WaterFilter.com

The Regional Cuisines of Chinese Cooking (Part 3 of 4)

Shanghai: The Eastern Cuisine

As you follow the Yangtse River eastward out of the Szechuan region, you will arrive into eastern China, which lies on a great plain formed by the Yangtze River and ends with its river delta. The river delta encompasses some of the most fertile land in China, and flows into the sea just north of the famous city of Shanghai . The Yangtse River region in eastern China experiences a temperate climate with warm springs, hot summers, cool autumns, and relatively cold winters. It is the greatest rice-producing region in China , and you will find a plethora of creative ways that the regional cuisines use to incorporate rice into the dishes.

Rice wine is used extensively as seasoning and marinade. Rice is often used as a stuffing, or to make classic dishes such as Eight Treasure Rice Pudding - a deliciously sweet steamed pudding dessert . Lotus leaves are frequently used as wrapping material for steaming fish, meat, and rice. Paper-wrapped and cellophane-wrapped dishes are very common in the region, as well.

The eastern Chinese cuisine is basically divided by the Yangtse River into Kiangsu to the north, Chekiang to the south, and Shanghai in the delta region.

Shanghai is the largest city in China. It has been the center of China's trade and industry for centuries. Some argue that Shanghai does not have a cuisine of its own, being the "melting pot" of the region, while others argue that exact reason is why Shanghai cuisine should represent the eastern Chinese cuisine. Regardless, it does have its own distinctive local dishes called benbang cai. Benbang cai is noted for its use of red-cooking, with dark soy sauce, and its abundant use of sugar. All of which produces rich, sweet dishes with exquisite flavors and appearance.

The Chekiang and Kiangsu are known as the land of rice and fish, and is one of the wealthiest and most heavily populated regions of China. Their cuisines feature a broad variety of fish and aquatics, such as carp, clam, mullet, perch, and prawns. Minced chicken and bean-curd slivers are also specialties of these provinces. Foods are often arranged in attractive floral patterns prior to serving.

The Chekiang province is well-irrigated by the Yangtse River, criss-crossed with countless complex system of lakes, marshes, ponds, lakes, and multiple river channels, ideal for ducks, fish, frogs and eels. Chekiang cuisine is known to be the least greasy of the three, and well-regarded for its light, fresh, tender, soft dishes, with smooth, but rich fragrance. The dishes are also the least greasy of the three. Duck, freshwater fish, and shellfish dishes are the specialties.

Kiangsu Cuisine, most likely has the longest history in the region. Numerous regional specialty dishes are know to be centuries old. Fish and rice are the main ingredients, and the freshness of ingredients is extremely important, as many dishes require them to be cooked alive and quickly to retain the tenderness and its natural sweetness. Vegetables are often cooked with the fish in the same pot to preserve its freshness. Cooking techniques consist of stewing, braising, and roasting. The dishes in general are sweeter and greasier.

In the final part of the 4 part series, we will cover Canton and Fukien : the southern cuisine.

Helen Fan grew up in a family that has owned various Asian restaurants all over North America, from Vancouver (Canada), Houston (Texas), Decatur (Illinois), to Chicago (Illinois). She, and the rest of the Fan family are now sharing their decades of knowledge on the art of Chinese cuisine at http://www.ChineseHomeCooking.Com

You can read more of our articles at http://www.ChineseHomeCooking.Com/resources/resources.htm

MORE ARTICLES:

Lose Weight And Stay Healthy Using Herbal Medicines
Dieters and health-conscious individuals are now resorting to the power of herbal medicines rather than going for expensive treatment of todays modern medicine. In fact, they have found the results satisfying and cost-effective which further adds to its popularity.

Is HRT Hormone Replacement Therapy suitable for me?
Even though there are a number of alternative therapies available today many women still turn to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to help them to cope with their menopause symptoms. The majority of the common symptoms that are associated with the menopause are caused by falling levels of the hormone oestrogen and HRT acts to counteract this fall. Unfortunately, while there are obvious benefits to HRT there are also a number of risks and in some cases the risks outweigh the benefits. So who is at risk from HRT?

