The Art of Chinese Cooking - Unleash the Chinese Gourmet in You

"Have you eaten already?" Sounds familiar, right? Well, that is if you have dined in a Chinese restaurant. That is actually a popular Chinese greeting and that is even heard in the West. Yes, Chinese restaurants are recently mushrooming in the West. This only indicates an increasing interest in the Chinese food.

Well, there's no wonder why. That is because Chinese food comes in different varieties and its quality is high. Additionally, Chinese recipes are more economical and easy to make. In fact, anyone can easily prepare his or her own food in the kitchen and enjoy it. It's no surprise that one-third of the world's population consume Chinese food on a daily basis. Perhaps, Chinese recipes are some of the world's greatest and most original cuisines.

It was often assumed that Chinese recipes are difficult to cook. However in contrast to this assumption, they do not present any real difficulty at all. All of the ingredients needed to prepare a Chinese food can be bought in general food stores and other outlets, sometimes even online. It doesn't matter whether you are planning to make bean sprouts, water chestnuts or bamboo shoots. With a visit to your general store, you can get all the required supplies.

One thing to consider when it comes to Chinese recipes, is the color, flavor and aroma. These are basically the key elements in Chinese recipes. In addition, nutrition is also considered a priority. Another amazing thing about Chinese cooking is the way in which meat and poultry can be served in the one course in such clever appeal that there's nothing seems to be out of place. The very fact that Chinese cooking and its consumption is a great cooking experience also implies that food prepared the Chinese way has more nutrients in it. Vitamins, in particular, are retained in most Chinese food due to the quick and minimum cooking.

Furthermore, when it comes to meat in Chinese food recipes, it actually refers to pork. Beef is less common in Chinese food compared to pork. From the point of view of Chinese cooking, pork seems to be more versatile than beef and more dishes that are successful made are done using pork rather than with beef. Nevertheless, there are some beef recipes.

There are actually a lot of Chinese recipes that you can try out right in your own kitchen. You can find numerous references online about all the facets of Chinese cuisine. There are detailed step-by-step recipes to help you make your Chinese cooking experience easy. Why not try out one of the Chinese recipe. See for yourself how it feels and tastes to cook and dine the Chinese way.

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The Variations of Chinese Cuisine

In recent years, China has become one of the most popular sources of just about any cuisine. This paved way for Chinese food to be renowned across the globe particularly countries like United States, UK, Australia and Western Europe. What many westerners usually do is they tend to group the dishes all together despite its regional variation. Different traditions have developed around different areas in China and this is mainly due to climatic conditions as well as ethnic make up. As China continues influencing the West, it worked as a win-win situation on both sides. This brought the establishment of various fast food chains along the streets of China encouraging an even freer economy.

Despite the differences of each region, what keeps them bonded together is the idea that meals should be kept pleasing to the eye, healthily balanced as well as contain the best and freshest ingredients available. As a tradition, dishes are served along with a hot tea or hot water since this is believed to aid digestion. However, beers and soft drinks have taken over and has become people's favorite in recent years. Meat like chicken and pork has become in demand and has been a huge part of working people's daily diet. Also, beef is consumed and comes in very thin slices. Vegetables, as always, are a mainstay in many Chinese cuisines and it comes in a wide array of choices.

One of the most in demand menu choices is the Sweet and Sour Pork. Dishes that contain beef as the main ingredient are usually cooked with noodles together with black bean sauce or cashews. Recipes that make use of chicken include Lemon Chicken, Honey Chili Chicken and also Chicken with Lychees. In general, Chinese food dishes are typically served accompanied with bowls of rice or noodles. Vegetables are spared from being overcooked to make it taste crispy and fresh. The most common vegetables being used are green beans, eggplant, zucchini, mung bean sprouts and mushrooms. Also, included are Chinese cabbage, Chinese broccoli as well as bok choy.

Coastal areas in China have their own traditional cuisine with seafood as the main ingredient. This includes both freshwater as well as deep-sea fish dishes. Prawns, crab, squid, shark fin and scallops are all favorite ingredients.

Chinese food dishes are never complete without a steaming hot bowl of soup. It is especially welcome during cold weather especially Chinese winters and is a great way of using up leftovers. Stock, as it is called, is often made out of meat, chicken or vegetables. Sweet Corn Soup has become a favorite among Westerners the same as Szechwan Soup, which is made from pork, ham, mushrooms, red pepper, prawns as well as chicken stock.

When talking about cuisines per region, one of the most internationally in-demand is the Cantonese cuisine. These dishes are typically made up of meat or chicken but also include Shark Fin Soup and Steamed Sea Bass. Generally, Cantonese cooks prefer to stir fry, saute, steam or deep fry. What makes Chinese food unique from other kind of dishes as it make use of soy sauce, rice vinegar or oyster sauce instead of spices to give flavor.

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What Is Your Favorite Chinese Food?

Chinese restaurants have been seen everywhere even when in a different country. People like Chinese food. It not only looks delicious but also tastes good. So what is your favorite Chinese food?

Most people will say it is Kung Pao Chicken. This dish has chicken, peanuts and peppers within it. It is crisp and brisk. Also the color is beautiful. The chicken is white and the pepper is red. Sometimes the cook also adds some green peppers. It is famous especially in America. But this food is not authentic in America because it has been improved to meet Americans' requests. As Americans like fired and sauced food, it is more American than Chinese. Dinners can ask for the cook not to add peppers in it if they do not like peppers. This is most famous dish among foreigners.

The second one is Fish Flavored Pork Slices. The raw materials are ham meat, tender bamboo shoots, an egg, sugar, vinegar, uncooked oil, sesame oil and thick bean. First cut the pork into slices and mix it with seasoning. Then you can fry it. The pork is slippery and the vegetables are fresh and sweet. These two dishes are the mostly named ones by foreigners.

Then it is about some snacks. The most popular one is dumplings. Dumplings can be fried, boiled and steamed. It also has different stuffing within it. If you like meet, you can add meet. If you like vegetables, you can add vegetables. You can also add sugar or gingili or whatever you like. Besides dumplings, strong-smelling preserved bean curd, spring roll and so on are also very popular.

China has different styles of cooking. The most noted ones are Sichuan style dishes and Cantonese delicacies. You may find some inspirations from Chinese food for your Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Life is difficult, and unfortunately is long!

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Using a Chinese Wok

As you start to learn about Chinese cooking, a few special implements can be very helpful. However, Chinese utensils are not absolutely essential, despite the insistence of some enthusiasts. Even some of the Oriental women who have settled abroad do very nicely without them, for quite acceptable substitutes are to be found in any kitchen. But the Chinese utensils are useful, especially for the beginner, and fun as well. They are not expensive and they are easy to find, so it seems a pity not to try them out. In case the thought of a new set of pans worries you because they might take up a lot of room, relax: these utensils are so versatile that remarkably few are needed.

First in importance is the wok, which serves as cooking pan and pot; the name in Cantonese means simply "cooking vessel". Its shape has remained unchanged for centuries. A wide cone rounded at the bottom, it has one or two handles. The wok's shape was originally dictated by the Chinese stove that had an open top surface into which the round-bottomed wok with its flared-out sides fitted securely. Nowadays a metal collar or ring purchased with the wok adapts it neatly to any gas or electric range. The wok usually comes with a snugly fitting aluminium lid. In its classic form the vessel is made of iron, which keeps a steady, intense heat. However, excellent woks are also made in steel, stainless-steel and aluminium.

The wok is a wonderful addition to the kitchen: any discussion of specific Chinese cooking methods will show how practical it is. Its even heat makes possible the very short cooking times so important in Chinese food. It is especially suitable for stir-frying, but there are few cooking methods for which it cannot be used, or ingredients that can­not be cooked in it, in either Chinese or Western style. For example, its smooth sides make it perfect for scrambling eggs or preparing omelettes. But its success in Chinese stir-frying is due to its shape, since food is easily turned along the steeply sloping sides and evenly covered with oil as it falls back into the bottom. Remember, however, that the smaller the quantity of food stir-fried in a wok at one time the better; there should not be more than one pound of meat in your wok: if you have too many people for that, simply cook two lots.

Woks come in several sizes. For ordinary family cooking, one with a diameter of 12 to 14 inches is about right. If you are a traditionalist and buy an iron wok, it must be seasoned before its first use so that it will not rust, and also so that food will not stick to it. Before seasoning yours, wash it thoroughly with hot water and whatever detergent or soap you usually use. Rinse it care­fully, and then, after you have wiped it, heat it to dry off any excess water because the iron rusts easily: even after seasoning, the wok must never be left wet. Wash, rinse and dry the cover in the same manner. Now put the wok over a medium heat and wipe the surface with a small pad of paper towelling soaked with groundnut or other vegetable oil until you are sure the entire surface is covered with oil. Repeat once or twice, until the paper remains clean after wiping: this shows the wok has been cleaned of all dirt and impurities and is now ready for use.

