Start The Day With Authentic Chinese Food For Breakfast

If you are coming to China then no doubt you will want to try authentic Chinese food. The one meal that causes the most problem for visitors is breakfast. Hotels generally offer western breakfast or buffet style Chinese food that is pretty unappealing to most visitors. The solution? Read on...

The staple foods in China are wheat in the north and rice in the south. With modern transportation you will often find both options in most parts of the country. However, I will still stick to that division when describing the options:

Northern style breakfasts

Savoury pancake: My favourite. These crisp pancakes are quickly made by street vendors as you wait. Often there will be egg, fermented bean paste, crispy tofu, lettuce and possibly some sausage as filling. Eat as soon as this comes off the hot-plate for a truly exciting breakfast. I like lots of chilli powder on mine. You can indicate how much you want at the appropriate time.

Steamed dumplings: Usually sold as a set of 10 in a bamboo steamer these tasty treats can be filled with meat or vegetables. You should be provided with a small saucer in which to mix a blend of vinegar, soy sauce and/or chilli sauce. Dip your dumpling in this before taking a bite. Be careful that hot juices don't squirt out. N.B. You may see steamed dumplings re-fried. These are delicious, if less healthy, variation.

Steamed buns: These large lumps of steamed dough are not to everyone's taste. They benefit from a stuffing so look for a vendor that offer something to go inside. Think of that as a Chinese sandwich!

Southern style breakfasts

Rice noodles: Rice flour can be used to make noodles in the same way that wheat flour makes regular noodles. I find rice noodles to be lighter and less heavy on the stomach - which is a good quality in a breakfast food. Usually, these noodles are served as a set meal with meat, soup and pickles. Watch what the locals get and then follow suit.

Rice porridge: My least favourite option though my wife and several friends rave about it. Rice porridge is made from rice that has been cooked with extra water for longer than normal, and then flavoured with meat and/or vegetables. Porridges flavoured with pork or chicken would suit most western palates though more interesting options that I have seen include frog and intestine. You can also find rice porridge in cans.

Wherever you travel in China, and whether you have breakfasts included in your package or not, do take the opportunity to try authentic Chinese food for at least a couple of your breakfasts. You will find all of these options suitable for western palates, and disgracefully cheap.

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.

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.

Abhishek is really passionate about Cooking and he has got some great Cooking Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 88 Pages Ebook, "Cooking Mastery!" from his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com/770/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

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.

Why Not Order Authentic and Traditional Chinese Food?

Chinese food seems to be a favourite amongst many of us and it seems we have fallen in love with the cuisine. Chinese food is the most popular ethnic cuisine choice from all the choices available. Whilst many believe prawn crackers and fortune cookies are authentic Chinese food, they are misguided. Chinese cuisine is vast; every region in China has its own specialty dish making each dish unique and different from the others. However, for true authentic Chinese food, some basic principles need to be followed to ensure it is traditional Chinese that you are eating.

So what is the main dish in a traditional Chinese meal? Well the answer is starch, unlike other western countries where the main dish is meat based. In southern china the diet mainly consists of rice. However, in northern China this is not the case. Their diet consists of wheat flour noodles or a steamed bun as the main dish and side dishes are comprised of meat - namely beef, pork or chicken. Other side dishes include cooked vegetable, fish and soup. Where in western countries soup is served as a starter, in China soup or rice is served at the end of the meal.

When sitting down to an authentic Chinese meal, chopsticks are always used accompanied with an individual bowl of noodles or rice. The rest of your dishes are then placed in the centre of the table and shared amongst everyone. Chinese tradition is to eat right off the plate using your chopsticks - not serving yourself an individual portion. This is one reason why Chinese food when served is in small pieces as this makes it easy to pick up off the plate using the chopsticks. Another tradition of a Chinese meal is to serve tea as opposed to soft drinks.

After the main course, traditional Chinese desserts are very simple. Usually this is plain fresh fruit or fruit that has been glazed with sugar. Another popular and traditional Chinese dessert is simple rice pudding. Chinese desserts are not rich in flavour as seen with other cuisines.

When you next order your takeaway delivery of Chinese food, why not be a little adventurous and choose dishes that are regional, for example Sichuan spicy chicken or pork dishes. Online ordering facilities make ordering your takeaways simple. You can find Takeaway London restaurants and takeaways all over the UK that offer pure, tasty and authentic Chinese food for delivery.

Perry Manku Meal2Go

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.