ZAČETKI KITAJSKE KUHINJE

Zgodovina kitajske kuhinje sega 4000 let nazaj, ko so našli stare arheološke najdbe najstarejših rezancev, ki so jih našli v Rumeni reki. Južna Kitajska je bila znana po rižu, hrana iz severnokitajske nižine pa je bila pretežno osredotočena na izdelke iz moke. Fascinacija nad eksotično in visoko specializirano hrano se je začela med vladavino dinastije Tang (618–907), medtem ko je tradicijo pitja čaja mogoče najti pod vplivom zgodnejšega obdobja »južnih in severnih dinastij« v 5. stoletju našega štetja. V času dinastije Tang je čaj postal zelo priljubljen v elitnih družbah, kar je pomenilo bogastvo in ravnovesje zdravja. V času dinastije Song (960–1279) je življenje v mestih postalo vse lažje, trgovina in porast proizvodnih delovnih mest sta kitajskemu prebivalstvu omogočila kakovostnejše življenje in boljši dostop do hrane. Takrat se je kitajska kuhinja resnično razcvetela, saj je omogočila mešanje kuhanja, medicine in celo religije.

V času dinastije Yuan je Kitajska dobila prve stike z zahodom, kar je prvič prineslo dostop do številnih tujih živilskih sestavin in načinov priprave hrane. Ta vpliv se je še močneje povečal v času dinastije Ming (1368–1644), ko je postalo trgovanje s preostalim svetom veliko lažje z vzpostavitvijo pomorskih trgovskih korenin. Takrat je Kitajska dobila dostop do novih rastlin, živali, živilskih pridelkov in dobrin, vključno s hrano, ki je bila prvotno najdena le v na novo odkritem »novem svetu« (sladki krompir, arašidi, koruza…)

THE BEGINNINGS OF CHINESE CUISINE

History of Chinese cuisine starts with the 4 thousand year old archaeological findings of the oldest noodle food found in the Yellow River. Southern China was known for its rice, while the food of the North China Plain was largely centered around flour products. The fascination with exotic and highly specialized foods began during the reign of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), while the tradition of drinking tea can be found under the influence of the earlier "Southern and Northern Dynasties" period in the 5th century AD. During the Tang Dynasty, tea became highly popular in elite societies, signifying wealth and balance of health. During the Song Dynasty (960–1279), urban life became increasingly easier, trade and the rise of manufacturing jobs gave the Chinese population a better quality of life and better access to food. It was then that Chinese cuisine truly flourished, allowing for the blending of cooking, medicine and even religion.

By the time of Yuan Dynasty, China received first contacts with the west, bringing for the first time access to many foreign food ingredients and methods of food preparation. This influence grew even more strongly during Ming dynasty (1368–1644) when trading with the rest of the world became much easier with the establishment of sea trading roots. By then, china gained access to main new plants, animal, food crops, and goods, including the food that was originally found only in the newly discovered “New World” (sweet potatoes, peanuts, maize and many others).

SPOMLADANSKI ZAVITKI

Tradicionalno se spomladanske zavitke je med kitajskim novim letom, imenovanim tudi spomladanski festival na kontinentalnem delu Kitajske. Uživanje spomladanskih zavitkov je način, kako pozdraviti prihod pomladi. Zlati zvitki cilindrične oblike predstavljajo zlate palice, ki simbolizirajo bogastvo.

V kitajski kuhinji so spomladanski zvitki slani zvitki z zeljem in drugimi zelenjavnimi nadevi znotraj tanko zavitega listnatega testa.

Najdaljši spomladanski zvitek je meril 500 m. Naredili so ga leta 2014. Pri pripravi spomladanskega zavitka je sodelovalo 500 posameznikov.

SPRING ROLLS

They are usually eaten during Chinese New Year also called the Spring Festival in mainland China. Eating spring rolls is a way to welcome the arrival of spring. The golden cylindrical-shaped rolls represent gold bars — which symbolize wealth.