Now the wok is ready for use. Keep pot-holders handy to grip the hot handles while you are cooking. To clean the wok after use, fill with hot water and let it soak until all particles of food can be wiped off easily with a cloth. Do not use soap and do not scour with steel wool or use strong detergents; these will destroy the surface created by the seasoning process. Gentle rubbing with a cloth or with a brush or nylon scourer should be adequate. Always dry over the flame after cleaning, and do not be alarmed when the wok begins to blacken. It's supposed to.

If you cannot get a wok, all is not lost; you can still cook Chinese food. A heavy frying pan is a good alternative. There are even those who declare that because it is flat-bottomed and easily exposed to the heat, the frying pan has some advantages over the wok. If you do use such a frying pan, take special care to turn the food continually while cooking, and so cook it quickly and evenly.

Ian has been researching the way food is cookedfor over ten years now. Come and visit his newest website over at http://www.digitalkitchenscalesinfo.com, which helps everyone find the best Digital Kitchen Scales and information about the best prices

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Traditional Chinese Food - For the Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. This usually falls in the first half of June.

The festival honours Qu Yuan, who was a poet and high official in the state of Chu. There are several variations on the story but all end with Qu Yuan drowning himself in the Miluo River on the 5th of the 5th, 278 B.C.E.

One versions says that Qu Yuan believed passionately in social reforms but this upset more conservative members of the court. They talked the king into banishing Qu Yuan, a punishment he was unable or unwilling to accept.

Another version says that he warned against the threat from a neighbouring state only to be ignored. When that state attacked and took the capital he wrote one last poem before committing suicide.

The festival arose as his fellow countrymen honoured the memory of Qu Yuan by racing Dragon Boats to the presumed spot of his drowning. They threw special pyramid-shaped sticky rice cakes wrapped in leaves into the water to feed his soul. These Zongzi now form an essential part of any Dragon Boat Festival.

Some say the rice cakes were made like this to feed the fish, preventing them from eating his corpse. Others say that Qu Yuan appeared to fishermen in a dream complaining that their original offerings were being taken by a local dragon, hence the need for a lily leaf wrapping.

Whichever story is true, it is interesting to have a symbolism to any foodstuff, and nice to see a patriot being honoured, even if a little too late.

Zongzi are made from sticky or glutinous rice and shaped as a pyramid. Over time, the style of the wrapping and the contents have evolved to suit local conditions all over China.

Zongzi now often contain bean or nut paste in the centre (peanuts and walnuts being favourites), or even egg or meat.

The wrapping is usually of any common local leaf. Bamboo leaves are used in the south, maize and other similar leaves further north.

The Zongzi are steamed or boiled for hours allowing the flavour of the contents and the leaves to seep into the rice, producing a whole range of snacks rather than one distinct dish.

Ian Ford has lived in China for most of the last 10 years. He is the owner and manager of China Journeys, a UK tour operator offering travel in China with added interest (Registered in England and Wales No. 07014791, ATOL 10236)

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Looking For a Delicious Brunch? Try the Chinese Dim Sum Food

If you are looking for the best way to spend a lazy afternoon on a weekend, here is one good idea for you - Visit your favorite Chinese restaurant and while sipping your favorite Chinese tea, feast on the wide variety of delectable delicacies that make up the Chinese Dim Sum. Dim Sum, one of the most popular Chinese foods, comprises of an innumerable assortment of steamed dishes, dumplings, and other goodies, which are analogous to hors d'oeuvres, the hot and cold delicacies served at all French restaurants.

Literally meaning "to touch your heart", Dim Sum foods are best known for their rich quality and competitive pricing, and are usually enjoyed by people as their favorite brunch. The Chinese tradition of Dim Sum was introduced to the Western Countries in the 19th century by the Chinese immigrants from the Canton region. In fact, it is the Chinese Dim Sum that is thought to have inspired the whole idea of 'brunch', a large mid-morning meal often linked with drinking tea.

The foods that are usually served as a part of a typical dim sum lunch are either deep-fried or steamed. The deep-fried delicacies include Wu Gok, a kind of a taro turnover, and mini spring rolls of different varieties. At times, a dim sum lunch might also include special lip-smacking goodies, such as the shrimp dumplings wrapped in seaweed and topped with a dollop of salmon caviar!

The steamed delicacies served as a part of the Chinese dim sum include a large variety of foods, ranging from steamed pork spareribs and Char Siu Bao, steamed buns with roast pork, to Har Gau, the very delicious shrimp dumplings with a translucent skin. Besides these steamed or deep-fried delicacies, a dim sum lunch also includes a dessert and green tea. For dessert, egg custard tarts are usually served, but if you are lucky, you may have a choice between a mango and an almond pudding.

The Chinese Dim Sum dishes usually vary from one restaurant to another. Other Chinese dishes that are often included in a dim sum lunch at some Chinese restaurants include the flower scallion rolls, also called 'Hua Juan', vegetarian and non-vegetarian pot-stickers, sesame seed balls, shrimp toast, Shu Mai, spareribs, Cantonese spring rolls, Taro Croquette, and steamed Chicken's feet. Thus, if you really want to experience the flavor of traditional Chinese cuisine, visit the nearest Chinese restaurant and try the delicious Dim Sum lunch.

Use the unique Chinese Restaurant Locator to find some of the best Chinese Restaurants in your city.

Also, find more informative articles and tips on Cooking Chinese Food to experience the flavor of the rich Chinese Cuisine.

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Impressions Of China - Are You Ready For the Olympics? (Can You Eat the Food?)

I used to love Chinese food, the kind that I ate in the elegant Chinese restaurants in Washington, which serve the predictable egg rolls, barbecued spare ribs, chicken chow-mein and egg-foo-yang, and even the door-to-door delivery type in cardboard boxes with the plastic pouches of soy and duck sauce. The exotic smell of the unfamiliar food was always enticing, but now, after one year of eating the real Chinese food, I yearn for the familiar, the simple meat and potato variety.

I have not had a fresh garden salad since I got here - the Chinese boil their salad leaves; they eat very strange foods: last night, the appetizers consisted of the ever present chicken feet, the cold sliced duck with finger thick fat under the skin, a leafy green vegetable soaked in oil, chewy jelly fish, broiled pork on the bone, and some terrible tasting sliced cold cuts, beef tongue and peanuts.

The main courses were pork belly with one inch fat strips; boiled shrimp in the shells; Hainan chicken, which is served cold, totally undercooked with the blood still running in the veins; turtle stew, served with the turtle shell, head, feet and skin; mushrooms and mixed vegetables; some fish which was smothered with bamboo shoots and tomatoes and cooked on the table; crabs in the shell, which had to be cracked with the teeth because no other tools were provided; two kinds of soups; sticky sweet rice; tofu; Chinese steamed bread; and fresh fruit as desert.

I once tried the chicken feet, the white variety, which are served with horseradish sauce; they were eatable, because all I tasted was the sauce, but this is not something I would take a liking to very quickly. Of course, in my position as honored guest at the dinners I attend, I have to eat all the food that is served - once. Then, if I do not like it, I can decline, although that does not always work, because it would embarrass the host if the guests do not like the food he is serving. So, I grin and bear it....

When I came to China the first time in 1989, I made the mistake of pretending that I liked the snake dish that was served, with the result that every meal thereafter contained another snake variety. I am now more careful in my choice of words when I thank the host, but still, I have had to eat some pretty weird stuff: cows veins, fish stomach, fish head, fish eyes, eel, pigeon, turtles, sea weeds, cows throat, heart, lungs, pork intestines, teeny octopuses with their arms all curled up, etc.

The worst, and most difficult to swallow, are the bugs: the ants, overgrown maggots, the beetle bug type and the scorpions. The latter are great delicacies and said to have some medicinal qualities. They have no taste whatsoever, and neither have the bugs, but the thought alone makes one sick.

What I hate most about the Chinese food is the way it is served - everything is on the bone, or still in the shell. Take a chicken for example: after removing the chicken breast, which is reserved for another dish, the cook takes one big machete and chops the chicken across the ribs into little bite-size pieces, each one containing a tiny bit of meat and the rest is bone, fat or gristle. In feeding the eyes, a bowl of chicken cut up like this goes a long way, but not in feeding the stomach.

A person unskilled like me in the art of chewing food in one corner of the mouth and spitting out from the other, will not succeed in getting much nourishment from food "on the bone". I have a similar problem with the shrimp that are served still in the shell. The traditional way of eating them is to put the entire shrimp in the mouth, somehow separate the shell from the meat with the teeth and the tongue, and spit out the shell.

