The third International Chinese Culinary Competition will be hosted by New Tang Dynasty Television on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Mr. Qu Yunqiang who has been head of the judging committee for the past three years, said that the purpose of the competitions is actually to revive traditional Chinese culinary arts. “Chefs from around the world will demonstrate traditional techniques of the five major cuisine categories. We are looking forward to a great event.”
Five Cooking Styles
Mr. Qu explained that during a rather long history of development, Chinese culinary art has formed five distinct regional styles, namely Sichuan Cuisine, Shandong Cuisine, Cantonese Cuisine, Huaiyang Cuisine, and Northeastern Chinese Cuisine. According to ancient custom, each area’s unique cooking style was identified by ascribing to it different human character and personality traits.
Sichuan Cuisine
Sichuan’s spicy cuisine was said to resemble a history scholar with a mind rich in content and skill. Sichuan cooking is all about balancing flavors, and is especially famous for the many different types of spicy-hot flavors.
“The dry hot comes from sun-dried peppers; the crispy hot from roasted pepper shell; the oily hot is obtained from red pepper oil; and the fragrant hot is a combination of green onions, ginger, garlic, and pepper,” Mr. Qu explained.
Fish-flavored shredded pork is salty, sweet, sour, and spicy-hot at the same time. How to put these flavors into a perfect balance is a true test for a chef.
Kung Pao chicken, dry stir-fried beef shreds, and dry-sautéed fish are among the dishes on the competition menu for this category.
Shandong Cuisine
Dating back to the “Spring and Autumn” Period (770-476 B.C.), Shandong cuisine has the longest history. Its characteristics have been described as being like a wise old man living a simple life.
Shandong cooking uses a multitude of frying techniques and is fastidious about the purity of its ingredients. Fried squid roll, fish in soy sauce, and sautéed chicken shreds with bean sprouts are listed on the competition menu for this category.
Cantonese Cuisine
Cantonese cuisine was said to resemble a prince—refined, romantic, and carefree. Cantonese cuisine originates from the subtropical region bordering the South China Sea and utilizes a vast and varied assortment of fresh foods and fine ingredients. Steaming, boiling, and high temperature rapid sealing make Cantonese cooking light, fresh, crisp and tender.
Dishes on the competition menu in this category include sautéed beef fillet with onions and ginger, sautéed fish fillet in black bean sauce, and sautéed egg white with milk.
Huaiyang Cuisine
Huaiyang cuisine comes from the area of the Huai and Yangtze Rivers, including Shanghai and Hangzhou. Its qualities have been described as being like a delicate maiden, uncomplicated, and pretty.
Huaiyang cuisine is meticulous about cutting techniques. A skilled Huaiyang chef is able to cut a two-centimeter (1 3/4 inch) piece of Tofu into several hundred shreds.
Braised fish belly with soy sauce, braised shredded chicken with ham and dried Tofu, and braised pork are some of the dishes in this competition category.
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