CHINA

2
JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT

Quick facts about China
Yangtze and
Shanghai Population: Currency: Capital: the Yellow
river:
the third and

1,393,783,836 as
largest city Renminbi Beijing sixth longest
of July 1 2014
river in the world
JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 3

Standard Chinese, or
Official Language
Mandarin Chinese
Religion Officially atheism
Largest City Shanghai

Quick facts about China
•Officially the PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
•China is the third largest country in the world next to
Russia and Canada
•Worlds largest based on population (in 1979, China
instituted a One Child Policy to control its growing
population

Quick facts about
China
•The Chinese New Year celebration lasts for 15

days.
•In China, every year is represented by one of 12
animals. 2018 is the year of the DOG.
•The longest man – made wall is GREAT WALL OF
CHINA (21,196.18 km)
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
•Located in Eastern Asia surrounded by East China
Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, South China Sea
•Bordered by 14 countries:
Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Pakistan,
Burma/Myanmar, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Laos,
Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Tajikistan, North Korea,
Bhutan

Divided into 3 geographic location:
Mountainous to the West
Various desert and basins in the Northeast
Low-lying valleys and plains in the East

CLIMATE
•Because of its area and variations in topography,
China’s climate is also varied
•South – tropical
•East – temperate
•Tibetan-plateau – cold and arid
•North Eastern – cold temperate

TOPOGRAPHY
•China topography varies greatly from highly
mountainous regions to inhospitable desert zones
and flat, fertile plains. It can be compared to a
staircase descending from west to east.
•The Tibetan Plateau forms the highest part of the
country (the first step).
•Known as the 'roof of the world', the Tibetan-Qinghai
Plateau is more than 5,000 feet above sea level.
• JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 10
•The Himalayan mountain range has a number of
peaks over 23,000 feet, with the tallest in the world,
Mount Everest, at the Sino-Nepalese border.
•Melting snows from these peaks are the source of

several of the main Chinese rivers including the
Yangtze and the Yellow River which run from west to
east.

•The second step is the Inner Mongolia and Yunnan-
Guizhou Plateau as well as the Tarim, Sichuan and
Junggar basins.
•The Tarim Basin is the site of Xinjiang Autonomous

Region where the largest desert in China, the
Taklimakan, is located.

•The plains of the Yangtze River and of northern and
eastern China are the country’s most populated areas
and the agricultural center of the country.
•Finally the coastal zones, stretching from Vietnam to

North Korea and bordering the South China, East
China and Yellow Seas, join the Pacific Ocean.

RELIGIONS & BELIEFS IN CHINA
•According to a latest survey, 85% of Chinese people
have religious beliefs or had some religious practices
and only 15% of them are real atheists.
•The real atheists here refer to those who do not have

faith in any religions nor had any activities related to
religions or folk customs.

RELIGIONS & BELIEFS IN CHINA
BUDDHISM - 185 million people believed based in the
teachings of Gautama Buddha.
• FACTS about BUDDHISM:

• They are vegetarians
• They refrain to use alcohol
• They stay away from using 5 pungent spices e.g. onions, garlic, scallions,
chives and leeks
• As they are believed to intensify the sexual desire and if eaten raw may
increase anger.
BUDDHA STATUES IN YUNGANG GROTTOES,
DATONG

CONFUCIANISM – who believes in
Confucius
Confucianism, not a real religion, is just an ethical and

philosophical system, which developed from Confucius’
thoughts and later was treated as a kind of belief to
educate common people. It obtained its stable position
under the reign of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty (202BC-
220AD), and became the ideology of the society.

Confucius
Confucius tell you how to eat. He was a picky eater.
He did not eat what was discolored, do not eat food

whose color is not right
For him, the rice could never be white enough

Confucius
When it was not socked right, he would not eat.
When the food is out of season, he would not eat.
When the meat was not cut properly, he would not eat.
When the food was not prepared with the right sauce, he
would not eat.
Confucius
So the food was judged for color, aroma, taste and a
good meal and a good meal was expected to balance
the FOUR NATURES (hot, warm, cool and cold) and
FIVE TASTE (pungent, sweet, sour, bitter and salty).
There is a necessity that the food be prepared in bite-

sized pieces so that it could easily picked apart.

TAOISM
It has 12 million believers
Was founded in the teachings of Chuan Tzu and Lao Tzu

The basic principles of Taoism are simplicity, harmony, patience
and thrift.
Taoism influenced the local culture deeply, especially on
traditional medicine and literature.
They will not eat meat raised with inhuman practices .

