are
combined and cooked with
spring onions and ginger.
The cooked lobster is added
to this and then served.

CRISPY FRIED SQUID OR YAU YU SOU,
Similar to fried Calamari, the battered squid
is deep-fried and normally served with a
sweet and sour dip. One may also get a
variation of this dish prepared with a salt
and pepper mix. In some dim sum
restaurants, octopus is used instead of
squid.

SICHUAN STYLE BRAISED PRAWNS
Also known as chili or spicy prawns. These are deep
fried prawns tossed in a spiced Soya; chili bean and rice
wine flavored sauce.

YUNNAN POT CHICKEN
A Yunnan pot is an
earthenware pot with a
chimney. The pot cooks
food by closed steaming.
Here the jointed chicken is
cooked along with jujubes,
ginger, spring onions and
rice wine in the clay pot,
which is then steamed.
The dish is served directly
from the pot.

KUNG PAO CHICKEN
Stir-fried diced chicken with water chestnuts and cashew nuts
in a chili and Soya flavored sauce with spring onions, ginger,
chili and garlic. It may be served surrounded by a ring of
spinach leaves

RED COOKED CHICKEN
Whole chicken is
marinated in red cooking
liquid, comprising of water
with cassia, star anise,
orange peel, fennel, and
dark Soya sauce, sugar
and rice wine.
After it is cooked in this
liquid it is brushed with
sesame oil and served
with a little of the cooking
liquid.

LEMON CHICKEN
It is a popular Cantonese dish of fried marinated
chicken glazed with a tart lemony sauce.

DRUNKEN CHICKEN
The chicken is steamed in the drunken sauce, which is then
poured over to serve. The drunken sauce consists of rice
wine, Chinese brandy, ginger, spring onions, salt and ground
black pepper. Garnished with coriander leaves.

SPICY CRISPY PORK
Slices of five spice flavored roast pork, served with a
dipping sauce of Soya and chilies.

BEEF WITH PEPPERS AND BLACK BEANS SAUCE
Fried marinated strips of beef and peppers tossed in a
black bean sauce, flavored with ginger, Soya, sesame
oil and rice wine.

STIR FRIED BEEF WITH SPRING ONIONS
Sliced beef is marinated with garlic, Soya, sugar, rice wine
and corn flour. It is then fried in oil. A sauce is made with
roasted sesame oil, sugar and soy, flavored with spring
onions. The beef is tossed in the sauce.

STIR FRIED LAMB WITH LEEKS
Marinated sliced lamb cooked with dried mushrooms and leeks in
a yellow bean sauce

BRAISED BEANCURD WITH CHINESE MUSHROOMS
Strips of bean curd and dried black mushrooms are
cooked with Soya sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, sugar
and corn flour.

BEANCURD WITH CHILI and SPRING ONION
Diced bean curd with spring onion, chilli, coriander and
Soya sauce scattered over it is topped with hot sesame
and vegetable oil.

STIR FRIED BEANCURD IN YELLOW BEAN SAUCE
Golden brown bean curd tossed with a yellow bean sauce
along with garlic and oyster sauce. Garnished with coriander
sprigs.

BUDDHAS DELIGHT
Stir fried tiger lily buds, Chinese mushrooms, black
mushrooms, bean curd, bean sprouts, carrots and
mange tout with a Soya and sesame oil flavored
vegetable stock

STIR FRIED CHINESE CABBAGE
Chinese cabbage stir-fried with light Soya
sauces, sesame oil and rice vinegar

DOUBLE COOKED BEANS
Fried green beans with finely chopped
spring onions, preserved mustard cabbage,
Soya sauce and rice wine.

SICHUAN SPICY STYLE AUBERGINES
Steamed pieces of aubergines tossed with a dressing
of soya sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, rice vinegar,
sugar, finely chopped spring onion, garlic and chili bean
paste

STIR FRIED BOKCHOY
Stir-fried with garlic, ginger, sugar soya and a little stock.

STEAMED RICE EGG FRIED RICE

MOON FAN
Rice flavored with five-spice powder

Most woks range from 30 cm to 2 meters or more in
diameter. Woks of 36 cm (14 inches) (suitable for a family of
3 or 4) are the most common, but home woks can be found
as small as 20 cm (8") and as large as 91 cm (36"). Smaller
woks are typically used for quick cooking techniques at high
heat such as stir frying . Large woks over a meter wide are
mainly used by restaurants or community kitchens for
cookingrice or soup or boiling water.

