LAST Sunday was ‘Youth Promotion’ day at my church, and while illustrating a point about the things people would do to achieve certain goals, the guest speaker said he had once actually risked his life by driving at top speed from Linden to a particular Chinese restaurant, in order to buy food before the closing time. He loves Chinese food so much.
I thought that was funny. It took me right back to the time when my relatives and friends overseas would ask me to bring Chinese food for them. I first noticed it with my niece in Barbados. I just had to say I was coming; she never asked me when, but her reply always was, “Bring Chinese food.” I doubt whether I can do so these days, what with all the food rules and regulations at ‘Immigration’.
This led me to study the intricacies of Chinese food, since persons were requesting it from Guyana as if that were the only country where one could get the best such dish.  I decided to delve into the history of Chinese food. It was no mere coincidence, then, when New Thriving, a popular restaurant here in Guyana, announced the hosting of its Fifth Annual Fundraising Chinese Food Festival.
The amazement and the pleasure I received from research and interviews I did about the different styles that contributed to Chinese cuisine have prompted me to share some of the information with like-minded Chinese food lovers.
But what is so unique about Chinese food from Guyana? One interviewee said that Chicken or Mixed Fried-rice in other countries is usually devoid of meat, but in Guyana, it’s ‘loaded’; and that’s why Guyanese are always asking for it wherever they are. That’s hilarious indeed! What do you think?
Perhaps the best known and most influential styles are Guangdong (Cantonese) cuisine, Shandong cuisine, Jiangsu cuisine, and Sichuan cuisine. These styles are distinctive from one another because of factors such as available resources, climate, geography, history, cooking techniques, and lifestyles.
One style may favour the use of lots of garlic and eschalots over lots of chili and spices, while another may favour preparing seafood over other meats and chicken. Jiangsu cuisine favours cooking techniques such as braising and stewing, while Sichuan cuisine employs baking, just to name a few.
Hairy crab (known locally as Buck crab) is a highly sought after delicacy in Shanghai, as it can be found in lakes within the region. Beijing Roast Duck (otherwise known as ‘Peking Duck’) is another popular dish well known outside of China.
I was then convinced that Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating from regions of China, some of which have become increasingly popular in other parts of the world — from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and southern Africa, and not necessarily more popular in Guyana. But then again, our taste buds and preferences could be influenced by our own unique style.
Cantonese style includes unique and charming dishes which have enjoyed a long history and a good reputation both at home and abroad. It is common with other parts of the diet and cuisine in Chinese food culture.
Back in ancient times, families in the Central Plains, on Lingnan Yue Chu, had close contacts. With the change of dynasty historically, many people escaped the war and crossed the Central Plains, causing increasing integration of the two communities. Central Plains’ culture gradually moved to the south, bringing about changes in food production techniques, cookware, and utensils.
The Sichuan Province of southwestern China is famous for bold flavours, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chili peppers, as well as the unique flavour of the Sichuan peppercorn, zhitianjiao. Peanuts, sesame paste and ginger are also prominent ingredients in Szechuan cooking.
Anhui cuisine is derived from the native cooking styles of the Huangshan Mountains’ region in China, and is similar to Jiangsu cuisine. But its emphasis is less on seafood and more on a wide variety of local herbs and vegetables. Anhui province is particularly endowed with fresh bamboo and mushroom crops.
Shandong cuisine is commonly and simply known as Lu cuisine. With a long history, it once formed an important part of the imperial cuisine, and was widely promoted in North China. However, it isn’t so popular in South China (including the more embracing Shanghai). It is distinguished by a variety of cooking techniques and seafood. The typical dishes on the local menu are braised abalone, braised trepang, sweet-and-sour carp, Jiuzhuan Dachang and Dezhou Chicken. Various Shandong snacks are also worth trying.
Fujian cuisine originates from the Fujian coastal region. Woodland delicacies such as edible mushrooms and bamboo shoots are also utilised. Slicing techniques are valued in the cuisine, and are utilised to enhance the flavour, aroma and texture of seafood and other foods. Fujian cuisine is often served in a broth or soup, with cooking techniques including braising, stewing, steaming and boiling.
Jiangsu cuisine, also known as Su (Cai) cuisine for short, is one of the major components of Chinese cuisine. It consists of the styles of Yangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou and Zhenjiang dishes. It is very famous all over the world for its distinctive style and taste. It is especially popular in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
Typical courses of Jiangsu cuisine are Jinling salted dried duck (Nanjing’s most famous dish); crystal meat (pork heels in a bright, brown sauce); clear crab shell meatballs (pork meatballs in crab shell powder; fatty, yet fresh); Yangzhou steamed jerky strips (dried tofu, chicken, ham and pea leaves); triple combo duck; dried duck; and ‘Farewell My Concubine’ (a soft-shelled turtle stewed with many other ingredients, such as chicken, mushrooms and wine).
