中国菜

　　中国菜在世界上和法国菜、意大利菜齐名，深受各国人民的喜爱。

　　中国菜不但花样多，而且具有色、香、味、形俱佳的特点。

　　由于中国地域辽阔，各地的物产、气候和生活习惯不同，因此人们的口味也各不相同：南方人口味清淡，北方人口味较重，四川人喜欢吃辣，山西人喜欢吃酸……这样，在中国就形成了各具地方风味特色的菜系。其中山东、四川、江苏、广东、浙江、福建、湖南、安徽等地的菜就极具代表性。

　　山东菜在中国北方很有名。由于山东靠近黄海、渤海，所以山东菜中海鲜类较多。山东名菜有“烤大虾”、“红烧海螺”、“糖醋黄河鲤鱼”等。

　　四川菜的特点是麻、辣、酸。四川名菜有“怪味鸡”、“鱼香肉丝”、“麻婆豆腐”等。

　　江苏菜咸甜适中，吃起来很可口。江苏名菜有“清蒸鲥鱼”、“南京板鸭”、“西瓜鸡”等。

　　广东菜的特点是用料精细博杂；菜肴新颖奇异；口味讲究清、鲜、嫩、爽；调味品包含酸、甜、苦、辣、咸，它以色、香、味、形俱全而饮誉四海。广东名菜有“清蒸桂花鱼”、“白切鸡”、“香芋扣肉煲”、“冬瓜盅”等。

　　浙江菜是由杭州、宁波、绍兴等地方菜发展起来的。浙江名菜有“西湖醋鱼”、“龙井虾仁”、“叫化童鸡”等。

　　福建菜多用海产品作原料，味道清鲜，颜色美观。福建名菜有“太极明虾”、“清汤鱼丸”、“烧片糟鸡”和“佛跳墙”等。

　　湖南菜喜用辣椒。酸辣、鲜香是湖南菜的特点。湖南名菜有“麻辣子鸡”、“腊味合蒸”、“红煨鱼翅”和“冰糖湘莲”等。

　　安徽菜中最有名的，是用山珍野味做的。“雪冬烧山鸡”、“火腿炖鞭笋”、“符离集烧鸡”等都是安徽的名菜。

　　除此以外，北京的烤鸭、涮羊肉；湖北的豆皮；东北的酸菜白肉等也都是色鲜味美的名菜。

　　Chinese cuisine enjoys the same international reputation to that of France and Italy for its scent, taste, and design.

　　Since China has a vast territory, and the produce, climate and living habits are quite different in each place, the flavor of food is quite different: southerners like light food, northerners prefer a heavily seasoned taste, Sichuan people like hot food, Shanxi people like sour food and so on. China has all kinds of cuisine of special local flavor, among which that of Shandong, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan and Anhui are all quite representative.

　　Shandong cuisine is quite famous in northern China. Since Shandong is close to the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea, it includes much seafood. Famous dishes are "roast prawns", "conch braised with soy sauce" and "fried carp of the Yellow River with sweet and sour sauce".

　　Sichuan cuisine is hot, spicy and sour. Famous dishes are "chicken with special hot sauce", "shredded pork with chilli sauce" and "peppery hot bean curd".

　　Jiangsu cuisine is moderately salty and sweet, and is quite delicious. Famous dishes are "steamed shad", "Nanjing pressed duck" and "Chicken in watermelon".

　　Guangdong cuisine features exquisite, plentiful and varied raw materials, novel and strangely cooked foods, light, delicious, tender and refreshing taste, sour, sweet, bitter, hot and salty flavoring. Famous dishes are "Steamed mandarin fish", "white cut chicken", "steamed fragrant potato and pork" and "white gourd soup".

　　Zhejiang cuisine is developed from the local dishes of Hangzhou, Ningbo and Shaoxing. Famous dishes are "fish of the West Lake in vinegar gravy", "shrimp meat in Longjing" and "beggar's young chicken (mud-baked young chicken)".

　　Fujian cuisine often takes marine products as its raw material. It tastes light and delicious and the color is beautiful. Famous dishes are "fried prawns in the shape of a pair of fish" ,"fish balls in clear soup", "chicken slices in wine sauce" and "Buddha jumps over the wall".

　　Hunan cuisine is mostly seasoned with chili, and features sour, hot, delicious and fragrant tastes. Famous dishes are "chicken with chili and pepper","steamed dish of cured meat and fish", "stewed shark's fin with soy sauce" and "lotus seeds in crystal sugar".

　　The most famous dishes in Anhui cuisine are made of the choicest delicacies of mountain and wilderness: "pheasant stewed with potherb mustard and winter bamboo shoots","stewed ham and subterranean stem of bamboo",and "braised chicken of Fuliji(a county in Anhui)" are all famous local dishes.

　　Besides, roast duck and dip-boiled mutton slices of Beijing, doupi (a kind of fried pancake made of glutinous rice, minced meat, cubes of bamboo shoots, etc. wrapped in sheets of rice and mung bean flour mixed with eggs) of Hubei Province, and "white meat with pickled Chinese cabbage" of the Northeast,are all famous dishes in terms of their bright color and good taste.