Discovering new cultures is always an interesting process. Surely, we, the people, are all the same. However, the culture is what makes us unique. Therefore, it is always exciting to learn something new about a certain culture. Maybe you will learn something that’s going to be useful for you, who knows?
We are talking about an umbrella term that covers a plethora of different occurrences and aspects. One of the most prominent aspects of every culture is the cuisine. Since the Chinese culture is among the oldest ones in the world, there is something you can learn from it, especially when it comes to food.
Sure, you know that this cuisine is so widespread that you can find at least one restaurant in all the big cities in the world. If you want to take a look at one of these, be sure to click here. Now, we want to discuss a couple of amazing Chinese dishes you should pay attention to. Let’s check them out.
1. Wonton Soup
If you haven’t tried some soups from Chinese cuisine, you don’t know what you’re missing.
If you are ready to try something you haven’t before, then you should try wonton soup.
Preparing it on your own is exceptionally easy, since it doesn’t require too many ingredients, and the process is rather simple.
It consists of wontons, which are a dumpling filled with many different sorts of meat. In most cases, they are made of pork and fish. The soup itself has many different variations, but the commonest ones are garlic, onion, soy sauce, and ginger. All these ingredients provide a full flavor.
We are talking about the commonest dishes you will come across in China. If you watch movies from this country, you will see that these are represented in all restaurant scenes.
In case you are abroad, coming across wonton soup is easy because it is present on all the menus.
2. Fried Rice
Anyone who knows at least something about this cuisine knows how crucial rice is. There’s practically no food where you can find rice as an ingredient. That’s why you shouldn’t be surprised by the fact that fried rice is one of the most widespread dishes out there. It is practically everywhere.
Making this one at home is as easy as it gets. Just purchase rice, carrots, corn, and some other vegetable you enjoy. By combining all these ingredients, and adding some spices, you can get a dish that’s both tasty and nutrient. For instance, it is great to eat it as an addition to lunch.
3. Peking Duck
Peking duck is the best-known Chinese dish by far. You can find it in every Chinese restaurant in the world. Still, the quality is simply not the same in every place you will visit.
That’s why we would recommend you to look for it in its place of origin, Beijing, the capital of China.
The reason why we believe going to Beijing to taste it is the way to go is that there are many variations, made by a lot of chefs, even though the recipe is well-known and established. When it comes to the ingredients, we’re talking about duck meat, numerous vegetables, and many sauces.
In case you find it too hot for some reason, you can ease a little bit on spices, and use only those you enjoy consuming. No matter what option you decide on, you can be sure that it will be as tasty as it can be. It is a dish, rich with flavor, so you will want to try it out again as soon as possible.
4. Meat Balls
Another popular Chinese food we want to discuss is meatballs. It is a dish that originates from the northern part of the country, in the Shandong province. Over the years, it has been established as one of the best-known within this cuisine. That’s why you shouldn’t hesitate to try them whenever possible.
They are either made of lamb or pork. Add other ingredients like eggs, butter, and bread crumbs, and make them into meatballs. After you fry them, then you should drip them into the sauce of your choice. In restaurants, the hosts will offer you many of them to choose from, which is always good.
5. Hot Pot
In case you are interested in trying a dish you cannot find just anywhere, we advise you to try a hot pot. It is cooked and eaten from a soup pot. What makes this one so interesting is that there’s no standardized recipe. It means that almost every region in this country has its recipe.
However, we can see that the one from the Sichuan province is usually taken as the best possible one. According to some local statistics, who were translated into English, you will see that it is one of the most popular dishes in China.
In the past, this was a dish that was mostly consumed during the winter months. Still, we can see that it has gone beyond that, and you can see it on the table, no matter what season we’re talking about.
6. Kung Pao Chicken
The final dish we want to discuss is known as kung pao chicken. It originates from the Sichuan Province. What’s interesting to say about it, is that it is become so popular, that you can come across it in the United States, Australia, Germany, Russia, Paris, and all the biggest cities in the world.
At first sight, this looks like a rather simple recipe. However, there is one that makes this stand out. We’re talking about the combination of honey and soy sauce. In addition, you can use rice, peanuts, and vegetables. You can be sure that these additions will provide a whole new layer of flavor.
The Bottom Line
If you don’t know where to start with Chinese culture, we would recommend cuisine. Here, you can take a look at some rich-flavor dishes, which are quite common among the locals.
Try all of them when you have the chance.