Western Chinese cuisine is known to dry out the body through perspiration, though this helps adjust for the intense humidity of the subtropical climate. As with the southern and eastern regions, the west has access to fresh ingredients all year round though not in the abundant amounts of the south and east. For this reason pork, poultry, legumes and soybeans are the most commonly used ingredients.
Supplements to dishes include mushrooms, fungi and bamboo shoots. The west is most renowned for its use of chilli and so this is the most commonly used as garnish for dishes. Apart from the medicinal and nutritional values, hot and spicy seasonings stimulate the pallet and help to give more flavour to dishes. Meat is generally marinated, pickled or processed before cooking and the most common forms of cooking are stir and explode-frying. The western Chinese cuisine has developed a reputation as being down to earth, rather like it’s ingredients and it’s people.
Western Chinese Diet Example
- Stewed sea cucumber with pork and soybean sprouts
- Stewed carp with ham and hot and sweet sauce
- Stir-fried pork, bamboo shoots and black fungus
- Deep-fried and stewed vermicelli and minced beef
- Boiled sliced fish
- Steamed and stir-fried chestnut with cabbage
