Food and society has always been interrelated with each other ever since the time that human have discovered fire and the diverseness of it’s use. Since the time that people began to cook (which was obviously far more better than eating our food raw), we had found out that cooking our foods was a tedious task, besides spending half of the day hunting for it and cleaning it up prior to actually cooking it. Cooking was merely a way to preserve our foods in order for it to be more sanitized, killing off bacteria so that it can be preserved for future use. The ancient method of the origins of cooking in China came about with a story that was passed on to young children, on how it was discovered by a Chinese farmer.
As the legend goes, there was once this Chinese farmer who had a group of farm animals locked up inside his barn, when one night, the barn suddenly caught on fire. Frantically running out to save his own life, the farmer forgot to let his pigs out from the barn, letting them burn to their deaths. After the flames had died down, the farmer and his neighbors went about the rubble, hoping to recover anything of value of what was left of the burned down barn.
Amidst their scavenging, they began to smell a savory aroma underneath the burnt debris. Turning over the remains of the burnt wood, they soon discovered the carcasses of the burnt pigs that were covered by the cinders. The savory aroma was so enticing that the farmer had to take a piece of the pig’s burnt flesh, cleaning off the ashes and slowly smelling it. Eventually, the farmer had to taste the pig’s burnt flesh, as it gave off such a pleasant smell.
Chewing on the pig flesh with his eyes closed, he suddenly shouted to his curious onlookers, “This is delicious!”, exclaimed the farmer. And ever since then, the Chinese people learned how to cook pork meat, which eventually led to testing other livestocks. Even though it is only a story passed down through generations, The Chinese people took into themselves to go beyond the basic principles of cooking and eventually elevating it into an art form, thus, the birth of the Chinese art of cooking.
It will be interesting to know however, that not all ingredients that are used in Chinese dishes were originally from the Chinese mainland. Surprised? Ingredients such as sesame seeds, onions, cucumbers and coriander all came from Western origins made possible by the “Silk Trade Route” during the Han dynasty, in which travelers such as Marco Polo brought in from other places of origin. It could be said that the Chinese way of cooking is centered on it’s locality, meaning that each particular region in China has it’s own unique way of cooking style which is very evident on their particular taste, aroma and manner on how the ingredients are prepared according to seasons. Since China is situated in a part of the world that has four seasons, people who live in the various regions have different cooking styles that adapt to the changes thereof.
A good way to describe this would be to know the various regions of China. The Eastern style of cooking is more on the sweet side, as people in that region frequently use sugar integrated into their recipes. This manner of cooking is in fact using the natural enzymes of sugar as a natural preservative on food. It should also be an interesting note that the Eastern part of China is where Mono-sodium Glutamate was discovered (MSG) as almost all types of Asian cooking involves the use of MSG. The Southern region of China has a more salty approach when it comes to cooking as salt is one of the most common minerals used to preserve food as well. People in this region often put salt on freshly dressed meat as to prolong it’s freshness and preserve it’s flavor. Although the salt does make the preserved meat quite salty, it can extend the usability of the meat for over a month. The Southern part of China is also where the method of smoking meat originated.
The Western regions of China incorporate a substantial amount of vinegar into their recipes, which may be applicable to certain kinds of meats and fishes. Veal. Pork and beef are a standard in the cuisines that they put vinegar on, and quite frankly, they have almost 100 different types of vinegars that give flavor to their cooking. Vinegar is also a method of preserving their cooked foods as it can extend their shelf life for more than a week. Vinegar also makes it easy to tenderize the meats that they use on their recipes, enabling it to extract the essence of the meat itself. The Northern regions of China has a more spicy approach when it comes to their manner of cooking, as the upper Northern regions are very cold, especially during the winter months. Soups are mostly a staple in every Chinese meal, but this particular region spices things up a bit by adding spices such as chili peppers and grounded pimento pepper corns that makes their savory taste almost unbearable to those not accustomed to such spicy foods.
Today, all over the world, Chinese cuisine has found a niche amongst food enthusiasts and casual dinners that seek a different taste that appeals to their taste buds. It has even embodied a romanticized appeal that can be comparative to Western cuisine. The exotic Oriental appeal of Chinese food can be fully experienced in all parts of the world, as they even have Chinese food delivery, which you can find here. The concept of cooking does have a very big influence on our development as a society, as it is one of the most indulging and enjoyable social activities that we can take part of. Cooking and eating does make our lives in this world more colorful that it gives a whole new perspective in the meaning of food and how it revolve around our lives.