Two types of cast iron woks can be found in the market.
Chinese cast iron woks are thin (~3 mm) and weigh about
the same as a carbon steel wok of similar size, while western
cast iron woks tend to be thick (~9 mm), tend to be heavy,
and require very long heating times.
Cast iron woks are superior to carbon steel woks in heat
retention and uniform heat distribution. They also form a more
stable carbonized layer of seasoning which makes it less
prone to food sticking on the pan. However, both types of cast
iron wok also have some disadvantages compared to carbon
steel woks. Chinese-style cast iron woks, although quicker in
heating and relatively light, are relatively fragile and are prone
to shattering if dropped or mishandled. Western-type cast iron
woks are slow-heating and slow-cooling, which makes
temperature control more difficult. Furthermore, heavy western
cast iron makes the tossing action required in stir-frying and115Dr Chef Sunil Kumar

Wok hei is the flavour, tastes, and "essence" imparted by a hot
wok on food during stir frying. To impart wok hei, the food must
be cooked in a wok over a high flame while being stirred and
tossed quickly

SINGAPORE NOODLES
Thin rice vermicelli tossed with onions, bean sprouts,
spring onion, chillies, curry powder and Soya sauce.

BLACK MUCHROOM NOODLES
Moist egg noodles strongly flavored with Chinese black
mushrooms, carrots, leeks, garlic and ginger, with Soya and
oyster sauce.

NOODLES
They geographically divide china from the cool north where
hardy wheat is a staple made into MIAN or wheat flour
noodles
Down to the warm humid south where ground rice is turned
into rice noodles FEN

Mien may be made from wheat and barley. They can be
dried or fresh, made by machine or by hand and egg may
be added to make the Cantonese specialty of egg noodles

Fen is the Chinese word for the flour made out of millet and
rice and also refers to noodles made from ground rice. Also
known as Sha He noodles in the south.
Fresh rice noodles are formed in sheets and cut up after
steaming to make these soft white noodles.
Dried rice noodles come in varying thickness from flat rice
sticks to strand like vermicelli and are usually machine made.

Fen Si is made from mung bean flour.
Gan Si is made
from pressed
bean curd

Many areas of China have a noodle dish associated with it.
In Beijing there are La Mien, the pulled noodles that are also
known a s Dragons whiskers. In Sichuan you have the
crossing the bridge noodles and ants climbing trees, while
fried Singapore noodles are from Fuji an.

Chow mein is a generic Chinese term for a dish of stir fried
noodles, of which there are many varieties. Chow mein is
generally made of soft noodles, however Hong Kong Chow
Mein is made from thin crispy noodles.
Mein or Mian is simply the Chinese word for noodles.
Lo Mein means "tossed noodles,“ These soft noodles
soak up more of the sauce than crisp chow mein noodles.
Chow mein or Chao Mian means "fried noodles."

There are two types :
The steamed chow mein has a softer texture while crispy
chow mein is crispier and dryer

In American Chinese Cuisine, it is a stir fried dish
consisting of noodles,meat (usually chicken, although beef,
shrimp, or pork may also be used), and vegetables along
with waer chestnuts & bamboo shoots

Canadian Chinese Resaurants may offer up to three
different types of chow mein, none of which are identical
to American chow mein.
Cantonese style Chow mein contains deep-fried
crunchy golden egg noodles, green peppers, pea pods,
bok choy, bamboo shoots,water chestnuts , shrimp,
Chinese roast pork chicken, and beef, and is served in a
thick sauce.

• Plain chow mein is similar to Western chow
mein but contains far more mung bean
sprouts; some recipes may be up to one-half
bean sprouts.
• Hong Kong style chow mein is similar to
plain chow mein but is always served on a
bed of deep-fried crunchy golden egg
noodles.

Chow mein is also common in Indian Chinese Cuisine, having
been introduced by the Chinese in Calcutta. It is usually offered
Hakka or with gravy

Chop suey (Chinese 'mixed pieces') is an AMERICAN Chinese
dish consisting of meats (often chicken, fish, beef, shrimp or
pork), cooked quickly with vegetables such as beansprouts,
cabbage and celery and bound in a starch-thickened sauce. It is
typically served with rice but can become the Chinese-American
form of chow mein with the addition of stir-fried noodles. Chop
suey can also be translated as "left over.”

GINGER PUDDING
Little bowls of ginger flavored sweetened milk that is set. Served
warm

FRIED FRAGRANT BANANAS
Batter fried bananas drizzled with honey tossed in a wok
with caramel, honey and sesame seeds.