Boating Rules And Regulations - What You Need To Know To Stay Safe And Out Of Trouble When You?re On The Water!
Before you start looking through the boat classified ads for a new boat for sale or even a used boat for sale, so you can get out on the water as soon as possible, you should stop to consider getting familiar with the basic boating rules and regulations. These may affect the type of boat you buy and how you plan to use it. Although boating almost rhymes with partying, they are not one in the same. The number of registered boaters continues to rise each year and although the number of fatal accidents has seemed to level off over the past few years, the amount of boating congestion and traffic hasn?t. Each year it seems as though there are more and more boaters on our inland waters and major gateways and your local county law enforcement is n...

Foremost Groups Inc. Introduces New HET Water-Saving Toilets
Foremost Groups Inc, a manufacturer of home furnishing products, has released a line of High-Efficiency toilets designed to conserve water amidst anticipated widespread droughts in the near future.

RV Travels: How To Stay Healthy On The Road
It's no secret amongst experienced RV travelers: self-reliance saves money. The more independent you are of tourist parks, power hook-ups and all those other so-called necessities, the further your budget will stretch. And the greater will be your freedom.

How to Bypass School and Workplace Filters to Access Any website Using Proxies
This article explains how to access popular websites such as myspace, utube, friendster, etc from schools and workplaces which often block such websites. Readers will learn how a proxy work and how it can help them not only to access blocked websites but also to hide their identity on the web. Workplaces and schools generally install a kind of filter to restrict access to certain popular websites in hope that employees and students can concentrate on their work. This is counterproductive as we are humans and not robots, simply meaning that we need to "TAKE A BREAK!" inbetween classes and meetings. There is nothing wrong with recharging oneself by visiting one's favourite websites such as myspace, friendster to check out how friends are doin...

Coffee Pod Drinkers Get Variety, Lower Cost and Free Shipping
As sales of "pod" coffee brewing systems continue, so does consumer demand for excellent pod coffee. Consumers want to sample various coffee pod blends. CoffeePods2U.com, a website that offers gourmet Cafejo coffee pods and Solera tea pods, introduces a customized 1-Pack of 18 Pods.

Bayliner Discovery Journeys Capture the Pure Freedom and Joy of Boating
Bayliner Discovery is captivating boating enthusiasts and nature lovers alike on www.iamdiscovery.com, the website that showcases noted journalists at the helm of Bayliner's new Discovery line of runabouts, cuddys and cruisers. "This is the place where people fall in love with boating all over again - or for the first time," said Matt Guilford, Marketing Director for US Marine, Bayliner's parent company. "The site opens like an outdoor movie screen and uses video, photographic and narrative travelogues to immerse you in the possibilities of boating."

World Traveler Patsy Garrison Says: "I'm Enjoying Life Again with BreathePure Nasal Air Filters
At Work, At Play and On the Road, BreathePure® Nasal Air Filters Keep Allergy-Like Symptoms on Hold - Laboratory Tests Show Inexpensive, Disposable Nasal Filters Remove Up to 97 Percent of Most Pollen, Dust and Other Airborne Allergens

Managing Waste Oil Filters In Your Mobile Oil Change Business
Managing Waste Oil Filters is an issue. First we recommend a simple and easy method of crushing those used oil filter to save space and save our Nations Class II Hazardous Waste Dumps from over filling.

Promote A Healthy Life With The Herbalife Business Opportunity
One of the most popular business opportunities out there is the Herbalife business opportunity. Herbalife is a well know and respected business. The company allows individuals to start their own Herbalife business and earn a nice income off the products they sell. As Herbalife business owner a person can benefit form the name recognition which will immediately draw in customers, plus they can stand by the tested and proven products Herbalife produces.

Cooking Tips For People Allergic To Wheat, Part 1
If you have a wheat allergy than you know cooking can become a real hassle. The good news is as more and more people are being diagnosed with wheat allergies, more food manufactures are making more wheat substitutes, so that you can have the food you like without the bad reactions.

How Much Water Do You Really Need? Why Too Much (Or Too Little) Inhibits Weight Loss
The world of weight loss can be a confusing place, but one thing all experts -- including myself -- seem to agree on is that drinking water is essential for losing weight. Really, though, how much water do you need? Do you have to drink eight glasses of water every single day? And if that much water helps you lose weight, wouldn?t drinking even more stimulate fast weight loss?

Other Reasons To Clean Your Carpet
When your carpet starts to look bad what do you do? You call the carpet cleaner because you want a clean floor. Yes, it is true that clean carpets look much better but there are other reasons to clean your carpet. Read this article to learn about some of the other reasons to clean your carpet that are just as important as looks.