Dim sum, literally “touch your heart”, is a Cantonese term for small, hearty dishes.  These bite-sized portions are prepared using traditional cooking methods such as frying, steaming, stewing and baking. They are designed so that one person may taste a variety of different dishes. Some of these may include rice rolls, lotus leaf rice, turnip cakes, buns, shui jiao-style dumplings, stir-fried green vegetables, congee porridge, soups, etc. The Cantonese style of dining (yum cha) combines a variety of ‘dim sum’ dishes with the drinking of tea. Yum cha literally means, ‘drink tea’.
Hunan cuisine is well known for its hot, spicy flavour, fresh aroma, and deep colour. Common cooking techniques include stewing, frying, pot-roasting, braising, and smoking. Due to the high agricultural output of the region, there are varied ingredients for Hunan dishes.
The cuisine of Xinjiang reflects the region’s many ethnic groups, and refers particularly to Uyghur cuisine. Signature ingredients include roasted mutton, kebabs, roasted fish, and rice. Because of the Islamic population, the food is also predominantly halaal.
Zhejiang cuisine (Chinese: One of the Eight Culinary Traditions of China) derives from the native cooking styles of the Zhejiang region. The dishes are not greasy, but instead have a fresh, soft flavour, with a mellow fragrance.
Many other regions with unique dishes and styles are represented in China, including Hakka, Macau, Hainan, Taiwan, and Northeast cuisines.
Rice is a major staple for people from rice farming areas in southern China. It is a staple in Guyana as well. It is most commonly eaten in the form of steamed rice. It is also used to produce beers, wines and vinegars, and most popularly used in many dishes.
Chinese noodles come dry, or fresh, in a variety of sizes, shapes and textures, and are often served in soups or fried as toppings. Some varieties, such as Shou Mian (literally noodles of longevity) are symbolic of long life and good health, according to Chinese tradition.
Tofu is made of soybeans, and is another popular product that supplies protein. In wheat farming areas in northern China, people largely rely on flour-based food, such as noodles, dumplings and steamed buns.
Some common vegetables used in Chinese cuisine include bok choy (Chinese cabbage), Chinese Spinach (dao-mieu), On Choy, Yu Choy, and gailan (guy-lahn). Herbs are important to the Chinese people as well, especially during the Han Dynasty.
When it comes to sauces, China is home to soy sauce, which is made from fermented soya beans and wheat. Oyster sauce, transparent rice vinegar, Chinkiang black rice vinegar, fish sauce and fermented tofu (furu) are also widely used. A number of sauces are based on fermented soybeans, including Hoisin Sauce, ground bean sauce, and yellow bean sauce.
Spices and seasonings such as fresh root ginger, garlic, spring onion, white pepper, and sesame oil are widely used in many regional cuisines. Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, fennel, and cloves are also used to provide extra flavour to dishes.
Many Chinese cuisines also contain dried Chinese mushrooms, dried baby shrimps, dried tangerine peel, and dried Sichuan chillies as well.
It was very interesting to learn of the popular Chinese desserts in the form of deep-fried mantou, served with sweetened condensed milk; pan-fried water chestnut cake, a type of Chinese gao dessert; Bings, another dessert; baked wheat flour-based confections; and moon cake, Red bean paste pancake, and sun cakes.
Chinese candies and sweets, called tang, are usually made with cane sugar, malt sugar, honey, nuts and fruit. Gao, or Guo, are rice-based snacks that are typically steamed, and may be made from glutinous or normal rice.
Ice cream is commonly available throughout China. Another cold dessert is called baobing, which is shaved ice with sweet syrup. Chinese jellies are known collectively in the language as ices. Many jelly desserts are traditionally set with agar, and flavoured with fruits, although gelatin-based jellies are also common in contemporary desserts.
Chinese dessert soups typically consist of sweet and usually hot soups and custards, and these desserts are sweet foods and dishes that are served with tea or wine, or along with meals at the end.
In most dishes in Chinese cuisine, food is prepared in bite-sized pieces, ready for direct picking up and eating. In traditional Chinese cultures, chopsticks are used at the table. Traditional Chinese cuisine is also based on opposites, whereby hot balances cold; pickled balances fresh; and spicy balances mild.
To my mind, here is where the secret lies: Chinese foods consist of a well-formulated diet, partly through the use of herbs and foods. The sweet, pungent, sour, bitter and salty flavours are what balance the body’s ying and yang and life energy. These techniques are by no means new, nor are they peculiar to China; they have been on Earth from time immemorial. The New Testament of the Holy Bible is replete with knowledge on the use of herbs, spices, wines, vegetables, nuts wine, and teas. (Gen. 43:11, Num. 11:5 and 13; 23, Duet. 32:14, Ruth 2:14, I Kings 19:21 and 4:23) refers.
So, if you are like me, my relatives and friends, who, before we had wind of all this information about Chinese cuisine, were limited in our love to fried rice, wanton soup, and lowmein, here’s much food for thought. The list is undoubtedly inexhaustible.
Enjoy your Chinese/Guyanese cuisine!