Of course, all the spitting is done onto the same plate where the fresh food is served, or on the table cloth next to it, where one can find a collection of chicken bones, fish grates, duck gristle, and the usual variety of half chewed and discarded food. This method goes for all other shell food, such as crabs, which are served cut in several pieces and require good teeth to manage.

The proper way of eating in China requires one's head to be about three inches from the plate, to either spit as above or shuffle food into the mouth or slurp the soup. The slurping is necessary because the soup spoons have a funny shape and are too big to fit into one's mouth. There are no serving utensils provided, so everybody just digs with the chopsticks in the serving dish, picks up whatever they will hold and skillfully maneuvers the load across the table and into the mouth - no matter that the sauce or part of the food drops into the other dishes.

Smoking and burping are standard procedure (although I have put a stop to smoking at my table on account of an "allergy", which everybody seems to accept), as is drinking heavy rice wine in a ceremony that requires one to get up every time someone lifts the glass to toast, which is constantly.

Old food never gets removed from the table and new dishes are simply piled on top of the old ones up to three layers high - this, as I found out, is the poor man's way of showing his neighbor how many dishes he can afford to eat. After about five minutes into a meal, the table looks like a war zone - with pieces of food splattered all over the table from chop stick mistakes, cigarette butts, spit out bones, and the like.

Needless to say, I am not looking forward to these lunch and dinner occasions, which are intended to "entertain" me as the honored guest. I sure hope you'll have less trouble finding edible food at the Olympics! Surely there'll be a McDonalds somewhere...

Andrea R Lucas is an entrepreneur, writer and mentor who has traveled extensively all over the world. She is a member of several travel clubs and entertains her readers with amusing anecdotes from her trips abroad and within the US. As a travel consultant with http://www.celeratravel.worldventures.biz - Andrea gets incredible travel deals and dream trips at a fraction of the regular travel costs.

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Low Calorie Chinese Recipes

According to the statistics, there are more Chinese restaurants in the country than any other type of ethnic restaurant combined. This is an astonishing fact, when you think about all the pizza joints and Mexican restaurants that are around, but if you think about it for a couple of minutes, you can probably name at least a handful of Chinese restaurants in your area right off the top of your head. Everyone loves to eat exotic dishes of fried rice, Szechuan Beef, and sweet and sour pork from their local favorite, but doing so can be detrimental to your health. By learning a few basic tips, you can learn to cook low calorie Chinese recipes in your own home.

First, let's look at why eating at or getting takeout from your favorite eating spot is not a healthy option for you in most cases. One of the things that you will notice when eating at most Asian restaurants is that the food is extremely oily. This is because deep frying plays a central role in the preparation of many dishes. Have you ever wondered why the meat at your favorite Asian eating spot is always more tender and succulent than when you try to recreate dishes at home? It's because these establishments use a technique called oil blanching. Oil blanching is a process in which the meat of your choice (chicken, beef, seafood, etc.) is marinated in a mixture of seasonings and cornstarch and then deep fried at a low temperature. What happens during this process is that the hot oil seals in the juices into the meat and also causes the cornstarch on the surface of the meat to gelatinize, leaving the cook with a piece of juicy, tender meat. While this cooking technique yields flavorful meat, it also renders inherently low calorie foods into fatty bombs. Oil contains approximately 120 calories per tablespoon and when you deep fry, particularly at the low temperatures needed for oil blanching, the food that you are frying tends to absorb a copious amount, causing you to ingest hundreds of unnecessary calories.

In addition to oil blanching, a lot of dishes depend on traditional deep frying to get the desired textures and results that the cook wants. For example, common dishes like sweet and sour pork or Szechuan beef are often laden with oil from the deep fat fryer. Even dishes like fried rice and stir fried vegetables can become greasy, fattening dishes in the hands of an unskilled chef.

Fortunately, there are a few tips and tricks that you can use at home in order to slash the calories from your favorite Asian dishes. Not only will you help your waistline, but you will also help your bottom line since cooking at home is much more economical than getting takeout. If you want to have succulent and tender meat like you would get from the oil blanching technique, you can duplicate the results by using a water blanching technique, a process which is very similar to blanching vegetables. First, you will need to marinate your meats in a mixture of egg whites, salt, and cornstarch. Then, bring a pot of water to the boil. Add the meat into the pot and cook for about thirty seconds, or just until the raw color of the meat has disappeared. After that, remove the meat from the pot and allow it to drain well. From there, you can proceed with your favorite Chinese stir fry recipe.

Another tip that you can use is to cook with non-stick cookware. A non-stick surface will allow you to cook Chinese dishes at home without having to use a lot of oil to prevent sticking. Instead of using tablespoons of vegetable oil to lubricate your pan, which will add hundreds of calories to your Chinese food, you can use a couple of sprays of cooking spray, which is less than 15.

Finally, substitute some of the meat in your dish with vegetables to create a low calorie Chinese recipe. By weight, meat contains far more calories, fat, and cholesterol than vegetables, so by substituting some of the protein with additional vegetables, you can help to slash your caloric intake. Think of using vegetables as the centerpiece of your Chinese dish and the meat as one of your seasoning elements.

By knowing a couple of easy tricks, you can cook low calorie Chinese recipes in the comfort of your own home. Since you control the quality of the ingredients and the cooking techniques, your final dish will be much healthier and cheaper than anything you can order at your favorite Asian eatery.

Brandon Woo is an expert in Chinese cooking and cuisine with over 20 years of experience in the field. For more tips, instructional videos, and recipes, visit http://www.takeoutsucks.com today.

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Three Essential Pieces of Chinese Cooking Equipment

In order to make good food at home, you have to begin by having sound fundamentals. As any chef or experienced home cook knows, having the right kitchen equipment makes all the difference in their final result. Give an amateur cook good pots, pans, and knives to use and his dishes will improve almost immediately. In the hands of a skilled culinary artist, these tools can be used to create magic on a dish. Below are some tools and Chinese cooking equipment that anyone aspiring to cook quality Asian food at home needs.

1. Knives

You knife is the most valuable tool that you have in your kitchen and is extremely important for cooking your favorite Chinese recipes at home. If you have ever looked at your favorite takeout dishes closely, you may have noticed that all the meats and vegetables inside of the dish have been neatly and precisely cut. Not only does a uniform knife cut make for even cooking, but the flavor and textures of food actually change depending on how you cut it. As a general rule of thumb, buy the most expensive knife that you can afford. High-quality knives will last longer, be easier to sharpen, and stay sharp longer. If given the option, choose forged blades over stamped blades because they are of much higher quality.

2. Wok

The next most important tool in your Chinese kitchen should be your wok. The wok is thousands of years old and is used because its shape is ideal for a multitude of tasks. You can perform practically every type of cooking technique in a wok, including braising, stir frying, deep frying, and steaming. When purchasing a wok for your home kitchen, you need to think about a few things. First of all, you need to choose the shape of your wok. Today, woks come in two main varieties. The first design is a traditional, curved shaped bottom wok. In order to sit securely on your stove, you will need a heat ring, a cylindrical ring upon which the wok will sit. The negative side to using a heat ring is that your pan will be elevated from the heat source, meaning that you will not get the maximum temperature that you would if the pan was in direct contact with the heating element. Instead, most home cooks that want to fix Chinese cuisine should opt for a flat bottomed wok, which will sit snuggly on any cook top. Finally, you need to decide on the material used for the construction of the wok. Opt for high carbon steel woks of cast iron woks. Steel woks will heat up quickly and are easy to maneuver. Cast iron woks heat up slowly, but retain their temperatures for a long time. Having high cooking temperatures is essential for good results.

3. Rice Cooker

Rice is the stable grain of the Chinese table and every home cook that is serious about cooking Chinese food at home needs to own a rice pot. The reason for this is because of the convenience a rice cooker offers. Preparing rice in a regular saucepan on the stove can be quite perilous for the inexperienced cook. First of all, it is easy to mess up the proportions of rice to water with this method. Next, the rice can boil over the edge of the pot quite easily if you are not looking. Finally, you have to maintain a constant watch over the temperature to make sure that the rice is not sticking and burning to the bottom of the pot. A rice cooker solves all of these problems. Many models have convenient measuring guidelines to help you get the proportions right. Also, the heating mechanism inside of the rice cooker is designed to maintain the right temperatures throughout the cooking process. Finally, after the rice is done, the pot will automatically switch to warming mode, which prevents scorching and burning.

