The Best Chinese Food is Traditional Chinese Food

Coming to China and looking forward to some great traditional Chinese food? You should be - it ought to be one of the highlights of any trip.

For a start, forget the dishes you know and trust at home. Although these go by the name of Chinese cooking they are often pale shadows of the original and authentic Chinese dish. Sweet and sour, beloved by many in the west, is considered too easy to cook that many real Chinese chefs are embarrassed by any request for this dish.

To really let the local restaurant staff show off their skills you need to know much more about traditional Chinese food.

Traditions in China date back a very long way. Civilization here probably began 7000 years ago. Records don't date back that far, but even the earliest records give food a central role in the Chinese way of life. Of course food then was simpler but, already, there were attempts to understand the affects of diet on health.

During the various dynasties, the range of dishes and the philosophical concepts underlying their relationships to each other expanded rapidly. Trade brought in new ingredients, and wealth brought the opportunity for specialist chefs who vied with each other for royal favour. Those who could produce the finest dishes and justify their creations in terms of health benefits (real or supposed) could expect the greatest rewards.

The most popular of these dishes then left the royal courts and became fare for the wealthy across China. As travelers' inns changed and became restaurants in the western sense, so these dishes became available to regular Chinese diners. Now, with modern transportation and a large migrant population, even regional specialties that didn't quite make the royal courts can be enjoyed widely.

Many of these great dishes have wonderful names (Ants climbing on trees, Phoenix and Dragon) or special stories associated with them. Discovering these adds to meal times immensely.

The language barrier in China is compounded by the use of characters instead of letters. Menus are generally not translated into English and so it can be a struggle to get traditional Chinese Food. You can rely on pointing at what others are eating but that does limit your choices considerably. When I first came here I got in the habit of entering the kitchens and pointing at different ingredients in a hopeful way. Sometimes that worked...

In order to get the food that you want, and to avoid things that you certainly don't want, it is essential to have something written down in characters. It helps to have local friends who can recommend restaurants and dishes.

If you are not lucky to have local friends then make use of mine. Over the years I have questioned my Chinese friends for tips and recommendations about traditional Chinese food. I have now produced a guide to save others the same effort. Not everyone will spend seven years here like I have.

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)

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.