Traditional Chinese Cuisine Photography Series

China’s cuisine can be dated back millennia. Rice used to grow in the south while animals and other grains were grown in northern plains. China’s gastronomy is almost synonymous with Chinese art, and this series will help us explore China’s distinguished gastronomy.

Chinese Food

Chinese food is nothing like you see in your local take-out restaurant. Instead, it is a refined art. Each region has their own specialties. Based on the raw materials and ingredients used, the method of preparation and cultural differences, a variety of foods with different flavors and textures are prepared in different regions of the country. Many traditional regional cuisines rely on basic methods of preservation such as drying, salting, pickling, and fermentation.

Cantonese cuisine, Shandong cuisine, Jiangsu cuisine (specifically Huaiyang cuisine) and Sichuan cuisine. These styles are distinctive from one another due to factors such as availability of resources, climate, geography, history, cooking techniques, and lifestyle. One style may favor the use of garlic and shallots over chili and spices, while another may favor preparing seafood over other meats and fowl. Jiangsu cuisine favors cooking techniques such as braising and stewing, while Sichuan cuisine employs baking.

Food Stories

Stories fully surround Chinese gastronomy. From the Great Migration to the Confucious’s principles of dining. One Cantonese family’s dish is not similar to another Cantonese family. There is a story behind why and how a dish is made. This photo series will explore the stories behind the traditional dishes and how they’ve evolved in the Western world.

The Meaning Behind The Food

Everything that the Chinese people cook has a meaning. With migration, many parts of the world have combined Chinese cooking with their own cultures. This includes Peru, Singapore, Cambodia, Puerto Rico, and many others. Chinese dishes stress the three main points of appearance, smell, and taste. A really well-cooked Chinese food would need to achieve all three of them. Also, there are teachings of food carving in Chinese culture, typically using vegetables as materials to carve the sculpture for animals and spiritual beings.

Through this series, we’ll discover a rich culture filled with history and delicious foods. So stay tuned for this series to go live. In the meantime, what are some traditional foods found in your family that have changed over time?