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Chinese History in 5 minutes | Chopsticks and Dining Customs

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There is an ancient philosophy of yin and yang which is often shortened to yinyang 阴阳 and it is to describe how opposing forces are in actuality complementary to each other. In Chinese food, most foods can be separated into predominantly yin or predominantly yang or a balance between the two. Foods with a higher water content are considered cool and fall under yin, and foods with a higher energy content is considered warm, and falls under yang.

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The ancient Chinese philosophy of yin 阴 and yang 阳 - often shortened to yin yang - is a concept used to describe how apparently opposite forces are in actuality complementary to each other. The theory suggests that these complementary forces are present in all things, and that it is necessary for these forces to be balanced.

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Examples of Yin foods are soy products such as tofu and beansprouts, crab, fruits, and vegetables.

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Examples of Yang foods are duck and beef, warm spices, alcohol and nuts.

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Chopsticks can be seen to be the most common tableware used by the Chinese and almost every household has their own set. But their history dates back over 1,000 years. At one neolithic cultural site dating back to 7,000 years ago in Jiangsu, chopsticks made out of animal bones were found. These chopsticks are believed to be the prototype of modern chopsticks. It was during Ancient China between 6th and 3rd BC that chopsticks and spoons became habitual among the Chinese. Made out of bamboo and wood, there are also traditions to follow when eating with chopsticks. By the Sui and Tang dynasties, chopsticks were widely used and would appear in different materials.

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The Guandong Cuisine, or more well-known as Cantonese food, is the post popular style internationally. They are noted for their fine seafood and rice dishes. There is a variety of foods, and the dishes served don't have strong flavors since it is lightly seasoned, and they often tend to be a little sweet. (Also my favorite :) )

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The Sichuan Cuisine is by far the most widely served cuisine in China. The dishes are famous for their hot-spicy taste and the numbing flavor of their Sichuan Peppercorn that is rare in other cuisines. It is often considered a spicy and bold cuisine by many as it includes a lot of mouth-numbing ingredients in addition to chili, garlic, ginger, and peanuts.

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The Jiangsu Cuisine is a very refined gourmet cuisine that is often served at government banquets. This cuisine differs from the rest because of its cooking techniques that produce richly aromatic and visually artistic dishes. The food is served fresh and is moderately salty and sweet, favors seafood, soups, and an artistic presentation.

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The Zhejiang Cuisine is similar to the Jiangsu cuisine since it is very close to it, but it is slightly less elaborately prepared. They also focus on serving fresh food which means the food served is often raw or almost raw and is crispy and seasonal. This cuisine can be compared to its similarities to Japanese food.

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Shandong was one of the first civilized areas and it set the pattern for northern styles of cooking. Due to its long coast, seafood is its strong field and they are able to preserve the original taste of their seafood by using simple ingredients and braising. A lot of their foods can be seen to be salty and crispy, and they serve much more wheat food(noodles) compared to southern cuisines.

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The Fujian Cuisine is known for its great seafood and soups and the very precise usage of scintillating but not tongue numbing spices. It has a lighter taste with a mild sweet and sour taste, which is achieved by using ingredients from the sea and the mountains. By adding these wild exotic delicacies from the sea and mountains, their dishes provide tastes not common to many places.

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The Hunan Cuisine is quite spicy and it is considered more tasty and delicious since it doesn't use peppercorn that numbs the mouth. This type of cuisine comes from a rich agricultural area that produces a broad range of vegetables and herbs which are then served up. Some of its dishes are known for its hot and sour taste, favoring sautéing, stir-frying, and steaming and smoking.

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The Anhui cuisine comes from the inland and big mountains such as the Yellow Mountains are the source of lots of different wild foods and herbs. It's like a "heart mountain pleasant food" which is even wilder than the Fujian cuisine. It uses many wild plants and animals as ingredients which produces an unusual taste but it is what makes it so good.

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Chinese culture believes that there is a positive energy and a negative energy in the universe. They are believed to have to be equally balanced to create a harmonious and healthy state, otherwise conflict and disease will be created. Because of this, there are elements that belong to both "yin" and "yang", and some that fall into yin and some that fall into yang.

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Chopsticks play a very important role in Chinese food culture. It took over a thousand years for it to be fully integrated into the Chinese culture, but it has become the most convenient tableware in their lives. As it spread to other parts of Asia, geological features and cultural environment have allowed chopsticks to be made out of different material in different areas.

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There are many different cuisines in China, each province having its own special style of cooking. There is the Anhui cuisine, Hunan cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Zhejiang cuisine, Fujian cuisine, Shandong cuisine, Guandong cuisine, and the Jiangsu cuisine.

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The influence and radiation of Chinese civilization spread its use of chopsticks to neighboring countries. Vietnam and Japan absorbed this tremendously and they also made chopsticks a habitual thing for their country.