DARSAAN
Deep-fried flat noodles tossed with honey and sesame

PEKING DUCK
The origin of the Peking Duck dates back to the Ming
Dynasty, about 600 years ago. Cooks from all over
China traveled to the capital Beijing to cook for the
Emperor. It was a prestigious occupation as only the
best chefs could enter the palace kitchens. A top cook
was even able to reach the rank of a minister!

It was in these kitchens where dishes of exceptional quality
such as the Peking Duck was first created and crafted to
perfection by palace chefs. However, many of the recipes
for such "foods of the Emperor" were later smuggled out
of the kitchen and onto the streets of Beijing. With the
eventual fall of the Ching dynasty in 1911, court chefs
who left the Forbidden City set up restaurants around
Beijing and brought the Peking Duck and other delicious
dishes to the masses.

True Peking ducks are made with a white feathered mallard
called a Peking duck. These ducks are fed on farms around
Peking and fattened up with grain for few months to produce
tender meat. Variations are made by added ingredients to
the maltose solution or flavorings to the boiling water inside
the cavity. However Peking duck should not have a spicy or
sweet aroma- the natural flavor of the duck juices and crispy
skin should dominate.

After the duck is plucked , air is pumped in between the skin
and the body to inflate the bird, then it is blanched in boiling
water.
The crispy skin is formed by washing the duck with a
maltose solution and leaving it to thoroughly dry till the skin
becomes like paper in an atmosphere of dryness and low
humidity . The maltose that is made from fermented barley
turns a dark reddish brown when cooked to give the bird the
lacquered effect.

The duck cavity is plugged and is filled with boiling
water to steam it from the inside and roasted in a
specially made kiln like oven.

Inside the oven the ducks are hung vertically or spit roasted
over fruit wood ( it gives a good flavor and doesn’t smoke up too
much ) at very high temperatures for relatively shorter periods of
time- this produces a truly crispy skin without allowing the meat
to dry out .
The cavity is then unplugged to allow the liquid to drain out.

Mandarin Pancakes are made by a special method to
ensure
that they cook thoroughly without browning.
Each wheat pancake is formed as part of a pair. First
two pieces of dough are put together with a small
amount of oil in the centre to make sure they stay
separate, then the pancake sandwich is rolled out
thinly.

The twin pancakes are cooked on a griddle, meaning only
one side of each is exposed to the heat and the
pancakes stay soft.
They are then split apart and reheated in a steamer just
before serving .

When ordered the duck is ceremoniously wheeled out on a
carving trolley and carved out in front of the diners.
A V cut is made at he neck and the first slice is cut from the
middle. The duck is then scored down its back and carved
one half at a time.
The carving requires a lot of skill and a cleaver is used.

The secret to carving a Peking duck is to get as much
from the duck as possible. Sometimes only the crispy
skin is eaten with the pancakes while the meat is served
later as a stir fried dish and the bones made into soup.
Else where a little meat may be left attached to the skin
and both served in the pancakes.

HUO GUO is the Chinese name for Hotpot , literally meaning
“ Fire pot “.It consists of a simmering pot of stock at the
center of the dining table. While the hot pot is kept
simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are
cooked at the table.
Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meat, leafy
vegetables,
mushrooms, wontons,
egg dumplings and seafood.
The cooked food is
usually eaten with a
dipping sauce.

This Chinese style of cooking has origins
in Mongolia and northern China,
emerging in primitive forms over a
thousand years ago. Mongolian
Nomads would cook meat and
vegetables in a pot over the embers of
a camp fire. It is these nomads who is
said to have started the tradition of
slicing meats thinly, allowing them to
be cooked with minimal use of precious
fuel.
Then the northern nomads who settled
in China enhanced the hot pot with
such meat as beef and mutton, and
southerners did the same with seafood
Later , the hot pot became popular
throughout most of China.

Nowadays, frozen meat is sliced deli-thin. The cooking
pot is often sunken into the table and fueled by propane,
or alternatively is above the table and fueled by hot
coals. Meat or vegetables are loaded individually into the
hot cooking broth by chopsticks, and cooking time is
brief.

BEGGARS CHICKEN
Back during the 16th centuary , beggars would steal
the chicken from some farmer's backyard. Because
the beggars had no containers or condiments to cook
the chicken with, they would take the lily leaves from
the West Lake and wrap them around the chicken.
Then, they cover the wrapped chicken with a thick
layer of mud and roast the entire thing over a fire.
Thus, a new dish was born.