In Chinese cuisine, spring rolls are savoury rolls with cabbage and other vegetable fillings inside a thinly wrapped cylindrical pastry.

The longest spring roll measured 500 m. It was made in 2014. 500 individuals participated in the preparation of the spring wrap.

SLADKO KISLA OMAKA

Sladko kisla omaka je omaka, ki je poznana po širnem svetu. Prvotno pa omaka izvira s Kitajske in sicer s province Hunan, kjer so ustvarili šibko kombinacijo kisa in sladkorja. Omaka je bila priljubljena kot omaka za ribe, meso in zelenjavo. Originalno sladko kislo omako so naredili iz belega ali riževega kisa v kombinaciji s sladkorjem, ki omaki daje prozorno zlato barvo. Sčasoma pa so kuharji omako obogatili tudi z drugimi sestavinami kot so sojina omaka, rjavi sladkor, ketchup.

SWEET SOUR SAUCE

Sweet and sour sauce is a sauce that is known all over the world. Originally, the sauce originates in China, namely from the province of Hunan, where they created a weak combination of vinegar and sugar. The sauce was popular as a sauce for fish, meat and vegetables. The original sweet and sour sauce was made from white or rice vinegar combined with sugar, which gives the sauce a transparent golden color. Over time, chefs enriched the sauce with other ingredients such as soy sauce, brown sugar, and ketchup.

ZANIMIVA DEJSTVA O KITAJSKI HRANI

Tradicionalna kitajska hrana je redko pripravljena z mlečnimi izdelki kot so smetana, maslo in sir. V večjih mestih, kot sta Peking in Šanghaj, lahko v hrano vmešajo mlečne sestavine, vendar ne tako pogosto kot v ameriških in evropskih državah.

Razsipavanje s hrano je na Kitajskem velik tabu. Tako med pripravo hrane  uporabijo vse dele zelenjave ali živali.

Na Kitajskem boste redko našli Kitajca, ki bi pri obedovanju uporabljal nož ali vilice, saj naj bi to veljalo za barbarstvo. Tako jedo s palčkami. Ker se s palčkami ne da rezati mesa, hrano pripravijo tako, da je zelo mehka in narejena za posamezen grižljaj. Letno porabijo kar 45 milijard parov palčk.

Tradicionalni obroki na Kitajskem se vedno zaključijo s sladico, ki pa je pri njih sezonsko sadje.

Na Kitajskem pojedo več sadja in zelenjave kot v zahodnih državah, kar pomeni, da zaužijejo dvakrat več prehranskih vlaknin.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT CHINESE FOOD

Authentic Chinese food rarely uses milk-fat ingredients such as cream, butter, or cheese. However, if you eat out in bigger cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, they may mix dairy ingredients in their food, but not as common as American or European countries.

Wasting food is a big taboo in China. In food preparation, all parts of vegetables or animals must be used during cooking.

You will rarely a Chinese person using a knife or fork when eating. This is seen as barbaric in China. People use chopsticks instead. However, chopsticks can’t cut meat so Chinese food is prepared very soft or bite-sized. 45 billion pairs of chopsticks are used in China annually!

Traditional Chinese meals still have seasonal fruits served as desserts. Fruits are usually served after every meal.

In China, they eat so many fruits and vegetables than in Western countries, which means they consume twice as much dietary fiber.

VIRI:

http://www.chinesefoodhistory.com/ (oktober 2022)

https://justfunfacts.com/interesting-facts-about-spring-rolls/ (oktober 2022)

https://factsdairy.com/facts-about-spring-rolls/ (oktober 2022)

https://www.china-admissions.com/blog/12-unique-facts-about-chinese-food-that-will-surprise-you/ (oktober 2022)

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201903/30/WS5c9ed016a3104842260b36f0.html (oktober 2022)

http://www.cits.net/china-travel-guide/bamboo-a-noble-plant-in-chinese-culture.html (oktober 2022)

https://ifood.tv/chinese/sweet-and-sour-sauce/about (oktober 2022)