Newswire.net - December 6, 2012 - The forever asked question is “Does Chinese Food really have its own identity and where from?” So it seems an easy answer to say “Of Course” however what identity has it adopted as a result of its roots since gracing the shores of the United States?  As the media has  played an ever increasing role in the public’s perception and education in the genesis and vast history of the Chinese food, such mysteries have begun to become uncovered.

Most recently, The San Francisco Chronicle wrote this article, http://goo.gl/c2JXl about this very query and we are about to look deeper into some of the basis for these truths about Chinese cuisine.  Well aside from the Iron Chef show and all the overnight celebrities that have blossomed overnight from behind their pots and pans, the public has instantly become “mini chefs” in their own kitchens and consequently much more in tuned with authenticity of many different cuisines.  Chinese food has always still been a puzzle, perhaps as a result of the size of the country from where it’s come, and also the different stories that have been at the heart of this food from centuries of existence. 

As one looks deeper into the major food categories in Chinese eating, one encounters Canton, Szechuan, Hunan, Shanghai, Fu Jian, and Taiwan to name the most renowned.  So regions and geography does matter which certainly affects the weather, crops, herbs and spices, and animals that are reared in their respective climes.   Much has to do with the stories that have been told to reflect the history of the times, the reign of power, and just folklore tales that have been passed down from generation to generation.     For example, who was General Cho?  Or was it Tso?  Dating back to the history, it might have not even been a General, but rather a Governor.  Its roots date to the Qing Dynasty who was actually a statesman and a general.  Many dishes erupted in the United States post- 1949 where chefs from all over made a mass exodus from China in order to escape the Communist takeover.  This dish was introduced in the 1970’s in New York City with Hunan cooking which is actually spicy, not sweet as the dish suggests. 

Superstition and wives’ tales play a large role in Chinese food that has proliferated throughout the world.  The color of a dish, its sound or pronunciation, and its correlation with something else that rhymes or appears to be similar, are all popular origins of many dishes.  There is a cake called “faht go” in Cantonese which is an egg based muffin, however because of its name, the word “faht” also means fortune which lends itself to become a Chinese New Year favorite delicacy.  It’s color is also “golden yellow” which portends wealth and an association with gold.  

Even the simple appetizer favorite called “egg rolls” morphed into “Spring rolls” because of the association with a favorite time of year “chyun” or “Spring” which is the advent of a new season, growth, and everything that is born and new.  Its affiliation with this is very important in the way the calendar year is defined in the Chinese culture as well. 

Many people do not understand the reason that animal dishes, i.e. chickens and fish, are always served whole with the head and tail attached.  Barbaric, some may think, however the completion of anything, life cycle, continuation, even thought process is vital to the Chinese mode of thinking.  (Cat and dog is not a Chinese food as some may joke or imply!)

Source: EmailWire.com