The roasted chicken had a
fragrant flavor from the
leaves and was tender and
absolutely delicious.

Nowadays the dish is not exactly beggar friendly due to
the high price it commands in Chinese restaurants. You
have to order it way in advance before you dine since it
involves very long cooking times. A special mallet is
used to ceremoniously open it

In Hang Zhou ,today the chicken is taken and all
kinds of spices are added and stuffed in the
chicken's stomach, then bound with West Lake lotus
leaf and wrapped with a kind of mixture made with
Shaoxing wine, salt water and mud and finally baked
in steady heat for three to four hours. The mud pile is
opened in front of guests.

DIM SUM

DIM SUMS are snacks or dumplings that touch the heart and
are central to the Cantonese Tea House Tradition of YUM CHA,
Meaning simply to drink tea, but eating Dim sums, reading
newspapers and catching up with family and friends is part of the
experience.
Dim sum consists of a wide spectrum of choices. It includes
combinations of meat ,seafood and vegetables, as well as
desserts and fruit .

Traditional dim sum includes various types of steamed buns
such as CHAR SUI BAO, dumplings and rice rolls , which
contain a range of ingredients , including beef, pork , prawns
and vegetarian options. Many dim sum restaurants also offer
plates of steamed green vegetables, roasted meats, conjee
porridge and other soups. Dessert dim sum is also available
and many places offer the customary egg custard tart — dan
ta — a favorite in many countries.

Dim sum can be cooked by steaming and frying , among other
methods. The serving sizes are usually small and normally
served as three or four pieces in one dish. It is customary to
order family style, sharing dishes among all members of the
dining party. Because of the small portions, people can try a
wide variety of food.
Dim sum dishes can be ordered from a menu or sometimes
the food is wheeled around on a trolley by servers. Some
modern dim sum restaurants record the dishes on a bill at the
table.

The drinking of tea is as important to dim sum as the food. A
popular tea which is said to aid in digestion is polay(pu erh), which
is a strong, fermented tea. Chyrsanthemum , oolang and green
tea can be served as well.
It is customary to pour tea for others during dim sum before filling
one's own cup. A custom unique to the Cantonese is to thank the
person pouring the tea by tapping the bent index and middle
fingers together on the table. This is said to resemble the ritual of
bowing to someone.

JIAOZI
These meat filled dumplings typify the
cooking of Northern
China. Pork meat mixed with Soya
sauce, garlic, chives, cabbage, rice wine,
sesame oil ginger and corn flour is
stuffed into wheat dumpling wrappers
which are pleated and then these are
cooked in a pan of boiling water.
Traditionally some cold water is added
again and it is returned to the boil. The
liquid is finally drained off.

The dumplings can also be fried . They are put in a pan with
Some oil and then once colored , a little water is added ,
covered and then steamed. The pan is then opened and the
water is allowed to evaporate.

Gow or Gau is a standard in most teahouses. They are made of
ingredients wrapped in a translucent rice flour or wheat starch
skin, and are different to jiaozi found in other parts of China.
Though common, steamed rice-flour skins are quite difficult to
make. There are also dumplings with vegetarian ingredients, such
as tofu and pickled cabbage.

HAR GAU
Are the benchmark Dim sums by which restaurants are
measured and they are not easy to make the wheat starch
dough is not easy to handle and it needs to be kept warm
while you work with it, but the results are very satisfying.
The filling of prawns and minced water chestnuts or
bamboo shoots is folded into wrappers made from wheat
starch. Each wrapper is filled as it is made because the
pastry is hard to handle The wrapper is then pleated,
sealed and the dim sum placed in a
steamer.
As the Har Gau cook they
turn from an opaque white
to translucent , showing the
filling inside. 159Dr Chef Sunil Kumar

M
A
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G
H
A
R
G
A
U

CHAI HAR GAU
Tender, Semi-Translucent Dough Pleated
In A Distinctive Half-Moon Shape Around
delicately selected vegetable Filling And
Then Steamed

GAU CHOI GAU
Chive stuffed steamed dumpling made with a
thin skin, Enough To Reveal A Delicate Green
Color)

JAI GAU
Glutinous rice wrappers with a vegetarian filling such as garlic ,
chives, ginger and spinach .
Steamed till translucent.
YU CHI GAU
Large sharks fin dumplings,
served in a broth. The dumplings
may
have other fillings and the
whole dish is steamed together.