If you are serious about cooking Asian food at home, the wok, a good knife, and a rice cooker are essential Chinese cooking equipment for your kitchen. With these three items, you will have a solid base from which you can reach new culinary heights.

Brandon Woo is an expert in Chinese cooking and cuisine with over 20 years of experience in the field. For more tips, instructional videos, and recipes, visit http://www.takeoutsucks.com today.

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Tasting Exotic Food in China

Cuisine is an important part of any culture. Many people find some foods eaten by others, shocking. These exotic foods are indeed a surprise for many and Chinese cuisine is full of such surprises. In China insects, reptiles, sea creatures and animals or some of their body parts are eaten because the Chinese believe that they have certain medicinal properties. If you are visiting China and want to taste some exotic Chinese food then go to the Wangfujing Street.

Wangfujing Street is a famous street located in the Chongdeng District of the capital city Beijing. Many Chinese branded shops are located here and at night, the night market comes alive. The night market of the Wangfujing Street is known for its assortment of snacks. At the Wangfujing Street, you can taste some of the most unusual things.

Here you can try scorpions but not for poisoning but for correcting any imbalance in your body system. The scorpions are cooked whole with the tail and are mostly eaten when the weather starts to turn cold. The cooking takes care of the poison.

Cicada the big bug is also cooked and sold on skewers; nobody really knows why this insect is eaten but the Chinese eat it nonetheless. Starfish the sea creature can also be seen on the sticks cooked and ready for tasting. Its medicinal benefits are unknown. You can also get tasty squid snacks at the Wangfujing Street.

If westerners thought oysters had aphrodisiac properties, many sea creatures in China are eaten for the same purpose. The sea horse is devoured by men as it is believed that eating sea horses makes a man virile (got to do something with the shape of the creature's tail). The sea cucumber is another creature eaten for its medicinal properties. It is said to be a strong aphrodisiac. It is served at banquets on festivals such as the New Year.

Other exotic Chinese dishes are the Bird's Nest Soup, Stinky Tofu (vendors are fined for air pollution), Thousand Years Old Eggs (actually buried in ash for 100 days) and Dog meat. Like other farm animals, dogs are also bred for their meat. Dog meat dishes are served mostly in Korean restaurants and with the meat being warm; the dishes are usually sampled in the winter season.

The Bird's Nest Soup is made from the nests of Swiftlet; a small bird found in the caves of South East Asia. This is special nest as the bird makes it from its own saliva.

There is a great variety of exotic Chinese food; you must have the stomach to eat it.

Ms. Pinky is a mom of 3 school children. She is a Systems Engineer, a Technology Researcher and an Independent Medical Billing and Coding Consultant. She and her family is well-traveled all over the world!

Her blogs and websites focuses on stay-at-home moms, dads and students who wants to work at home, build homebased business http://www.mommyisworkingathome.com.

Visit her Interesting Site on Asian Travels and Destinations. Discover Asia's Culture and Great Food! at http://www.goingplacesinasia.com

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The Fascination With Chinese Takeaway

In today's globalized world, it is not just technology that binds us. Americans having their favorite Chinese takeaway establishment is proof that there is a relationship going on between the East and the West in terms of food. It does not stop there. Even when businessmen fly to China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, they still make sure to have their fill of Chinese food while they are there.

Chinese food aficionados really take the time to see which Chinese restaurant has the best Chinese food, therefore the best place to order their Chinese takeaway from. While enjoying the food in the restaurant, they would also want to bring this home and sometimes let other people try the food as well. Once they find the Chinese restaurant for them, they begin a relationship. If you think about it, there is an ongoing relationship between customer and restaurant - especially if the customer keeps going back to the establishment.

Chinese food can also be like a picnic to some people too. In the sense that businessmen can have these delivered for lunch whenever they have those nitty gritty lunch meetings. There is something about Chinese food that makes people more comfortable. It must be the chopsticks, as opposed to the traditional forks and knives.

Chinese Takeaway is also very convenient. In fact, most Chinese restaurants are open very late. Anyone who is up late at night finishing work or a school project or cannot sleep can just dial and order for Chinese takeaway. Then they would expect this to be delivered to their doorstep in no time. Then they can enjoy the food in the comfort of their own home.

Chinese Takeaway does not spoil easily. These can be ordered today and still be eaten the day after tomorrow. Just pop it in the fridge and heat it up in the microwave when needed. This is why dormers rely on Chinese takeaway whenever they feel the urge to eat something closest to dinners they would have in their home.

Statistics show that there is a boom in Chinese restaurants because a lot of people just love eating at Chinese restaurants and ordering takeaway. As a matter of fact, it reached a point of people trying to cook their own Chinese food. It is very easy to cook. But if you are one of the chefs at a Chinese restaurant, you also have to cook fast. If you get the opportunity of watching a Chinese chef in action, make the most out of it. It is such an interesting sight to behold.

This is the very reason why there are gas burners in Chinese restaurants. They want the gas to be very efficient so that food can be cooked fast and served to the customers in a jiffy. The best part about Chinese food is that it is still scrumptious even when it is cooked in an instant.

Nathaly Dedeyan is co-owner of Chinese Takeaway a free online directory of International Chinese restaurant. Visitors to Takeaway Chinese are able to browse through and search for Chinese restaurants in their area. Restaurants can be rated and reviews may be left at visitors discretion.

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What Do You Need to Cook Chinese Food?

Are you, like many people, attracted by the possibility of cooking scrumptious and healthy Chinese meals at home? What do you need, in addition to the recipe, the ingredients, and your kitchen?

Well woks have been the mainstay of Chinese cooking for centuries - over 3000 years use in China, indeed.  If you haven't got one, is a wok necessary? Highly desirable, but not really essential, would be my view.You can use a frying pan to cook stir frys.  A wok, does, however, have numerous advantages. It needs much less oil, and distributes heat much more evenly than a frying pan does. And the unique concave shape of a wok makes tossing the food around during stir frying more straightforward. Coupled with the fact that you can also use the wok as an simple every day frying pan, and a deep fryer if wanted.

Other equipment that is also not essential, but desirable includes:

A wok lid. Which can either be domed shaped or flat topped. It should be able to fit the lid of the wok. And the lid needs to be high enough to ensure that it will allow the wok to be used with the desired quantities in it.

A spatula. Which is used for stirring and tossing the food It needs to have a long handle - for obvious reasons! And it can be made of metal or wood - the latter is especially desirable for non stick woks and frying pans.

A ladle . Used for adding stock, in addition to other seasoning. A ladle can also be used to measure out other ingredients to add.

A cleaver. Cutting and slicing before food preparation is especially important. Having bite size pieces enables the food to be eaten with chopsticks. It also reduces cooking time by increasing the amount of surface area exposed to heat. And permits greater absorption of sauces and flavourings. Although Chinese cleavers often look as though they could cut through bones, don't use cleavers for this - it may damage them.  Although traditionally made of carbon steel, this can rust and add a taste of metal. Best to get a knife made from stainless steel. The flat end can also be used as a pestle.

A steaming basket.  This is a round basket that can hold food hovering over boiling water. Bamboo baskets are generally better than metal ones as the bamboo absorbs the moisture and allows the steam to circulate. Dripping water from metal ones can reduce the flavour of the food.

Ring stand. A ring stand can stabilise the wok. Generally these have open sides for gas stoves, and closed sides for electric ones. If your wok has a tapered stand then use it so that the broader side is up for electric stoves, and other side up for gas ones.

Rack. Usually a semi circle and can be used to keep food warm.

Skimmer. A skimmer is a implement made from wire mesh. Usually with a long handle made of bamboo (although also rarely metal). It is used to scoop out such food as dumplings noodles and wontons, in addition to deep fried foods from boiling water or oil.

Thermometer. Useful to make sure that the right temperature has been achieved during deep frying. It is crucial that the bulb doesn't touch the bottom of the wok.

Whisk. used for cleaning the wok.

Tongs. Used to take out and move around, food.

If buying a wok, it can make sense to get accessories at the same time as you may get a discount.

A wealth of useful information on buying a wok, with reviews, etc at http://www.buyawok.co.uk (for the UK) and http://www.buyawok.com (for the US)

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Where to Find Chinese Recipes

Chinese recipes are easily available to everyone. Chinese food is the most favorite type of food all around the world and most of the people share their favorite recipes.

Sharing of these recipes can be done by the help of cookbooks, on television shows and on the internet. When you are trying to learn Chinese recipes first make some tries before spending your money on the Chinese cooking books.

A beginner can learn these recipes on the internet it is really easy and it save your money too. There are many web pages which are totally dedicated to recipes of different foods.

Most of them are about the Chinese food. Some sites which will provide you the good stuff about the recipes might ask you to register and some sites will provide you free recipes too. We can print out these recipes so that we can easily cook.

