Chinese Cooking Methods

Oriental cooking had its beginnings in China, a country with a civilization that began 20,000 years ago. Here developed the fine art of respectful preparation of food, and the cooking techniques that have been absorbed into the cuisines of other oriental countries. Long before the importance of vitamins was known, the Chinese had developed the quick cooking methods that have been passed on from generation to generation. To be sure, such methods were designed to save precious fuel and to conserve the good taste of foods, but, unknowingly, the preservation of food value was accomplished as well.

Chinese cooks use various cooking methods. Many of these methods expose the food to heat for the shortest possible time in order to preserve its basic character and flavor. To accomplish this, infinitely more time and patience are spent in preparing the foods for cooking than for the actual cooking.

Cooking Methods

Stir frying (chao) – food is cooked quickly in a small amount of hot oil in a large shallow pan called a wok. Before cooking, meats and vegetables are sliced thinly or cut into small cubes. The food is constantly stirred during cooking, which lasts only a few minutes. Stir fried foods are best eaten immediately after they have been cooked.

Steaming or Wet steaming (ching) – food is cooked by steam in a large, two compartment, covered pot. Food is placed on a rack in the upper portion of the pot, while water is placed in the bottom. As the water boils, the steam rises and cooks the food.

Red Stewing or Red cooking (hung-shu) – food, particularly meat, is stewed in a mixture of soy sauce and water. After cooking, the food appears reddish brown in color and takes on a very rich flavor from the soy sauce.

Deep frying (tsa) – food is cooked in very hot oil that completely covers the food. Since cooking lasts only a few minutes, short cooking foods are used. The food is often marinated and breaded before deep frying.

Shallow frying (chien) – food is cooked in a small amount of oil over moderate heat. The food is turned during cooking to ensure even browning on all sides.

Barbecuing (shu) – food is placed on a grill or spit and cooked over a charcoal fire.

Roasting (kow) – food is cooked over a charcoal fire in an oven.

Boiling (chu) – food is cooked in a large amount of water until it reaches the desired degree of doneness. Foods that are eaten crisp, such as some vegetables, are removed from the water just as it comes to the boil; those foods that require longer cooking remain in the boiling water until done.

Poaching (jum) – food is cooked in liquid just below the boiling point. This cooking method is often used for preparing fish.

The same basic cooking techniques are used all over China, but differences in foods and seasonings occur in various area.