SHANGHAI STEAMED BUNS
oThese dumplings are
filled with meat or
seafood and are famous
for their flavor and rich
broth inside. These
dumplings are originally
from Shanghai so they
are not considered
traditional Cantonese
dim sum.

POTSTICKER
Literally Pot stick .Northern Chinese style of dumpling
(steamed and then pan-fried jiaozi) , usually with meat and
cabbage filling. Note that although potstickers are sometimes
served in dim sum restaurants, they are not considered
traditional
Cantonese dim sum.

CHAI WOTHIB
Pan-fried vegetable dumpling

Chiu-chao style dumplings
oIt contains peanuts, garlic,
chives, pork, dried shrimp and
Chinese Mushrooms in a thick
dumpling wrapper made from
glutinous rice flour. It is usually
served with a small dish ofchili
oil.

CHICKEN GAU CHOI GAU
Chicken And Chive Dumpling
Flat, with a chewy dough thin enough to
reveal a delicate green color on top and
seared to a crisp on the other side

HA FUN GOK
Shrimp & pork dumpling in moon-shaped rice-pastry

TAI CHI GAO
Steamed Scallop Dumpling

HAPPY GUEST SHAPED
DUMPLING
Round Shaped Dumpling
Stuffed With Mixed Sea
Food

SUI MAI
Means cook and sell, because they are so hugely popular.
Egg noodle wrappers are filled with a mixture of pork, prawns,
Chinese mushrooms or water chestnuts, The round wrapper is
held in one hand and the filling is placed in the middle.

The wrapper is then squeezed up around the filling and the
top is leveled off.
They are usually dotted with a small blob of duck egg yolk
or crab roe.

HA KAI SIU MAI
Small, round steamed dumplings with a juicy, gingery
chicken and shrimp filling peeking though the gathers of
a thin wrapper.
HA CHIYOO SUI MAI
Small, round steamed dumplings with a juicy, gingery
pork and shrimp filling peeking though the gathers of a
thin wrapper. 174Dr Chef Sunil Kumar

PRAWN AND SHARK’S FIN SUI MAI
Open face dumpling stuffed with chopped
prawns and shark’s fin.

LO HAN CHAI SUI MAI
Open Faced Vegetable Dumpling

STEAMED BREADS
Basic yeast dough can be made into lots of steamed buns in
China, called Mantou. These breads are delicious and can
replace rice.
The dough is rolled into rectangles and one is placed on top of
the other with sesame oil on both the top surfaces. It is then
rolled up together. Then cut into rounds and pressed down into
the centre
With chopsticks, causing them to open up on steaming

This bread was created and sculpted into
the shape of a savage's head (people from
the Man tribe) for sacrificial
ceremonies. Today, “Man tou" serves only
as a general bread.
MANTOU

FLOWER ROLLS OR HUA JUAN

CHAR SIU BAO
Are steamed buns. They are a filling
staple , eaten all over China,
specially in the North.
These filled, slightly sweet buns,
made with barbequed pork ( Char
Siu ) are a Cantonese specialty ,
enjoyed in every Dim sum
restaurant.

The pork meat is flavored with
Rice wine, sesame oil,
Oyster sauce, light Soya
Sauce and sugar.
It is filled in an yeast dough
And steamed till they crack
Open at the top to reveal a
Little filling.

Kai Bao
Soft, Fluffy White Rolls Filled With Juicy
Marinated Minced Leg Of Chicken

MUSHROOM BAO

LOHAN CHAI BAO
Soft, fluffy white rolls filled with chopped black
mushroom, carrot, bamboo shoot and steamed.

RICE NOODLE ROLLS OR CHEONG FUN
 These are wide rice noodles that are steamed and
then rolled. They are often filled with different types of
meats or vegetables inside. Rice noodle rolls may be
fried after they are steamed and then sprinkled with
seeds. Popular fillings include beef, shrimp, and
barbecued pork. Often topped with a sweetened soy
and sesame oil sauce.

SPRING ROLLS OR CHEUN GYUN, Spring
rolls consist of various types of vegetables —
such as sliced carrots ,cabbage, mushroom
and wood ears— and sometimes meat are
rolled inside a thin wrappers and deep fried.

Bean Curd skin Rolls ( San Juk Guen )
A very thin wrapper made of dried bean curd, rolled around a
meat filling into a cylinder shape.
The roll is deep fried and then steamed , which gives a
characteristic wrinkled appearance

Congee ( Chuk )
A thick rice soup with a variety of savory ingredients added.
Among the many popular additions are peanuts, dried or raw
fish, ginger etc.

