In China food can be hot and spicy.
In China food can be sweet and sour.
Food is different in different parts of China.
Many dishes of food are served at once.
Chinese food is eaten with chopsticks.
China is a vast country, and food, how it is cooked and flavoured varies between regions.
Food and cooking in China can be divided into 4 main types or styles
1. Northern Chinese food
More wheat than rice is eaten in the north. Steamed dumplings are a special dish, as are spring rolls.
All kinds of dumplings! ©iStock
Peking Duck too is a famous dish from the north. The city of Xi'an is famous for its dumplings known as jiaozi.
There are many different types of dumpling and each type is shaped differently, depending on what is inside. Some contain chicken, some pork, and there is one dumpling which is pinched to make three sections, each containing a different filling.
Peking Duck
Peking Duck ©iStock
Ducks raised for this dish are fed a rich paste made of grain and soybean to fatten them. After killing and plucking, the ducks are rubbed with spices, salt and sugar and the body cavities are filled with boiling water. The ducks are roasted in an oven, or hung over an open fire where the skin absorbs the smells of burning fruitwood. Slices of Peking Duck are served rolled in a thin pancake with sliced cucumber, green onions and a thick sauce called Hoisin sauce.
2. Eastern Chinese food
A dish of steamed crabs ©Getty Images
Fish is the ingredient for many dishes from this part of China. Fish tail stew, hot and sour fish soup, steamed crabs and deep fried fish with bamboo shoots are some dishes served in restaurants.
3. Western Chinese food
Red chilli, garlic, peppercorns and ginger used in the cooking make the dishes of this style hot and spicy.
Stir fried pork with hot sauce, stewed eel with garlic, stir fried beef with chilli and Chinese cabbage soups are some dishes of the style of cooking in the western part of China.
Soups are popular in all styles of Chinese cooking. Getty Images
4. Southern Chinese food
Dishes cooked in the style of the south of China include steamed lobster, sweet and sour pork with pineapple, stir -fried snake meat with mushrooms, prawns with chilli, roasted pork ribs and stir fried chicken with Chinese cabbage called bok choy. Stir frying is a popular cooking method in many parts of China, particularly the south.
Sweet and Sour Pork is a popular dish outside of China ©iStock
Chinese people use chopsticks to eat with. They have spoons for soup and for serving food but not knives and forks.
Read about Chinese New Year and the special foods eaten to celebrate:
http://www.china-family-adventure.com/chinese-new-year-celebrations.html#banquet
Read about the six basic methods of cooking Chinese food, and the utensils used
https://www.chinaeducationaltours.com/guide/culture-chinese-food-cooking.htm