The second good source of learning these recipes is television. There is a big industry which is working in Chinese recipes in the television because they get lot of rating and competition on the Chinese cooking shows.

It is always cool to see something delicious being cooked and then trying to cook. When you see someone cooking it is hard to note down all therefore you can use the facility of recorder to record the show so that you don't miss anything for it while making it.

Sometime the old ways of learning different recipes are way better than the new ways. Chinese recipes can be learned easily by the cookbook. You can get the large cookbook and you can make any Chinese dish you wish to. These cookbooks are good for the beginner because it carry some advice in it which might help the beginners.

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The Features of Chinese Cuisine

Confucius once said "Eating is the utmost important part of life".

Food is a central part of the Chinese culture. Chinese cuisine is one of the greatest methods of cooking. Many elements have influenced its development. The Chinese people enjoy eating good food at all levels of society, so cooking has developed into a very sophisticated art.

Chinese cuisine is noted for the following characteristics:

Vegetables are the main ingredients. This explains why most Chinese women are slim and men free of cardiovascular diseases. This is because in China, an agricultural country, there is a traditional respect for land. As the old saying goes, "Live on the mountain if you live in one and live on water if you live by water". The Chinese are meticulous about food preparation. Whether it is pastries or vegetables, they always try to make it tasty and flavorful. For example, beans, a common vegetable, are exquisitely prepared into such delicious dishes as bean sprouts and bean curd.

The Chinese people like well-prepared food.

Zealous about food absorption and digestion, they are scrupulous about the temperature while cooking. Undercooked food is unacceptable to them. To the Chinese, the sight of Westerners eating undercooked steaks still oozing blood inside is horrible. In addition, warm soup is very important. Wonton, or dumpling soup, and noodles are popular nationwide. Other hot soups include jellied bean curd, rice porridge and corn porridge.

Chinese also like to eat together, a tradition that can be traced back a long time ago.

It reflects the Chinese notion of union versus division---round tables, round dishes, and round bowls all symbolize union and perfection. Dishes are usually placed at the center of the table so that everyone around the table can share them. A hot pot, in particular, adds to the atmosphere of harmony and union. Friends eat and live together. A recent book by an American Sinologist held that the Chinese collective tradition developed out of the practice of eating together.

Tea drinking is an integral part of Chinese life and the Chinese food experience. Tea is believed to be good for you. The Chinese were the first to discover the tealeaf and have been drinking tea ever since in many varieties.

For more knowledge about Chinese culture, please visit http://www.easytourchina.com/china-specials/index.htm

Ricky Yang - A China travel specialist who has been in tourism industry for 15 years

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Try These Chinese Food and Wine Pairings

Wine pairings with meals could be a difficult task, and this is particularly the case of Chinese food. Think about a German Riesling wine; you may be happily amazed at the partnering.

Simply because of the mix of flavors, selecting the proper wine for Chinese language or Thai cuisine demands your determining the principal style of the dish, regardless of whether it is candy, bitter, salty, or bitter. There tends to be very a selection of tastes in 1 Chinese language meal. It frequently consists of the selection of dishes, some candy, some spicy, some fruity, smoky or even delicate. You'll likely encounter chicken, lobster, pork and duck within the exact same meal. Despite your very best attempts at wine selection, no 1 wine will accommodate the large range of flavors and textures you might encounter.

When it comes to German Riesling wines and Chinese food, Researchers who examine our sense of taste have shown that the various style qualities, for example sweet, bitter, salty, or bitter, have a tendency to lessen or curb 1 an additional. When we talk about wine and meals, we generally say they balance or compliment 1 an additional.

For instance, bitter (or acidic) and candy also suppress 1 an additional; adding sugar to grapefruit reduces the tart flavor. Even thought the degree of acidity or sourness has not changed, the sugar changes how it tastes to us. And so it's using the Riesling grape's capability to develop higher sugar ranges whilst keeping its acidity that creates white wines that not just age extremely nicely but also compliment Chinese food too. You'll discover Riesling wine comes in a number of varieties from dry to extremely candy. The sweetness degree of the Kabinett or Spatlese counterbalances the Chinese food's salt and bitter.

An additional reason German Riesling wine is an outstanding wine for Thai and Chinese food is that it's so great at quelling the heat of chilies which are commonly utilized in both meals.!!!

Whilst numerous advocate pairing Gewurztraminer wine with spicy (hot) Szechuan dishes, it can operate but Gewurztraminer's higher alcohol ranges (13-14%) have a tendency to intensify the burn to a degree.

Gewurztraminer, which literally means "spice grapes", comes inside a selection of subtle flavors. They can all operate nicely, as can a French Pouily Fuisse or perhaps a Sauvignon Blanc.

When moving from spicy to the much more mildly seasoned Cantonese meals, you'll still do nicely using the sweeter wines. For these Chinese food and wine pairings, think about a German Riesling Kabinett or Spatlese for outstanding outcomes. If it is Shanghai cuisine with its rich and frequently high-fat-content meats, the tannins inside a red Bordeaux wine makes for a nice mixture.

For Peking cuisine, with its heavier meats like duck and beef, attempt a red Burgundy like a Pinot Noir. Also a Merlot from Pomerol or St. Emilion can make a great meals pairing.

If the dishes have fruit, they'll pair nicely with Pinot Noir, Riesling, even Merlot. For individuals dishes with substantial amounts of almonds or peanuts, a Sherry or tawny Port goes nicely.

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Petite Sirah or Zinfandel wines operate nicely with meals which are dominant in fruit and spice flavors, for example individuals with Szechuan peppercorns, chili peppers, mustard or curry.

If you would like some other options or do not care for sweeter wines, you may attempt a mild, full-bodied Merlot (that's not too acidic) or perhaps a Chardonnay. They usually go nicely with a selection of meals so you are most likely safe with individuals options.

Just keep in mind, you are objective would be to above all, appreciate the meal. So following the advice given here, you and your guests ought to have a fantastic meal now that you know the very best Chinese food and wine pairings.

Hectr is a food market research analyst dedicated to discovering and sharing information about the best values he finds in food and beverage including wine pairings.

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Top 7 Unhealthy Chinese Foods to Avoid and Lose Weight Fast

Who doesn't love Chinese food? But dishes are often loaded with salt, oil and carbs. So here are 7 dishes that you should definitely stay away from if you are watching your waist line.

Fried rice and Lo Mein. These dishes are about three fourths worth of a day's calories. As well you are eating four or five cups of white rice or white noodles loaded with oil and just a bit of vegetables. Scarily enough, these are often ordered as side dishes! Watch the noodle dishes and focus on choices that'll have a few more nutrients such as mixed vegetables or tofu.

Chow Fun. This dish is made of wide white rice noodles and tastes healthier than lo mein, but it's not. If you haven't noticed, it usually glistens in the light because its been fried in tons of oil and it tastes so good from all the salt!

Sweet and Sour Pork. First of all you shouldn't even be eating pork in the first place, it is loaded with sodium and pigs carry parasites in their bodies, thus you are ingesting parasites as well as disgusting meat. But what are you getting when you order this is three quarters of a pound of deep-fried pork, coated in sugar and oil. This also goes for other meat dishes such as crispy orange beef.

Lemon Chicken. This one dish contains 1,400 calories, two thirds of a day's fat, tons of sugar and doesn't come with vegetables. It's like eating three McDonald's McChicken sandwiches and a 32-ounce Coke. Yum.

General Tao's Chicken. Let's recap, this dish features breaded, deep-fried chicken chunks that are then soaked in sauce. Think chicken is healthier? Not in this case. One dish has about 1,300 calories and half a day's worth of saturated fat.

BBQ Spare Ribs. Usually consumed as appetizer, one plate of spare ribs carries two thirds of a day's worth of saturated fat and 600 calories. That's the same amount of calories as in two pork chops. If you won't eat two pork chops as an appetizer, why would you eat four spare ribs?

Healthier options include anything that is steaming including dumplings, vegetables and any vegetarian dishes that are not oil fried. You need to know the right foods to eat and in the right order if you ever want to lose your weight.

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Lake Mary, FL Chinese Food - Finding A Great Buffet At A Chinese Restaurant

If you've ever been to a Chinese restaurant buffet in Lake Mary and Seminole County, FL then you know how great they are. The only thing you will need to fully enjoy the buffet is your appetite. Usually, you only have to pay a single cost for unlimited trips to the buffet line. You will almost always find your favorite Chinese dishes in the buffet offerings and maybe a few things you always wanted to try but were afraid to.