TURNIP / DAIKON RADISH CAKES OR LO BAK GO
These savory cakes are made from grated Chinese turnip, a sort
of Daikon radish mixed with bits of dried shrimp and pork sausage
that are steamed and then cut into slices and pan-fried.

PHOENIX CLAWS OR FUNG ZAO
These are actually Chicken feet that are
steamed in a black bean or soya chili sauce. and
then steamed.. Fung zau are typically dark red in
color. The feet are earten whole, the flavor
sucked out and bones spat out.

STEAMED MEATBALLS OR NGAU YUK KAO
Beef balls seasoned with coriander and soya sauces
and then steamed They may also contain pork
HOM SUI GOK
These torpedo shaped sticky dumplings are made from rice
dough filled with a
Mixture of dried shrimp, pork and Chinese
mushrooms and then deep fried

FRIED FISH BALLS ( Jar Yue yuen )
Bite size balls of white fish. May be rolled in sesame.

STUFFED CRAB CLAWS

STEAMED SPARE RIBS OR PAI GWAT
This means fat ribs , pork spare ribs that are fried and then
steamed often with black bean or chili sauce
LOTUS LEAF RICE OR NO MAI GAI,
Parcels of sticky rice mixed with dried shrimp,
Chinese sausage, cubed chicken, wrapped
in Lotus leaves and steamed. The leaves
add flavor but are not eaten 194Dr Chef Sunil Kumar

WU GOK
A mashed taro pastry wrapped around a filling of prawn or
pork and deep fried. The pastry breaks up to give a crispy
appearance .
NIAG QING JIAO
Green peppers stuffed with a minced fish
or shrimp stuffing
And then deep fried. Aubergines could
be made in the same way

PORK SPARE RIBS
Marinated spare ribs cut
into bite size
Pieces and either steamed
or glazed and barbequed

PHAK QUAK
Tender marinated spare ribs
steamed with chilli bean sauce

KAM CHIN SOY
Rat shapped dumpling stuffed with minced
chicken and vegetables and fried
MAAD YIU GAU
Finely Chopped Prawns And Squids wrapped In A
Octopus Shapped Wrapper

SHRIMP TOAST

SOU A type of flaky
pastry filled with Char
Sui, lotus seeds paste,
cram or seafood
CHAR SUI SOU is
the most common
version at dim sum
restaurants.

PAKCHOI DUMPLING
Steamed Pak choi
dumpling flavored with
sesame

LING AU GAU
Marinated Minced Lamd
Dumpling
CHEEMA BUN OR CHAI
CHEEMA BUN
Deep Fried Sesame Bun

Lai Wan Toh
Rabbit shaped sweet bun
Kiaang Au
Bird shaped dumpling stuffed with lotus seed paste
and roasted in an oven to perfection

SESAME SEED BALLS OR MÁTUǍN
Especially popular at Chinese New
Year, a chewy dough filled with red bean
paste, rolled in sesame seeds, and
deep fried.

SESAME SEED
BALLS WITH
SWEET POTATO

MALAY STEAMED
SPONGE CAKE
A very soft steamed
sponge cake flavoured
with molasses.

MANGO PUDDING MONG GUO BO DIN,
A sweet, rich mango flavoured pudding usually
with large chunks of fresh mango.

Cha Choy Ye Chi Ko
Multi coloured milk jelly
Hom Tao Ko
Red Bean Pudding
Fou Long Gau
Dragon Fruit Pudding

BO LOH BAU
Sweet yellow cream pastries encased in glazed yeast dough
and baked.
LIN YUNG BAU
Sweet chewy buns filled with lotus seed paste
DAN TA
Rich , golden egg custard tarts are set in a pastry and
served warm
LAI WONG
Restaurants often invent their own signature dim sums like
these sweet rabbits

MOONCAKES
Every year on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the
lunar calendar, when the moon is at its maximum
brightness for the entire year, the Chinese celebrate the
August Moon Festival

Mooncakes were used as a medium by the Ming
revolutionaries in their espionage effort to secretly
distribute letters in order to overthrow the Mongolian
rulers of China in theYuan dynasty. A rumor was
circulated that a deadly plague was spreading and the
only way to prevent it was to eat the special mooncakes.
This prompted the quick distribution of the mooncakes,
which were used to hide a secret message coordinating
the Han Chinese revolt on 15th day of the eighth lunar
month

Another method of hiding the message was printed in
the surface of mooncakes as a simple puzzle or
mosaic. In order to read the encrypted message,
each of the 4 mooncakes packaged together must be
cut into 4 parts each. The 16 pieces of mooncake,
must then be pieced together in such a fashion that
the secret messages can be read. The pieces of
mooncake are then eaten to destroy the message.