ISLAM
Is the 2nd most followed religion in the world
Mohammed is a prophet whom God Allah delivered his message
Mecah – is the holy place
Koran – Islam sacred writtings
FOOD FACTS:
Alcohol, pork or pork products, birds of prey, carnivorous animals

CHRISTIANITY
CHRISTIANITY - 33 million have faith in God
Among the most number of followers or believers around the world
Off the menu: meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all Friday Lent.
Why?
• These acts of self denial and penance are observance with the law that each person should
turn form sin and make a preparation to God for their sin

CHINESE CUISINE
CHARACTERISTICS:
Represents one of the richest and most diverse
culinary heritages in the world
Typically consist of two general components:
1. Carbohydrates source (rice-fan which also means
food) or mantou (steamed buns)
2. Cai – accompanying dishes of vegetables, fish,
meat and other items
Most important Characteristics
Aesthetics (color)
Aroma (smell)
Flavor (taste) – can be of five different types: bitter,
sweet, sour, salty and hot.
 South – sweet, North – salty
East – hot, West - sour

•Chopsticks – the primary eating utensil for solid foods
•Wide, flat-bottomed spoon – used for soups and other

liquids (made of ceramic)
•Foods are prepared bite-sized ready for direct picking up

and eating.

•Fish are usually cooked and served whole, with
diners directly pulling pieces from the fish with
chopsticks to eat.
•Each individual diner is given their own bowl of rice

with accompanying dishes are served in communal
plates or bowls which are shared by everyone sitting
at the table.
•Desserts are less typical in Chinese culture however,
many sweet foods and dessert snacks do exist in
Chinese cuisine many of which are fried, and several
incorporate res bean paste (dousha).
•Items like ice cold water or soft drinks are

traditionally not served at meal time since cold
beverages are believed to be harmful to digestion of
hot food.
•Besides soup, if any other beverages are served, they
would most likely be hot tea or hot water.
•Tea is believed to help in digestion of greasy foods.

Five Spice Powder and the Five Elements
Theory
5 elements:
Water – salt
Wood – sour
Fire – bitter
Earth – sweet
Metal – pungent or spicy

FIVE SPICE POWDER
•Although the exact origins of the five spice powder
are lost to history, there is some thought that the
Chinese were attempting to produce a “wonder
powder” encompassing all of the five elements.
•All of the five flavors, sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and

salty – are found in the five spice powder.

•A standard recipe calls for fennel, cloves and
cinnamon, along with star anise and Szechuan
peppercorns.

Traditional Chinese Food
Nevertheless, the Chinese
people comply with the religious
principle of balance denoted by
yin and yang. Yin means cool and
•Yin: •Yang:
yang means hot. This viewpoint •Poaching •Roasting
motivates the Chinese to get
equilibrium in their lives, •Boiling •Deep-frying
including the foods they •Steaming •Stir-frying
consume. The cooking methods
of yin and yang are:

YIN & YANG
YIN FOODS •Bean Sprouts
Believes to decrease the body’s heat •Cabbage
•Carrots
Lower metabolism •Cucumber
Have high water content •Duck
•Tofu
Represents: feminine, dark, cool
•Watercress
•Water

YANG FOODS •Beef
•Bamboo
 Believed to increase the body’s heat •Crab
 Raise metabolism •Chicken
•Ginger
 Represents: masculine, light, hot •Eggs
•Mushrooms
•Glutinous Rice
•Wine
•Sesame Oil
Traditional Chinese food
Traditional Chinese food is mainly eaten on the New
Year.
Traditional Chinese cuisine is also founded on

opposites, where preserved balances fresh, hot
balances cold, and peppery balances mild.

Traditional Chinese
Food
There are four major styles

of Traditional Chinese Food Beijing Cuisine - Shanghai
that can be attributed to North cuisine - East
the various territories in
the country from which
they originate and these Cantonese Szechuan -
cuisine - South West
regions are as follows:

CHINA’S FOUR REGIONAL CHINESE
CUISINE
1. Northern or Beijing (Peking) Cuisine
Includes Beijing, the capital of China, and the
provinces of Hunan, Shantung, Hopei, Honon, Shansi,
Shensi and Inner Mongolia.
2. Eastern or Shanghai Cuisine

Includes the provinces of Kiangsu, Chekiang, Anhwei
and Fukien.
3. Western or Szechuan Cuisine
Includes the provinces of Szechuan and Yunan.
4. Southern or Cantonese Cuisine

Includes the provinces of Guangdong (canton) and
Jangxi. Guangzhou city is also known as Canton City
and is the Capital of Guangdong.