The buffet is a great place to take a family with children. They will typically have items that only a kid would love. You will find French fries and pizza as well as green jello and ice cream that are all geared toward the littlest diners. A parent will find this option a dream come true for taking their little darlings out for an evening meal. Usually a child has a difficult time selecting something from a standard menu in a restaurant, but at a Chinese buffet they don't have to make a choice. They can have a little of everything they like.

The same can be true for the adults in the party. Sometimes you just want a little taste of something and not an entire dish centered on the one particular item. In a Chinese buffet you can take tiny amounts of everything they have to offer and not feel a bit guilty about it. Sample away. Take this opportunity to take a taste of everything you've always wanted to try.

A big draw for a Chinese buffet is the offering. You will usually find some peel and eat shrimp as well as crab legs. If this is something you enjoy then you can't go wrong with the price of a Chinese buffet. Load your plate up on this much-coveted items and enjoy. Some restaurants may put a restriction on these items, but you will still get a considerably good deal with all the other items that are offered.

Make sure you save room for dessert. It may be very hard to do with the amount of great foods available for your meal, but it is a part of the whole experience. They will generally have some ice cream and pudding for the kids as well as cakes and other delectable treats. The kids will especially like this aspect of the buffet. Let them know that they shouldn't take items that they will not eat, unless they are trying something for the first time and discover they don't like it. You should make sure you eat everything you take if you are taking a large amount. It's just good manners. They should also know that they shouldn't have room for dessert if they don't have room for everything on their plate.

If you live here or are just visiting for a great night out consider the benefits of a buffet at one of our local Chinese restaurants. Our next article will feature the best Chinese restaurants in Lake Mary and Seminole County, Fl.

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Principles of a Chinese Gourmet

An introduction to the fine art and science of creating perfection out of simple ingredients.

Among devotees of gastronomy who have had the privilege, of sampling the great national cuisines of the world, the Chinese cuisine is rated No. 1 quite as often as the French. It has a purity and refinement that transcend mere cleverness, a beautiful simplicity that marks the truly gourmet. Like the French, it is based upon sensitivity to the inherent nature of the foodstuff being prepared. Chinese awareness and respect for intrinsic taste and texture have produced a highly sophisticated body of practices and seasoning.

There are cookery books that provide recipes for Chinese food. But recipes are dry reading at best. As cookery is an art, one can hardly learn much from recipes without an explanation of the principles that underlie the cuisine that created them. The principles of Chinese cooking have been developed partly from long experience and partly by accident through many centuries. They are applicable not only to Chinese food but to good cooking in general, a science as well as an art.

First, the Chinese believe in nature. According to their interpretation, everything that grows on earth and is edible can be delicious when properly prepared, and so is intended by nature to be eaten by man. The Chinese explored the kingdom of vegetables and herbs and living creatures and so discovered a number of foods, undreamed of by the Westerner, that are both appetizing and beneficial to health. They are used when freshly gathered from field or forest or sea, and again after they have been preserved by pickling or drying in the sun. Thanks to these means of preservation, their supply is assured for all seasons.

As an example, the Chinese discovered the virtues of the soybean, and methods of growing bean sprouts indoors and making bean curds throughout the year.These ingredients are truly a blessing to the Chinese and a just reward for a long, patient search. They are appetizing, nutritious, and because economical to produce, accessible to all. When properly prepared, they appeal equally to the palate of prince or peasant. Such widespread appeal is typical of Chinese cooking.

Most Chinese dishes include some vegetables. The net effect is to enhance the taste of the main ingredient (meat or seafood) and at the same time give simple vegetables the benefit of pleasing flavor from the meat. The combination makes a delicious dish, easy to digest and healthful. Of course, Western cuisines use vegetables, too, but they are generally cooked and eaten separately from the meat. The Chinese cuisine includes some roasted (shao k'ao), grilled (chien),or fried (cha) dishes, not combined with vegetables, but they are the exception.

Consequently, Chinese dishes require less meat. A small piece, say half a pound, enough for only one person if cooked the Western way, may serve five persons if cooked in the Chinese way. An excellent example is the well known dish chop suey, which, although invented by Chinese in America rather than in China itself, utilizes the principles of ch'ao, a staple method of the Chinese cuisine.

Ch'ao, pronounced and often spelled "chow," means low-oil, quick-stir frying. Both meat and vegetables are cut into small pieces and cooked over high heat in a . wok, a large concave skillet. Lacking a wok, the American cook can achieve the same effect in a cast-iron frying pan. A small amount of oil is used, but practically no water. The method is almost unknown to the West, which is surprising because it is so simple and quick and adds flavor to everything cooked. It is suitable for cooking either meat with vegetables or vegetables alone, in almost endless variety.

Priscilla is a cooking lover has been teaching in food industry almost 15 years. She has involed teaching in Chinese Cooking, Japanese food, Thailand food, Estern Cuisine, Indian Food, Hawaiian Style, Philippines Style, Oriental Food, Asian Cuisine, Western Style, Meals in Minutes and etc. She would like to share with people a broad knowledge of and keen pleasure in the good healthy life style of good eating through her many years of experience.

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Tips for Chinese Cooking Made Easy

Have you ever wanted to make Chinese food at home, but were too intimidated by the thought of actually doing it? After all, there can be a lot of exotic ingredients that you might think are hard to find, and the techniques might be different, but you need not worry. By learning a few tips and tricks, Chinese cooking made easy is possible in your own home.

Cooking Chinese food in your own kitchen will not only save you time and money, but will also taste better because you can control the quality of ingredients that you put into your food. In order to save money, a lot of Chinese restaurants will use the cheapest cuts of meat possible and low quality vegetables. But, a lot of people are intimidated by the thought of cooking at home because of all the strange ingredients. Contrary to your perception, finding Asian ingredients for your recipes is easier than you would imagine. In recent years, most major supermarkets have a section devoted to ethnic food. There you will find almost every ingredient that you need to make easy Chinese recipes at home like soy sauce, oyster sauce, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and noodles. You can also make use of your local produce and meat to serve as the foundation to all of your meals.

While at the Asian food section of your local market, you can also find pre-made sauces that can be used to speed up your cooking and to make your life easier. For instance, instead of making your own stir fry sauce, you can buy it already made and seasoned. All that you have to do is stir fry your vegetables or meat and throw in a little of the sauce to finish your dish.

You should also consider buying flavored oils to make your Asian cooking easier. Most Chinese recipes call for ginger and garlic to be added to the oil as aromatic agents. However, you can avoid having to mince garlic and ginger by purchasing oils that are already infused with their essences, saving you the time of having to chop ginger and garlic as well as the money that you would need to spend purchasing them. These stir fry oils keep for a very long time and are great if you only cook Asian foods every now and then and don't want to have to buy fresh ginger or garlic.

Most dishes can be cooked very quickly in a matter of a few minutes. The secret to this high speed method is all in the preparation. The best way to make sure that your cooking will go smoothly and easily is to get all of your prep work done. This starts when you bring your Chinese ingredients back from the grocery store. Wash all of your produce when you bring them back from the store. This way, when you're ready to cook, all you have to do is reach into your refrigerator and grab your ingredients without having to spend the extra time washing them. You can also cut some vegetables in advance to help you save time later in the week when you come home after work and want to have a meal on the table very quickly. Just be sure to only cut vegetables like carrots that will not dry out or discolor. Speaking of vegetables, you can also make your life easier by buying frozen vegetables for your stir fries. Frozen vegetables are picked at the height of their ripeness and are immediately frozen, locking in their flavor.

Rice is almost always served along side Chinese dishes in order to act as a filler and to sop up all of the delicious sauces. However, cooking rice from scratch is not easy to do for novice cooks. It is easy to get the wrong proportions of water to rice and easy to burn. To make cooking rice for your meal easier, you can buy microwaveable rice that comes in little cups that reheat in less than a minute.

By taking a few shortcuts and by knowing a few tips, Chinese food made easy is well within your abilities.

Brandon Woo is an expert in Chinese cooking and cuisine with over 20 years of experience in the field. For more tips, instructional videos, and recipes, visit http://www.takeoutsucks.com today.

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Share the Chinese Fat Burning Diet Secret

Have you ever wondered how on earth the Chinese can stay slim after eating Chinese food all day? I worked in Shanghai for 4 years. During those days, I observed the locals' great passion towards food. If you look at their day to day life, it all revolves around food. Their common greeting to friends is "Have you eaten?" (Ni Chi La Ma?) -It doesn't mean that they want to invite you to dinner though. It's just like people here saying "Miserable day isn't it?"

