The Cuisine of Cathay: The Culinary Culture of China

Cathay is an alternative historical name for China in English. During the early modern period Europeans thought of Cathay as a completely separate and distinct culture from China. As knowledge of East Asia increased, Cathay came to be seen as the same nation as China and the term '"Cathay" became a poetic name for the nation. Throughout the long history of China, the vast distances and the difficulties encountered in travel tended to localize the different culinary approaches. The same factor brought about the numerous language dialect. Strictly speaking, there are more variations in Chinese cooking than in the Chinese language. Each dialect has several accents, and people who speak with the same accent season their food in a similar way. Conversely, those who speak with dissimilar accents season their food differently. On the other hand, there are many culinary similarities among the Chinese in the different territories, and many dishes are common to all Chinese. The area in the north that includes Peking (Beijing), is the region where wheat is the predominant cereal grain and the people eat more noodles; green onions and garlic are widely used as are lamb and mutton. The eastern area of China, including Shanghai, is famous for red-cooked foods. This is a rich region abundant in rice, produce, and freshwater fish. Snacks and pastries from this area are also well-known. The large area to the west, which includes Szechuan and Hunan, long isolated from the rest of China, is known for their spices and hot foods. The long coastal area in the south, which includes Canton, gives access to a wide variety of seafood. The Cantonese people are more adventuresome due to their exposure to the western world. Regardless of whether the presentation is casual or formal, the Chinese chef likes to have a variety of ingredients and uses various cooking methods. This book covers all the regions, cooking methods, and cookware in the entirety of Cathay.