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Chinese Cooking Utensils and Tools Chinese
and French cooking,
according to the French and Chinese, are the best and the most famous
in the
world. Such a statement wouldn’t go down well in Italy and might well
affront a
whole host of other gastronomically proud nations around the globe. And
rightly
so, yet even the most stubborn of them would be hard pressed not to
admit that
in terms of variety Chinese cooking outstrips them all.
Split for convenience into four main styles; Cantonese,
Mandarin, Shanghainese
and Sichuanese, Chinese food is actually as refracted and localized as
the
countries thousands of linguistic dialects. For basic reference however
the
dividing characteristics between them are as follows:
Cantonese food (because of Hong Kong and Canton migration
generally taken
generically in the west as "Chinese Food") is light and colorful, not
particularly hot and almost always stir fried. Dim Sum, a type of
small, often
sweet, steamed bread, is also big on the menu.
Mandarin
food harks from northern China and Beijing, in Hebei province, can
perhaps be pinpointed as its home. Predominantly wheat based, including
numerous dumplings, steamed buns and varieties of noodles it tends to
be heavy,
not light on oil and often fried, stewed or braised. Vinegar and garlic
are
used lavishly yet the food can only really be described as mild in
taste.
Sichuan is representative of the whole of South Western
China’s culinary
preference; hot and spicy. Food throughout the western
regions of China
are liberal in their use of garlic, scallions, and chilies. When
prepared in a
traditional manner, many of the dishes are very hot, although banquet
dishes
tend to be milder.
Shanghai cuisine is Central-Eastern Chinese food. Because of
its proximity to
the sea, lakes and inland rivers the region excels in the preparation
of both
fresh and saltwater seafood. The foods here are heavier than their
Cantonese
counterparts, and are generally lightly spiced and relatively oily
with rich and often delightful sweet
sauces. Emphasizing its bridge
position between the stodgy north and the delicate south
Shanghai food
is split about fifty-fifty between wheat and rice based dishes.
To
give you an idea of China as an
international food market we thought we would do a quick comparison
with the middle
kingdoms main rival for culinary dominance; France.
*
In 2002 the Chinese dining out market was worth approximately
RMB914.2billion
(US$110.4 billion) compared to a market worth US24billion in France.
That works
out at about US$24 a head per Chinese on restaurants every year as
opposed to
US$400 a head spent eating out by the French. However when you consider
that
both cost of living and per capita GDP are much higher in France,
whilst only
the urban section of the Chinese population really have the
opportunity to
eat out this gap narrows considerably and points to just how important
food
culture is to the Chinese.
* As
one might expect from these bastions of culinary creativeness both
the French and Chinese restaurant markets are both highly fragmented and dominated by
individual restaurant
owners. In China 4 top chain stores controlled just 1.4% of the market.
In
France the five top brands take up 8.7 percent of the market.
* Some might suggest that a country in
which McDonalds is popular is
surely a country which lacks real-food appreciation. If that is the
case then
China remains ahead of France since in China McDonalds turned over
US$15.4
billion, up 3.4% on the year before, whilst France, with a
much smaller
population and possibly the most anti-American country in
Europe, also
drummed up $15.4 billion in turnover for McDonalds, up 24% on
the year
before.
http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn Top of page Chinese Cooking Utensils and Tools
If you've decided to finally take the plunge and start cooking Chinese
food, the very first thing you should be aware of is their utensils
wherein lies the secret of all the recipe.
Wok : When talking
about Chinese Cooking Utensils and Tools - the most important of them
all is the indispensable "Wok". The wok is the most important utensil
in the Chinese kitchen. As the most 'useful' Chinese cooking utensil
the wok is designed with a round bottom that fits perfectly over a
traditional Chinese 'stove' often made of clay or mud which burned
wood or charcoal.
The wok is an all purpose Chinese cooking
utensil that you can use for almost any type of cooking such as
steaming, stewing, braising, smoking, and of course, stir-frying. With
its original round bottom design, the wok isn't ideal to use on the
flat stove tops. Most round bottom woks comes with a steel ring that
helps secure it in place while you cook. Most woks are made from carbon
steel or iron. Before you use your new wok, you need to season it.
First
clean the wok in warm water with a stiff brush. Dry it, and then heat
the wok on a stove to high, then pour in a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Use a cloth or paper towel and thoroughly wipe the inside of the wok
with the oil. Careful not to burn yourself. Turn off the heat, and let
the wok cool, now your wok is seasoned.
The Cleaver: The Chinese
cook does many things with a cleaver: minces garlic, cuts vegetables
into delicate, fanciful shapes, peels fresh water chestnuts. In the
absence of the modern meat grinder, a pair a cleavers put to work
simultaneously will achieve the same results.
The Spatula: The
Chinese spatula is specially designed for stir-frying in the wok. The
edge of the spatula bowl is rounded to fit the shape of the pan, and
the utensil itself is sturdier overall than the usual American one, to
allow stirring and tossing of large quantities of food.
Steamer:
You may prefer to buy a traditional bamboo steamer, which is attractive
enough to double as a serving tray for the steamed foods. The bamboo
steamer has the additional asset of allowing more than one layer of
food to be steamed simultaneously.
The Chinese Wire Strainer:
This wide, flat wire strainer with a long bamboo handle is very useful
for removing deep-fried foods from hot oil or noodles from boiling
water. The most common size for home use is 6" diameter.
Chopsticks - Use in the kitchen for stir-frying and mixing ingredients.
Cutting Board - Wood or acrylic are best.
Knife - For cutting and chopping.
The
Clay Pot: Clay-pot dishes are the Oriental version of the American
casserole. The main difference is that they are cooked on top of the
stove rather than in the oven. The design of the clay-pot assures good
retention of heat, so that even if dinner is delayed, the food stays
piping hot.
The Sizzling Platter: Sizzling-platter dishes, also
called "iron-plate" dishes, have recently become popular menu items in
Chinese restaurants. These dishes are named for the heavy iron platter
that is used for serving. The platter is heated to a high temperature,
placed on its wooden tray, and delivered to the table. When hot
stir-fried food is spooned onto the platter, the sizzle is very
dramatic.
As you go along and get more ambitious you will want
to add your home kitchen with Chinese cooking utensils. Hence you can
search online or go to various stores in America to select your
required equipment from their vast range of utensils available and
finally enjoy your way to cooking Chinese delicacies.
Abhishek Top of page
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