| Food Links | China is a country where the preparation and appreciation of food has been developed to the highest level. Chinese culture considers cooking an art. All other philosophies consider the preparation of food a craft. The art of Chinese cooking has been developed and refined over many centuries. Emperor Fu taught people to fish, hunt, grow crops and cook twenty centuries before Christ. However cooking could not be considered an art until the great classical age of China, the Chou Dynasty 1122-249 B.C. Over the centuries the Chinese have explored the world of plants, roots, herbs, fungus and seeds to find life-giving elements. They discovered the nutritional value of vegetables could be destroyed by improper cooking and that many items had medicinal value. For example, ginger, a favorite condiment, is also used to soothe an upset stomach and as a cold remedy. The Chinese cooking style certainly affords you the opportunity to cook healthy. Unlike the majority of eastern cuisines most Chinese dishes are low-calorie and low-fat. Food is cooked using poly-unsaturated oils, and milk, cream, butter and cheese are not a. part of the daily diet. Animal fats are kept to a minimum due to the small portions of meats used. Please note however that some dishes served in Chinese restaurants may be considerably higher in calories and fats than those in this cookbook that you prepare at home. |
