Chinese Culture Essay

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Chinese Food and Culture China is a country that is very diverse and different cultures have influenced their cuisine. Geography, climate, religion and social cultures have shaped Chinese dishes. Chinese cuisine is a delicious door one can use to learn more about the Chinese culture. Geography and climate go hand in hand determining what foods are eaten and grown in China. Chinese cuisine can be broken up into regions based on how foods grow in particular areas. Some say that there are geographical regions, which include “the northern plains, including Beijing; the fertile east, watered by the Yangtze River; the south, famous for the Cantonese cooking of the Guangdong Province; and the Fecund west of the Szechwan and Hunan Provinces,” reported by Yang Lu in his article entitled “Cultural Essentials, Explore Chinese Culture.” (http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ECC_CULTURE_FOOD%20&%20DRINK.HTM) Each area or region depends on the plants and animals that grow best at that area. Cuisine from Canton, for example, is usually spicier and tends to use seafood, fruits and vegetables. Southern parts of China have more fertile soil, so fruit, vegetables and spices grow well. Because Canton has a warm and wet climate, rice is a staple there. The fruits and vegetables can grow deeper in color and rich in nutrients, which makes the food not only appetizing in taste, which is usually sweet, but also in appearance. Beijing and Mongolia are in the north, which is colder and where the grass tends to be dry. Much of Mongolia is covered by the Gobi Desert which has very cold and frigid winds. In these areas, wheat, barley, soybeans, and millet are used as staple foods Mutton, a meat from sheep and lamb are the meats that are used primarily in the northern plains. Also, any Chinese Muslims live in the Northwest region, and their meats are halal, because they

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