The combined cuisines of China have often been compared to French cuisine as having made the greatest contribution to the world of food.
China has local cuisine,imperial dishes,dishes of ethnic minorities,Islamic dishes with a strong religious flavor and vegetarian dishes.At the beginning China had only four styles of cuisine.i.e.,Sichuan,Shandong,Guangdong and Huaiyang cuisine,which later developed into eight major styles of cuisine,then 10 main styles of cuisine,special styles of dishes of ethnic minorities such as Mongolian dishes,Tibetan dishes,Manchu dishes,Zhuang dishes and so on.Each ethnic minority dishes displays its unique ethnic customs.Dishes in the style of the ancients,includes Dishes of the Confucius Mansion.Tan Family Dishes,and Imitated "Dream of Red Mansions" Dishes,in addition to various kinds of local snacks,such as Beijing,Guangzhou,Jinan and Chengdu snacks.These styles of cuisine reflect China's rich and colorful catering culture in an all-round way.
Foods prepared by varied places are quite different in tastes,showing strong regional features.The people of northwest China love sour food; those of southwest China are fond of spicy food; and those from south and east China prefer sweet food.The people of north China mainly eat cooked wheaten food,such as steamed bread,steamed twisted rolls,pancakes and noodles; and the people of south China take rice as staple food.
The Chinese people have always maintained:"One does not object to the finest food." In Chin,cooking is a special skill,as well as an art,with profound contents and varied forms.Chinese cooking techniques feature time-honored history and consummate skills,and attach great importance to the combination of beautiful shapes and delicious tastes.Chinese food is known for bright colors,beautiful forms,tempting smell and various tastes.
Confucius once said:"Eating is the utmost important part of life."