With the great differences in the climate, geographical environment, and historical and cultural development of different regions, Chinese cuisine culture is extensive and profound with unique characteristics. With a time-honored history, the Chinese cuisine has become increasingly popular among more and more overseas gourmets, virtually functioning as an envoy of friendship in China's cultural exchanges with foreign countries.

 

China has local cuisine, imperial dishes, dishes of ethnic minorities, Islamic dishes with a strong religious flavor and vegetarian dishes. Foods prepared by varied places are quite different in tastes, showing strong regional features. The people of northwest China love sour food; those of southwest China are fond of spicy food; and those from south and east China prefer sweet food. The people of north China mainly eat cooked wheaten food, such as steamed bread, steamed twisted rolls, pancakes and noodles; and the people of south China take rice as staple food. At the beginning China had only four styles of cuisine. i.e., Sichuan, Shandong, Guangdong and Huaiyang cuisine, which later developed into 'Eight Cuisines' i.e., Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Szechuan and Zhejiang style but as catering is a living art sub-classifications continue to increase.

 

The three essential factors, by which Chinese cooking is judged, are known as color, aroma and taste. The color of Chinese food, the first of these factors which is so evident in a Chinese banquet, includes the layout and design of the dishes, best exemplified in particular by the large elaborately-prepared cold dishes served at the beginning of the dinner. Aroma implies more than what's one nose can detect directly, it also includes the freshness of the raw materials used and the blending of seasoning. Taste is the art of proper seasoning, though it also involves the  texture of the food and fine slicing skills. These three factors are achieved by the careful coordination of a series of delicate activities, including selecting ingredients, cutting, mixing flavours, timing the cooking, controlling the heat and finally, laying out the food on the plate for the table.

 

Chopsticks are the primary eating utensil in Chinese culture for solid foods, while soups and other liquids are enjoyed with a wide, flat-bottomed spoon (traditionally made of ceramic). Many Chinese eating establishments are considering a switch to a more environmentally sustainable eating utensil, such as plastic or bamboo chopsticks. More expensive materials used in the past included ivory and silver. On the other hand, disposable chopsticks made of wood/bamboo have all but replaced reusable ones in small restaurants.

 

Cuisine can rise to many different occasions from luxury court feasts, fetes, holy sacrificial rites, joyous wedding ceremonies to simple daily meals and snacks. The art of a good cook is to provide a wholesome and satisfying dish to suit the occasion.

 

The Chinese people have always attached great importance to their food and beverages. And the good cuisine has the effect of prolonging life, sustaining the constitution and promoting energy and in this respect bears some relationship to Chinese medicine as called Chinese medicinal cuisine.

 

An old Chinese saying goes: "People regard food as their prime want." Along with the improvement of the people's livelihood, the people all over the world are paying more and more attention to catering culture. Tasting delicious Chinese food in different places of China is one of the reasons why foreign tourists come to China. Eating delicious food after (loin" sightseeing will make their trip to China more satisfactory. The saying of "eating in China" is universally accepted.