BEIJING CUISINE
• Famous for its use of garlic, leeks and spring onions,
both raw and cooked
•Seafood dishes are very popular since Shangdong
province borders the Eastern Yellow Sea
•Wheat is the staple grain in the North
•Wheat based noodles or pancakes make up the fan
(starch) portion of many meals.

BEIJING CUISINE
• Lamb is very popular due to the influence of the
Mongolians who conquered China in the 13th century
AD
• Beef is eaten more frequently in Northern China
than in the South
• Beijing is famous for its Peking Duck

SHANGHAI CUISINE
• The most diverse in China (Hundreds of different
regional and village recipes were brought into the
dominant port city of Shanghai.
•Climate remains the major influence – cold winters

called for food that was oilier and sweeter than that
in the South.

SHANGHAI CUISINE
• Stewing, braising, and frying are the most common
forms of Shanghai cooking.
• Breads, noodles and dumplings are eaten more

frequently than rice.

CANTONESE CUISINE
• Is a major component in Chinese Cuisine, which
enjoys a long history and a good reputation both
home and abroad.
• Generally recognized to be the finest
• Fresh fish and shellfish, rice, tropical fruit such as
mangoes and lychees, and a wide variety of
vegetables are the staple foods.

CANTONESE CUISINE
•YUM CHA – the Cantonese style of dining, where it
combines variety of dim sum dishes with the drinking
of tea
-Literally means DRINK TEA
• Spring onion, sugar, salt, soy sauce, rice wine, corn
starch, vinegar, sesame oil and other oils suffice to
enhance the flavor in most Cantonese cooking,
though garlic is used heavily in some dishes.

CANTONESE CUISINE
• Cantonese diet also includes beef, chicken and pork
•Water chestnut is popularly used as an ingredient
•Oyster sauce, hoisin sauce (soy bean paste with

spices), fermented black beans and shrimp paste also
figure prominently in Cantonese cooking

CANTONESE CUISINE
• Steaming and stir – frying are the two primary
Cantonese cooking techniques
•Cantonese cuisine is also famous for its roast meats

such as pork and duck (Char siu bao, or steamed
buns filled with roast pork, is a popular Cantonese
dim sum treat)

Slow – cooked soup
• Wonton Noodle
• Lou Mei
•Pan fried crispy noodles

Other Cantonese Specialties:
• SIU LAAP – generic name for cooked meat that
includes:
SIU MEI – Chinese rotisserie style of cooking (e.g.

Char siu, roasted duck, roasted goose, roasted pig)

Dim sum is a style of Cantonese
cuisine prepared as small bite-sized
portions of food traditionally served
in small steamer baskets or on small
plates.
Dim sum means "to touch the

heart" are snacks of freshly-steamed
or fried.

VARIETIES OF DIM SUM
• SHRIMP DUMPLINGS – HAR QAU
•STEAMED PORK AND SHRIMP DUMPLINGS – SIU
MAI
•DEEP FRIED SPRING ROLLS – TSUN QUEN
•STEAMED BARBEQUED PORK BUNS – CHAR SIU BAO

TRADITIONAL DISHES
Chinese steamed eggs Congee with century eggs
Cantonese fried rice Steamed spare ribs with
fermented black beans and
chili peppers
Stir fried vegetables with Steamed frog legs on lotus
meat leaf
Sweet and sour pork Blanched vegetables with
oyster sauce
SZECHUAN CUISINE
• Famed for bold flavors, particularly the pungency
and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and
chili peppers, as well as the unique flavor of the
Sichuan peppercorn.
•Peanuts, sesame paste and ginger are also prominent

ingredients in this style.

SZECHUAN CUISINE
• Distinctive, high- quality types of pickled and salted
vegetables, particularly garlic, Chinese cabbages, and
bamboo shoots, are typical Sichuan.
• Pork is overwhelmingly the major meat (Yunnan

produces hams generally regarded as the finest in
China)

SZECHUAN CUISINE
• Chili pepper dominates this cuisine, making this by
far the spiciest in China
•Chilies, brown pepper and other hot spices are found

primarily in the stir-fried dishes and the soups

SZECHUAN CUISINE
• A full meal normally consists of a starch staple,
usually rice, with steamed and stir-fried dishes as
topping, and an accompanying soup.
• Minor meals (breakfast, light lunches or snacks

involve dumplings or noodle soup)

SZECHUAN CUISINE
•Common cooking techniques:
 stir – frying
 Steaming
 Braising
 Red – stewing – use of large quantities of soy sauce
Well known dishes includes:

 Kung pao chicken
 Twice cooked pork
TRADITIONAL COOKING UTENSILS
1. Wok
The most important utensil in the Chinese kitchen.
Traditionally made of heavy iron or steel and
equipped with two handles, concave-shaped pan is
used for stir-frying, deep-frying, pan-frying, steaming,
and stewing.