Because Mongolians don’t eat
mooncakes, Chinese bakers
were told to send mooncakes to
all Chinese households with the
message to execute all
Mongolians after the August
Moon family gathering. Chinese
families were instructed to not to
eat the mooncakes until the
15th of the 8th lunar moon.

These palm-sized round cakes symbolize family
unity and perfection. Some mooncakes have a
golden yellow egg yolk in the center which looks
like a bright moon. They usually come packaged in
tin boxes with traditional Chinese motifs.

A traditional moon cakeis
made of a sweet bean-
paste filling with golden
brown flaky skin. The top
of the moon cakeis
embossed with the
insignia of the baker
molded into the golden
brown skin. It takes 2 to 4
weeks to prepare the
bean-paste. Because
making moon cakes is
labor intensive, many
families just buy them
from bakeries.

Over the years, moon cakes have
slowly evolved from a Chinese delicacy
to something as common as ice cream
cake. To adapt to today’s health
conscious and Westernized lifestyle,
many bakeries offer miniature moon
cakes and fat-free moon cakes. Some
are made of yogurt, jelly and fat-free ice
cream. To be competitive, bakers boast
about how little sugar and oil they use in
their moon cakes. Customers can pick
and choose the size and filling that suits
their taste and diet. However, the
traditional bean-paste filling with egg
yolk moon cake is still very popular.

Moon cake molds are custom-made with the insignia of
the baker. Many Chinese people are willing to pay a
higher price for moon cakes from reputable
bakers. Thus, the baker's insignia is very important.
Bakers use a wooden mold to shape each
moonquake. The mould must be seasoned first by
soaking it in oil for a few days. Then pour away the oil
and wash clean. Dry it well. Dust with
flour before use.

Many types of fillings can be found in traditional mooncakes
according to the region culture
LOTUS SEED PASTE is considered by some to be the original
and most luxurious mooncake filling, lotus paste filling is found
in all types of mooncakes. Due to the high price of lotus paste,
white kidney bean paste is sometimes used as a filler.

RED BEAN AND OTHER SWEET BEAN PASTES are
some of the most common fillings found in Chinese
desserts. Although red bean paste, made from AZUKI
BEANS, is the most common worldwide, there are
regional and original preferences for bean paste made
from MUNG BEAN as well as BLACK BEAN known
throughout history.

JUJUBE PASTE
A sweet paste made from the ripe fruits of the
jujube plant. The paste is dark red in colour, a little
fruity/smoky in flavour and slightly sour in taste.
Depending on the quality of the paste, jujube
paste may be confused with red bean paste.

FIVE KERNEL
A filling consisting of 5 types of nuts and seeds, coarsely
chopped and held together with Maltose syrup. Commonly
used nuts and seeds include: walnuts, pumpkin seeds,
watermelon seeds,peanuts,sesame, or almonds. In
addition, the mixture will usually contain candied winter
melon, chinese dried ham or pieces of rock sugar as
additional flavouring.

Traditional mooncake vary widely depending on
the region where the mooncake is produced.
While most regions produce traditional
mooncakes with many types of fillings, they
usually only make their mooncake from one type
of crust or another. Although vegetarian
mooncakes may usevegetable oil , many
mooncakes use lard in their recipes for an
optimum mouthfeel. There are three
types of mooncake crust
used in Chinese cuisine

Chewy: This crust has a reddish-brown tone and
glossy sheen. It is the most common type of crust used
on Cantonese -style mooncakes. They are made
using a combination of thick sugar syrup, lye water,
flour, and oil, thus giving this crust its rich taste and a
chewy yet tender texture.

Flaky: Flaky crusts are most indicative of
Suzhou -style mooncakes. The dough is made
by rolling together alternating layers of oily
dough and flour that has been stir fried in oil.
This crust has a very similar texture to the likes
of puff pastry.

Tender: Mooncakes from certain provinces of Chin
and Taiwan are often made to be tender rather than
flaky or chewy. The texture of this type of mooncake
crust is similar to the likes of the shortcrust pastry used
Tender crusts are made mainly of a homogenous mix
of sugar, oil, flour, and water.