Well the truth behind their fat burning diet and life style is:

1. They eat a lot of vegetables every day. It is such a blessing that in China, the fresh vegetables are available all year round. Go to the local market, you could find vegetables you have never seen in your life, picked from the fields on the same day on display. They are so fresh no matter how you cook them, they are just unbelievably tasty. Ordinary Chinese families cook differently from the Chinese takeaways and TV chefs here. They don't use those fancy cooking sauces for vegetable dishes. All those cooking sauces are developed just for the west. I may have to go into more detail about Chinese vegetable dishes on another paper.

2. They like to slice meat up into small bite sizes and fry with vegetables. In older days, it might be practical reason due to the fact that, meats were 3 times more expensive than vegetables. Nowadays people just genuinely believe mix vegetables and meat will taste better and look nicer.

3. They always have soup with their main meal. Though they never add milk or cream into soups. Their soups are light, liquid based normally adding ginger, goji berries or dates to bring more flavour out. Drinking soup does tend to fill you up while not adding too many calories. So soups will defiantly help you control your appetite. There must be some natural fat burning theory behind this.

4. And there's their old saying about their three meals a day-"Eat good in the morning, eat till full at lunch, eat little at night". This should be another important role in the Chinese fat burning diet.

5. Chinese walk a lot. They walk everywhere, even nowadays they have cars. For them 20 minutes walk in Shanghai is not too far at all, not even worth taking a bus or catching a taxi. The majority of them still like to follow the old saying: "Walk 100 step after dinner every day, have a long life of 100 years". If you have a chance to visit any cities in China, after the supper, you can see all green fields or park lands are packed with people having their "after-meal-walk", or "after-meal group-dancing" session. They are naturally a much more active bunch of people.

6. They drink tea or boiled water. Chinese green or red teas are more popular among the mature generation. Traditionally, when the Chinese want another cup of tea, they'll keep the same leaves and add water to the pot. Young girls are keen on girly flower teas, like rose tea and chrysanthemum tea. They put REAL dry follows into the cup. After the boiled water is added, you can smell them from 5 desks away. They do drink coffee in the office before they prepare for working long into the night. Or at the weekend young sweet hearts would like to meet up at Starbucks. Just to make they look trendy. And ordinary families drink boiled water. Why boiled water? Because you can't drink straight from the tap in China. Even now families have mineral water machines, they still prefer heat up the water before drinking. Apparently they believe drinking too much cold drink is not very nice for your stomach.

Well, in short, if you want to copy their fat burning diet, you should cut on down ready-made meals and milky drinks; eat more vegetables and fruits, drink a lot of plain tea /water, and then walk at least 30 minutes a day, cook your own food and eat your main meal at lunch.

Actually, there are quite a few popular and well designed dieting programmes on the market are applying the above principles. Trying to lose weight on your own can be tough. Using a complete fat burning diet program combine with the real Chinese cooking, will help you improve nutrition, change your eating habits, bring up some fun onto your fat loss plan.

Act now, summer is around the corner!

Maggie Y. Charters, lived in Shanghai from 2003-2007, enjoys Chinese cooking. She believes in changing one's lifestyle to improve nutrition combined with a workout to daily activities is the healthy and natural way to lost weight. For more information on fat burning diets and cooking tips, visit: http://www.fatburning-diet.com

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Red Lanterns, Chinese Food, and a Little More

Those beautiful red lanterns that hang invitingly outside so many establishments have come to signify a lot - in Kabul, of all the places. Kabul, embattled, bruised and bleeding is not quite broken. It's attracting Chinese restaurants by the dozens.

I can imagine the tough Pathans as they make their way out of the restaurants, smacking their lips in delight, thinking, "Chinese tastes delicious".

China Daily reports how many Chinese restaurants have sprung up in Kabul's upmarket areas. But the police are cracking down on them because a Chinese meal there signifies more than just chilly chicken and fried wantons. It signifies food of a higher (or lower) nature, depending on where you're coming from.

Scores of Chinese women have been arrested for allegedly feeding the lust of mostly expats and some Afghans too, thus unleashing moral corruption among its holy denizens. In China, women are often 'afraid' of getting too close to foreigners, though many do. There are size issues - how can the petite and tiny fit in what is large and 'monstrous'? There are social issues, too. How can Chinese men accept a woman who is seen with foreigners? Some of the whys and the wherefores have hilarious explanations that I am not going to delve upon here but might some other time, elsewhere. Yet, many Chinese women end up in Kabul. These Chinese are amazing!

What is the allure that these women possess for men from different parts of the world? Men are drawn to them like bees to honey! Don't ask me...I know! But, honey going to where the bees are?

Chinese women are very gentle and soft spoken. Men, too, are but less so! And very reticent. They don't show what's in their minds and hearts too easily. One needs to figure them out through little signs and indications. Life and everything in it is like a game of Mahjongg. You have your pieces and she has hers and the pieces are always moving as one throws some on the board and picks new ones. You must guess and outguess but never be outguessed or you're dead meat. Why? I don't know...perhaps, Confucius's legacy lives!

Chinese women rarely speak the L word, except to a husband or a boyfriend/lover. At best she can say 'she likes you'. And, that too is rare. Once, when I was quite new here, I repeated 'wo xihuan ni' (I like you) at the instigation of a colleague to a young lady teacher. She ran after me - to hit me with a badminton racquet! It was in jest...but could have been worse. Ever since, I have never uttered even the 'like' word. Who knows, what might come after me next?

I wonder, then, how they make do in Kabul. And, how those little Chinese meals match those monstrous appetites! Foreigners in China, and there are quite a few, often privately accuse Chinese women of being passport-hunters. Perhaps, there are a few. European and North American passports have their own allure for many Asians. But, there are also women who couldn't care a fig about the passports. They know 'their China' is on the way up. Yet, they land up in the ruins of a Kabul-under-reconstruction!

China is changing at a pace faster than appears to the eye. And, the Chinese are not losing the race. They will be wherever the action is - and if there is no action, they will create it, wherever that might be. It's quite common to see a couple embracing, or a woman riding piggyback (a sure sign of the oven on fire) and kissing on the street. Yet, when you meet them face-to-face they will use the tag of tradition to tell you they're in only for the long haul...no short-term measures for them. Dangle the carrot of marriage and you might be the proud partner of one of the creamiest-skinned creatures on earth. Sometimes, I guess, a hundred dollar bill works just as well...for the short-term. But, how can that satisfy a hunger that's more recurring than that for chilly chicken or fried wantons?

Kabul's calling! Wanna go? But, with the police there chasing all the honey and the honey chasing after money, it might be too much of an ask. I wonder if the crackdown there is because the police are jealous!

"Nobody is really sure how the Chinese came to dominate the market. But in Kabul, traditional Chinese lanterns outside a restaurant can mean more is on offer than just good food," reports China Daily. I, for one, am quite sure!

Rajesh Kanoi (Jack) is a published writer, now living and working in China. Many of his short-stories, poems and articles have been published, including a book of short-stories, 'Tales From China' (Lipstick Publishing).

http://o3.indiatimes.com/kjack

[http://www.writingup.com/blog/oneinabillion]

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The Chinese Cooking Wok - The Traditional Way To Prepare Authentic Chinese Food!

Since ancient times, the Chinese have been known to be hung up on tradition, especially where cooking methods are concerned. They are equally concerned about nourishing food cooked in proper sanitary conditions. It is with this view in mind that the Chinese cooking wok has found its own niche in every Chinese kitchen around the world. In addition, the Chinese realized that cooking in utensils handed down from ancient times have helped their dishes to retain their exact, original flavors.

With Chinese food being so popular, it is no wonder then that the Chinese cooking wok is making its way into American households and other parts of the world. Many international stores today stock this main Chinese utensil along with others.

Why is the Chinese cooking wok so unique? To get an answer to this question, we will have to delve into its design.

The wok is basically prepared from carbon steel or iron. The round-bottomed utensil is hammered into shape by hand. The wok therefore becomes delicately flared at the edges, enabling food to be thrust inside with ease. When the perfect shape is attained, the wok is flipped from outside or inside. The rounded bottom of the wok helps it fit over the stove perfectly. Bare metal handles are more commonly used for the Chinese cooking wok. Such handles are known as loop handles. Another type of handle is the stick handle which is formed from carbon steel and resembles Teflon. Thus, the vessel is now ready for anything such as stewing, braising, steaming, deep frying, or preparing soups.

In an attempt to copy the Chinese cooking wok, yet make it more suitable for Western styles of cooking, Westerners have developed woks looking like flat-bottomed frying pans. For more compatibility, woks with double handles are more popular than those with single handles. The bottom of the wok is fitted with an adapter ring. This helps to retain the wok's grip over the top of the stove (western ranges).

The very design of the original Chinese cooking wok itself should be enough to convince anyone that it is better than a frying pan any day! Oil intake is very less, food can be tossed properly, and best of all, there is uniform distribution of heat. So copies can never take the place of the original.

