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 About
Chinese Food
Dining might be an important part of the journey for some tourists.
There are abundant delicious foods and drinks in China that may give you
artistic impressions. Chinese cuisines have gained high reputations
worldwide and in part represent the magnificent Chinese culture evolved
during nearly five thousand year long glorious history.
The staple foods in China are rice and wheat. Millet, corn, buckwheat,
potato, sweet potato and many other types of legumes are also common.
Apart from rice, wheaten food like steamed bread, noodles, deep-fried
twisted dough sticks, steamed stuffed buns, as well as various gruels,
cakes and snacks with special local flavors always make the dining table
rich and colorful.
China is a big country with a vast territory abounding in natural
resources. In different regions of China, people's life styles, custom,
economic situations and cultural backgrounds all vary. The diversified
focal flavors along with different but equally superb cooking techniques
have formed eight famous yet traditional Chinese Cuisines, namely
Shandong, Sichuan, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan and
Anhui, each of which has its own features.
You can enjoy the delicious Chinese food not only in superior
restaurants with well appointed facilities and quality service, but also
in ordinary eateries that are much more cost effective but still serve
delicious food. Many appetizing local snacks are sold at the roadside
eateries, night markets or street restaurants that can be easily found
in China. Costs of dining vary significantly, all depending on where you
are going. However, no matter where you go for dining, you must pay
special attentions to the aspects of health, sanitation and safety.
Western style foods can be found easily in the major cities of China.
Most tourist hotels also have restaurants serving the western food. In
addition, various fast-food outlets like McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut,
which are very popular among Chinese people, could help the tourists who
can not get used to the Chinese food.
Dining situations in remote areas can be quite different and may not as
desirable as in large cities. Especially in the regions where the
minority ethnic groups are residing, there are not many dining choices
other than what represent their local eating habits. So you may want get
prepared before traveling to those regions.
The
drinking water situation in China is different from that in most western
countries.
Tap water in China is undrinkable. However, there are several approaches
that you can gain access to safe and healthy drinking water. You can use
water heater or coffee maker to get water boiled before drinking. Almost
all of the tourist hotels now provide in-room water heaters or coffee
makers. You may get drinkable water from water dispensers that can be
located in many offices, reception rooms and other public areas. The
safest way to access the drinking water is to buy spring water from a
nearby supermarket. Spring water does not cost too much at supermarkets,
typically ranging between one to three yuan. The most reputable spring
water brands include Wahaha, Nestle and Nongfu Mountain Spring. Some
imported name brand spring water is also available in many supermarkets.
Eat
Healthy in China
Many foods can not be eaten together as they will reduce the
microelements needed by your internal secretion and the absorption of
vitamin C. For example, copper is an important element necessary for
absorptions of calcium, iron and fat metabolism. The meats and
vegetables that contain abundant copper include liver, spinach and fish.
Mixing them with any Kom-rich food such as tomatoes and green beans will
significantly reduce extractions of the copper.
Eat What is Easy to swallow
Consumption of beef and white spirits is likely to cause inflammation
Avoid food combinations that affect calcium absorption
Calcium is a major component of teeth and bones. Most milks and Hapi
contain lots of calcium. They are not recommended to be consumed with
any foods that are rich in oxalic acid, such as soybeans, spinach and
Chinese chives.
Do not eat shallots with tofu
Stir fried shallot and tofu one was a traditional and tasty dish in
China, especially in summer. However, this mixture has been proven to be
problematic, because tofu contains rich calcium, and shallot contains a
significant amount of oxalic acid. Once two elements are mixed, a
special type of chemical will be formed to affect absorptions of the
calcium.
Avoid mixing fresh mutton with vinegar
Fresh mutton is excellent for vital energy and will cure some
deficiencies while vinegar contains protein, sugar, vitamins and acetic
acid. However, if those two items are mixed together, the useful
functions of both will be lost.
Caution, wine may affect the absorption of vitamins
Any drinks containing alcohol will interfere with the body's absorption
of various vitamins. Therefore, drinking alcoholic beverages is
recommended when your body is in need of additional vitamins. On the
other hand, do not drink wine or liquor while taking vitamin
supplements.
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