Bamboo steamer
are used for steaming all manner of food:
Dim sum, Peking duck pancakes, fish and
vegetables.
They come in many different sizes.
When washing these steamers, it is
recommended that strongly fragranced
detergents should not be used

DINING CUSTOMS, BELIEFS & ETIQUETTES
• The guest of honor is usually seated facing the door
entry, directly opposite the host
•Taking one’s turn is also expected for tea pouring at a

small gatherings where each guests leans over or
rises to fill fellow-diners’ tea cups.

• Meal time noises are considered sounds of culinary
appreciation, the slurping of soup also being an
acceptable way of cooling down before it burns the
tongue.
•The use of toothpicks at a table is another standard

practice.

•Chopsticks should always be the same length and
held so that the ends are even, a practice popularly
explained as due to the former use of uneven boards
in Chinese coffins.
•Do not chew on the ends of chopsticks, even if they

are plastic.

•Do not bang your chopsticks as though you were
playing a drum. It implies you are a beggar or a child.
•Chopsticks are not used to move bowls or plates.
•Avoid spearing food with the chopsticks.

FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATION
1. SPRING FESTIVAL (CHINESE NEW YEAR) – which
celebrates family reunion.
One of the traditional Chinese festivals.
Most grandest and the most important festival for
Chinese people.
Fish is always served which expresses people’s hope
of having a wealthy year.

2. LANTERN FESTIVAL – falling on the 15th day of the first
lunar month
So called because the most important activity during the night
of the event is watching various wonderful Chinese Lanterns.
3. YUANXIAO (TANGYUAN) – because every household eats

yuanxiao (a rice ball stuffed with different fillings).
It is regarded as the most recreational among all the Chinese
festivals and a day for appreciating the bright full moon, and
family reunion.
4. DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL – one of the three most
important lunar festivals in China.
Eating zongzi has become an indispensable part of this
festival.
Zongzi (a traditional Chinese food, made of glutinous rice
stuffed with different fillings, and wrapped in bamboo or
reed leaves).
Most popular food during the festival.

5. MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL – celebrated on the 15th day of
the eight lunisolar month which is September or October.
•The second most important festival.
•When the festival comes people go home to be with their
family and have dinner with them, admire the full moon and
eat mooncakes.
•Chinese people believe a full moon is a symbol of peace,
prosperity and family reunion.
•On Mid-AutummFestival night the moon is supposed to be
the brightest and fullest, which why the festival is also known
as the “Day of Reunion” and the “Moon Festival”.
MOON CAKE
is a Chinese bakery
product traditionally
eaten during the
Mid-Autumn
Festival. The festival
is for lunar worship
and moon watching,
when mooncakes
are regarded as an
indispensable
delicacy
TRADITIONAL FOODS
OF CHINA
DUMPLINGS
Traditional food popular in North
China
Dumplings are a traditional dim
sum treat. They are filled with
vegetables, shrimp, tofu, or meat
and wrapped in a translucent
wheat or rice flour skin.

LOU MEI
Lou mei is the
Cantonese name given
to dishes made by
simmering in a sauce
known as a master
stock or lou sauce. Lou
mei can be made from
meat or from internal
organs, entrails and
left-over parts.
WONTON
NOODLES
A noodle-dough
dumpling filled
typically with
spiced minced pork
or other ground
meat, usually
boiled in soup or
fried and eaten as a
side dish.
PEKING DUCK
One of China’s
national dishes.
Savored for its thin
and crispy skin.
Sliced Peking duck is
often eaten with
pancakes, sweet bean
sauce, or soy with
mashed garlic.
CHUN JUAN -
LUMPIA
Ground rice is made
into a thin paste
which is filled with
vegetables and meat
or seafood, the rolls
are deep fried in oil
until golden and
crispy on the
outside and tender
within.
Century egg
Century egg or
pidan, also known as
preserved egg,
hundred-year egg,
thousand-year egg,
thousand-year-old
egg, and millennium
egg, is a Chinese
delicacy made by
preserving duck,
chicken or quail eggs
CHOW MEIN
Which means stir –
fried noodles
Consists of noodles,
meat (usually pork,
beef, chicken or
shrimp), onions and
celery.
The noodles need to
be cooked in boiling
water for a while
before stir – frying. JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 78
MAPO DOUFU
Is one of the famous in
Chuan cuisine with a
history of more than
1oo years.
Ma, describes a spicy
and hot taste which
comes from pepper
powder.
The milky tofu is
enriched with brownish
red ground beef and
chopped green onion. JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 79
CHAR SIU
Barbecue
Char siu is a popular
way to flavor and
prepare barbecued
pork in Cantonese
cuisine. It is
classified as a type
of siu mei,
Cantonese roasted
meat.
FORTUNE
COOKIE
A fortune cookie is a crisp
cookie usually made from
flour, sugar, vanilla, and
sesame seed oil with a
piece of paper, a
"fortune", on which is an
aphorism, or a vague
prophecy.
MANTOU
Mantou, often referred
to as Chinese steamed
bun/bread, is a type of
cloud-like steamed
bread or bun popular in
Northern China.