In conclusion, the size of the Chinese cooking wok is designed to suit the purpose. A small family can make do with a wok measuring 36 centimeters, while a still larger one is suitable for a bigger household. The largest-sized ones are used only in restaurants for large-scale cooking.

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Need to Easily Make Fast Chinese Food?

These days many of us are out of our home for over ten hours in a day, and there is little time to prepare a good and rather healthy meal. I'm going to review some tips that will save you time in preparation your Chinese meals. Here are some great quick ways to cook your Chinese food fast:

1. Use common ingredients as substitute for hard-to-find ingredients. Some Asian foods may not be available in your local grocery store. You may substitute other foods when cooking your meals. If you need Asparagus in your dish, you can substitute broccoli, string beans, and other green vegetables. Another example would be substitution for black mushrooms. You can use fresh American mushrooms.

2. Buy food ingredients in larger quantity. A) Buy a whole chicken. Remove the bones or debone the chicken and use the bones for soup stock. Use the chicken meat for your Chinese dishes to be stir fried with vegetables for your refrigerator. B) Another technique is to buy a fresh fish like walleye or tilapia. Remove the bones from the fish known as filleting the fish. Save the bones for soup stock and use the fillet part of the fish for stir frying. As you can see there are numerous ways, use food when buying in bulk.

3. Make several meals from bulk purchase. For the chicken that is not used in your large quantity purchase, keep it in an aluminum foil, and place in the freezer for your next meal. For a fast and easily thawing technique, place the aluminum foil with fish between two pieces of meat.

4. Use leftover food for your meals. If you could a Chinese vegetable dish for the previous night, you can easily as some noodles or rice to make it meal one day or two later. Or, you may a few pieces of steak with some spices to give your new meal a bit more flavor. I would advise using food as meal if it's been there for several weeks since you may get ill from eating it.

5. Make some quick bites if you're really pressed for time. Buy some frozen steam buns from the store. It comes in a variety of flavors from red bean paste, black bean paste, and chicken or meat filling. Steam a few extra buns for breakfast and leave a few cooked one in the refrigerator. Microwave the steam buns for an afternoon or evening snack.

6. Save energy and fuel by using your equipment efficiently. When you're steaming those buns, you can use the other layers of the steamer to steam other food items too. Most good steamers have two or three levels to steam food. Buy a three level steamer if plan buy one. You can steam a variety of food for your meals like meats, vegetables, and even cooked rice.

7. Prepare sauces in advance. Put your favorite sauces together in a jar, and store them for later use. We have a 12 oz. jar of black bean sauce, but put it away in the refrigerator to store away for up to 3 weeks. When we need that right flavor in our meals, we take a few teaspoons and put in right into our wok. We're ready with our meals within minutes.

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4 Tips for Making Great Chinese Food at Home

Chinese food is one of the most popular ethnic cuisines in North America. There are more than 40,000 Chinese restaurants in the US alone. Many people think that Chinese cooking is difficult and complicated, but it really isn't. With the right tools and equipment, knowledge of proper techniques and a few tips and tricks, anyone can make delicious Chinese dishes at home.

Let's take a look at the top 4 tips for making Chinese food at home.

1 - Get the Right Ingredients

While most grocery stores carry some Asian ingredients, they are usually not the authentic high quality ingredients that Chinese cooks would use. If you can find an Asian market nearby, you will find that they have a much larger variety of Chinese ingredients. Typically, Asian groceries and markets also carry better quality foods as well. For example, a good rice wine is essential to many Chinese dishes that you will want to make at home. The rice wine that the average grocery store carries is really not up to par. The same goes for many produce items, noodles, vinegars, sauces and spices.

2 - You Need the Right Tools and Equipment

Most kitchens in China are very small and simple. There are really only a few essential items that you need for successful Chinese cooking. Good, sharp knives are a must. You will be doing a lot of slicing and chopping when you are preparing Chinese dishes, so a good quality knife is important. It is essential that your slices are uniform to ensure even cooking, and many dishes require very thin slices of meat and vegetables. You should be able to get by with just a chef's knife, a santoku knife, a boning knife, a small knife and maybe a serrated bread knife.

You'll also want to invest in a wok. A traditional wok with a rounded bottom is not really well-suited for cooking at home. The rounded bottom makes it difficult to heat the pan evenly, so a flat-bottomed wok-style pan is a better choice. Cast iron or high grade carbon steel are the best materials to look for when choosing a wok, as they hold the heat very well and can withstand higher temperatures than the cheaper alternatives.

3 - Learn the techniques

I'm sure you've noticed that Chinese restaurants tend to serve the food quite quickly. That's because most recipes are very quick to make, once you have your ingredients prepared. It actually takes longer just to chop and slice the ingredients, mix up the sauces and get everything ready to go than it does to cook the meal! I've learned to make sure everything is completely ready to go before I start cooking anything, or I just end up in a total mess! The main cooking method in Chinese cooking is stir-frying. This is done very quickly over a high heat. You need to keep the food moving constantly in the pan or it will burn very quickly - hence the term, STIR-frying. Steaming is another common method used for vegetables and rice. Bamboo steamers are great for this, but you can get by with any type of steamer. Very few dishes in authentic Chinese cooking are fried or deep-fried, but our westernized version of Chinese food usually includes some deep frying too. After all, what's a Chinese combo plate without chicken balls, right?

4 - Branch out!

Most of the dishes that we are used to here in America are Cantonese or Mandarin Chinese recipes. Actually, some dishes are purely Americanized Chinese dishes that you would never actually find in China! There are many different regions in China, though, and they all have differences in cooking styles, methods and recipes. Try Sichuan for spicy flavorful dishes. Jiangsu cuisine focuses primarily on meat dishes featuring duck, chicken, pork, crab, seafood, and even turtle! The Fujian region uses many different types of fish and seafood, and Fujian meals are often served in a broth.

These are only a few of the different styles of Chinese cooking. Once you've mastered some of the common dishes that you're used to getting from take-out, try out some of the unique recipes from other areas in China. You'll be sure to impress your dinner guests with such an exotic menu!

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Cooking Chinese Food - Background and Features

The rich and varied cuisine of China has developed over thousands of years, and the

different regions of China have each contributed its own distinctive style. The main ones

are Peking, home of world-famous dishes such as Peking Duck and Spring Rolls, Szechwan,

where the use of local hot peppers led to the development of fiery, fragrant sauces; and

Kwantung, the home of Cantonese cooking - the style of Chinese cooking with which

Westerners are most familiar.

Rice is the staple food in most areas of China and so forms the basis of many Chinese

meals. Pork, chicken and duck are the most common meats, and seafood of all kinds is very

popular. There is a wide range of Chinese vegetables including bamboo shoots, bean sprouts,

snow peas and water chestnuts. Most of these are now available, fresh or canned, all over

the world.

Common flavorings for Chinese dishes are soy sauce, fresh ginger (available at

markets and greengrocers), garlic, sesame oil, 5-spice powder (a Chinese spice available at

supermarkets and specialty stores) and of course, monosodium glutamate. There are many more

delicious sauces and dried and canned ingredients available, and if you enjoy Chinese

cooking you'll want to build up a collection.

In preparing Chinese food, a great deal of chopping is usually needed, as all pieces must

be small enough to be eaten with chopsticks and to cook quickly and evenly. A sharp knife

is therefore essential. A wok is an ideal cooking pan, but you can substitute a heavy

frying pan, a cast iron casserole or an electric fry pan if necessary. The Chinese take

great care not to over-cook their food - vegetables are just tender, retaining a delicious suggestion of crispness, most of their vitamin and mineral content as well as their color and

shape. Rice is cooked perfectly by the absorption method.

A Chinese dinner party menu could begin with one or more appetizers. The next course could

be soup, though the Chinese often serve it last. The plain boiled rice would then be put on

the table, in front of each person, with the meat and vegetable dishes, chosen to

complement and contrast with one another, and including, perhaps, a prawn dish, a chicken

dish and a pork dish, in the center. Each diner would place a little rice and meat or

vegetable in his bowl, and eat with chopsticks. The number of dishes served depends on the

cook, and the importance of the occasion. At the end of the meal fresh fruit, for example,

melon, fresh lychees, or strawberries, may be served. Chinese tea, such as jasmine tea, is

usually served throughout a Chinese meal, though beer or a light, chilled white wine also

goes well.

Under the pseudonym of The Good Cook, the author maintains several blogs of recipes and related topics. To visit her blog of easy Chinese recipes, click here [http://in--season.blogspot.com/2007/12/quick-and-easy-chinese-recipes.html]

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