Chinese food culture

In China, it's not just what's on the table, but how it's served. The sequence of dishes, cutlery and behavior are very different from the Western food culture.

In China, there is no classic food sequence as with us. The order of the food is determined solely by the guest, and usually many dishes are ordered at the same time. The more festive the occasion, the greater the number of dishes served. However, it is customary in Chinese food culture to eat the light dishes before the heavy ones, the salty ones before the sweet ones and soups after the solid foods. It is important that the cold and hot dishes harmonize with the Yin and Yang principle. The round table also symbolizes harmony through its circular form. Due to the round shape, all guests also have easy access to the different dishes. By the way, signs that say "Western Restaurant" say nothing about the food, but indicate that the tables are angular. It is particularly important to have fine crockery in the Chinese food culture, because, according to common opinion in China, beautiful porcelain contributes to the enjoyment of eating.

Behavior at the table

As a European in China, you can count on indulgence at table. However, it shows a special empathy if you follow some rules of Chinese table culture. For example, smacking, slurping and burping is allowed while whining is frowned upon at the table. For this the guests should go to the toilet. Even the eating of all food is not in the Chinese food culture to the good sound, but it exposes the host, who could not afford more. Basically, the most important guests sit next to the host and get the best pieces. It is eaten with chopsticks, which you should not put in the rice, as this is only usual in funeral ceremonies. To store the chopsticks serve small benches next to the plates.

Imperial Chinese food culture

In addition to the traditional regional kitchens, there are also cooking schools such as the Confucian kitchen, the medical kitchen or the palace kitchen. The latter is a very opulent Chinese food culture that has been established on the farm for centuries. Thousands of people lived at the imperial court in the 18th and 19th centuries, of whom about 400 worked in imperial cooking around the year 1800 alone. The administration and planning of the palace meal was a demanding task. There were two kitchen brigades, one preparing food for the imperial family and concubines, while the second was staffed. The food for the imperial family was subject to strict safety regulations: The head of the bodyguard had to monitor the preparation of the food, so that no poison could be mixed. Descendants of court officials saved many recipes of this Chinese food culture about the Cultural Revolution so that they can still enjoy imperial dishes such as lobster in sour cucumber sauce or lotus roots in wafer-thin dough sheets in Beijing today.