Snow-skin mooncakes
They may have a glutinous rice skin, Ice-
skin mooncakes first appeared on the
market in the early 1980's. These non-
baked, chilled mooncakes were initially
filled with traditional fillings such as lotus
seed, red bean, or mung bean paste .
The launch of a Champagne truffle snow-
skin mooncake in 1994 by Raffles Hotel in
Singapore, triggered a wave of modern
mooncakes. Haagen daaz s quickly
followed on from this innovation and were
one of the first to create an ice-cream
mooncake, with a choice of either the
"traditional," snow-skin, or Belgian white,
milk, and dark chocolate crusts.

It became obvious these non-baked mooncakes
could be filled with pretty much anything that
could be made into a paste. An explosion of new
flavours appeared and spanned that ranged
from cream cheese, gingseng, tiramisu, green
tea, durain etc
and ice cream flavours of chocolate, coffee etc
White kidney bean paste or plain ice-cream are
usually used as a base of flavours such as green
tea, coffee, or ginseng, which are not thick
enough or cannot be usually in large
enough quantities to be a filling on their
own.

Pink jelly mooncake with red-bean paste filling
To adapt to today’s health-conscious and, many
bakeries offer miniature mooncakes and fat-free
mooncakes. Some are made of yogurt ,jelly , and fat-
free ice-cream. Even high-fibre low-sugar mooncakes
have made their appearance.
Pink Jelly moon cake with red bean paste filling 228Dr Chef Sunil Kumar

FORTUNE COOKIES
This is a thin, crisp cookie baked around a piece
of paper with words of wisdom or vague prophecy
usually served with Chinese food as a dessert. The
message inside may also include a list of lucky
numbers (used by some as lottery numbers) and a
Chinese phrase with translation. Despite the
conventional , they were actually invented in
California , not China.

Sweet and Sour
Mandarin Fish
The head and tail are kept
on the whole fish served
at New Year eve as these
represent the wish of a
good stat and finish to the
year
Served on New years eve because their name
translates as phoenix tail. Its an important mythical bird
and a symbol of re birth
NEW YEARS EVE SPECIALS

Braised Abalone
or Bau Yue which sounds like the
expression
For guaranteed wealth, eaten at
the new year .
Vegetarian Squid Stir Fry
Buddhists do not kill fish , poultry
or meat in the purifying time of new
year hence , eat this dish
NEW YEAR banquet dishes

Dragons eye rolls made from
rolls of bacon and sweet red bean
paste set in rice and steamed , the
rolls represent the eyes of the
dragon, a powerful symbol of life
Steamed grouper
Whole fish , essential at new year . “Yu “ meaning fish
signifies abundance.

Deep fried prawn balls, are served at New Years as their
name ”Ha” sounds like laughter! they also represent wealth
Oranges at new year are the
most important symbols of
Good luck. Traditional gift at
new Year

New Year Dumplings are called Tang Yuang.
Made of
Glutinous rice dough wrapped around a sweet
or savory filling and boiled.
Spring rolls resembling the shape of gold bars are
served at New Years as a symbol of wealth & prosperity

Husband and wife are one of
The many banquet dishes
served at a wedding where two
separate servings represent the
unity of marriage
Sweet Red bean soup is served at
weddings to ensure that the marriage
is sweet and lasts one hundred years!

Lily bulbs and ginkgo nuts are used at weddings
as the name for lily bulbs peeled into petal like pieces
means everything will go smoothly

Braised Mushrooms
represent wealth as their
shape represents coins. The
more you serve the greater
the fortune that will come to
your home.
Salty Egg Crab
At every banquet there will be a
number of deep fried dishes
whose rich golden color is meant
to symbolize wealth

EGGS are symbolic where they represent
fertility, good luck and happiness. Often
passed around after the birth of a baby
Sesame Balls Made from glutinous rice flour and filled
with red bean paste, they symbolize growing fortune as the
balls swell as they cook

Zong Zi are made of
glutinous rice stuffed
with anything from
salted eggs to sweet
bean paste, Served at
the Dragon Boat
festival
Braised E- Fu Noodles
A symbol of longevity symbolize long life. As important as a
birthday cake . Should not be cut

Peach Buns
Preaches symbolize longevity as
peach trees live for particularly
long. Served at birthdays

The Comprehensive Guide to Chinese Regional Cuisines

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The Comprehensive Guide to Chinese Regional Cuisines