The History of Chinese Cuisine
There's more to Chinese cuisine than meets the taste buds. There is also what meets the
eye, the ear and the imagination. Chinese culture demands attention to the entire
presentation of a meal, and that includes the blend of flavors, the subtlety of the spicing, how
appealing the colors and arrangement of the food is and how well it plays on the imagination
of the diner. This is a concept that is as foreign to most Westerners as an appreciation for
the nuance of a single brushstroke in an ideograph. To the Chinese, though, the name of a
dish plays its own part in the presentation when they serve a meal to guests.
Confucius established standards of cooking and table etiquette, most of which remain to this
day. The most obvious example of this is the cutting of bite-sized pieces of meat and
vegetables during the course of the food preparation in the kitchen, rather than using a knife
at the table which is not considered to be good manners.
Confucius also encouraged the blending of ingredients and flavorings to become a cohesive
dish, rather than tasting the individual components. Harmony was his priority. He believed
and taught that without harmony of ingredients there could be no taste. He also emphasized
the importance of presentation and the use of color, texture and decoration of a dish. Most
importantly, cooking became an art rather than a task to be endured and certainly he was
instrumental in promulgating the philosophy of “live to eat” rather than “eat to live”.
On the other hand, Tao encouraged research into the nourishment aspects of food and
cookery. Rather than concentrating on taste and appearance, Taoists were more interested
in the life-giving properties of food.
Centuries on, the Chinese have discovered the health-giving properties of all sorts of roots,
herbs, fungus and plants. They have taught the world that the nutritional value of vegetables
is destroyed by over-cooking (particularly boiling) and in addition have found that things with
a great flavor also have medicinal value.
It's only fitting that Hunan cuisine, generally considered to be the most visually appealing of
the Chinese regional cuisines, should also feature the most fanciful and delightful names.
Who cares what the ingredients are when your host serves you ‘Footsteps of the Phoenix'
and “Pearls in the Snow”? They are truly names fit for the dishes that graced the tables of
emperors.
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