Typical Food eaten by Chinese for Breakfast
Breakfast foods in China widely differ from region to region.
Therefore, it is hard to list all the Chinese eat for breakfast. Here
we will introduce some traditional, popular, and famous Chinese
breakfast foods. JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 83
Typical Food eaten by Chinese for
Breakfast
•Dim Sum - 'touch the heart' is one breakfast tradition
that can be found in Chinatowns all over the world.
•Bao zi - can be filled with ground pork, vegetables
such as spinach or eggplant, eggs, or bean paste;
indeed, there is an almost endless variety, both
savory and sweet.
•Tea drink together with dim sum.
•Rice Porridge or Congee
Breakfast
◦Rice noodles are more often eaten in the South, along with
steamed sweet potatoes, another Southern specialty.
◦Zongzi (Sticky Rice Dumplings) - are dumplings made of

sweet glutinous rice, wrapped in bamboo leaves and
steamed.
◦Wontons - are a traditional Chinese breakfast food. They

can be boiled in fragrant and watery broth, steamed in a
bamboo steamer, or fried in a high-heat wok.
Breakfast
Noodles - Many Chinese enjoy having a bowl of
noodles for breakfast, and there is a wide
variety of noodle dishes to choose from.
◦In Northern China, where wheat is more commonly

eaten, a bowl of hot and flavorful wheat noodles is a
popular breakfast dish.

The Chinese new year is one of the most important
holidays celebrated in China.
There are a lot of time and preparation that goes into
making the event an unforgettable one.
NEW YEARS SUPERSTITIONS:
◦The house must be completely clean for good luck
for the upcoming year.
◦Never clean on New Years day, as it signifies
sweeping all of your good luck out of the house.
◦Wearing of RED clothes, as it is considered to be the
color that brings good luck.
◦Opening of windows, to let good luck into your
home.
◦Sharp objects are prohibited, as it symbolizes
cutting of good fortune.

http://www.china-tour.cn/National-Geography/

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2

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT

the third and

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 3

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 4

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 5

•The Chinese New Year celebration lasts for 15

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 7

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 8

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 9

•Melting snows from these peaks are the source of

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 11

•The Tarim Basin is the site of Xinjiang Autonomous

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 12

•Finally the coastal zones, stretching from Vietnam to

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 13

•The real atheists here refer to those who do not have

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 14

• FACTS about BUDDHISM:

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 16

Confucianism, not a real religion, is just an ethical and

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 17

He did not eat what was discolored, do not eat food

For him, the rice could never be white enough

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 18

When the food is out of season, he would not eat.

There is a necessity that the food be prepared in bite-

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 20

Was founded in the teachings of Chuan Tzu and Lao Tzu

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 21

Mohammed is a prophet whom God Allah delivered his message

Mecah – is the holy place

Koran – Islam sacred writtings

Alcohol, pork or pork products, birds of prey, carnivorous animals

Among the most number of followers or believers around the world

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 23

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 25

•Wide, flat-bottomed spoon – used for soups and other

•Foods are prepared bite-sized ready for direct picking up

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 26

•Each individual diner is given their own bowl of rice

•Items like ice cold water or soft drinks are

•Tea is believed to help in digestion of greasy foods.

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 29

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 30

•All of the five flavors, sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 31

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 32

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 33

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 34

Traditional Chinese cuisine is also founded on

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 36

There are four major styles

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 37

2. Eastern or Shanghai Cuisine

4. Southern or Cantonese Cuisine

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 39

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 40

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 41

•Climate remains the major influence – cold winters

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 42

• Breads, noodles and dumplings are eaten more

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 43

JONA LEE GATO - LORICA, MSHM, LPT 44