Chinese Cuisine Universally recognized as one of the great cuisines of the world, Chinese food in all its variety and complexity is unquestionably one of the finest pleasures a visitor can experience in China. There is a vast range of restaurants, from street stalls serving noodles and revolving restaurants atop hotels to roast duck specialists and converted courtyards where the imperial family once dined. China's vast territory and long history have given birth to distinct regional cuisines over the centuries. The precise number of regional cuisines in China is still under dispute, but experts agree on at least four: Sichuan, Shandong, Guangdong (Cantonese), and Jiangsu-Zhejiang. The following is the introduction of the four distinct regional cuisines. 1. SICHUAN CUISINE Of the four major schools of China's culinary art, Sichuan cuisine is perhaps the most popular. It is well-known for its hot and pungent flavoring. Yet the highly distinctive pungency is not its only characteristic. In fact, Sichuan cuisine boasts a variety of flavors and different methods of cooking. A Sichuan dish can be hot, sweet, sour, salty, or tongue-numbing. Dishes typical of Sichuan are Twice Cooked Pork Slices, Spicy Diced Chicken with Peanuts, Dry-fried Shark Fin, and Fish-flavored Pork Shreds. One of the popular dishes is Pockmarked Woman's Bean Curd which was invented by a Chengdu chef 's pockmarked wife decades ago. The cubed bean curd is cooked over a low flame in a sauce which contains ground beef, chili, and pepper. When served, the bean curd is tender, spicy, and appetizing. 2. SHANDONG CUISINE Shandong cuisine includes many well-known seafood dishes. The dishes are usually fresh, tasty, but not greasy. Some of the famous dishes are Deep-fried Red-scale Fish, Yellow River Carp in Sweet and Sour Sauce, Stewed Sea Cucumber, and Sautéed Pickled Fish Slices. When meat or seafood is cooked, only small amounts of cooking oil and mild spices are used so that the natural flavor of the food is preserved. Dezhou Braised Chicken is known throughout the country. The chicken is so well cooked that the meat easily separates from the bone although the shape of the chicken is preserved. The most representative of Shandong cuisine is, perhaps, Beijing Roast Duck. Beijing Roast Duck is prepared from specialty-bred Beijing crammed duck with a unique roasting process which gives it a perfect combination of color, aroma, taste, a crisp thin skin and a delicious flavor. Shandong cuisine has been influenced by the "Confucius Family Dishes," which are renowned for their color, aroma, taste and shape. Most famous ones are Jadeite Shark Fin, Agate Sea Cucumber, Shrimps Wearing Jade Belts, and Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea. 3. GUANGDONG CUISINE Guangdong cuisine, known as Cantonese cuisine in the West, was developed in Guangzhou, Huizhou and Chaozhou, and Hainan Island. As the climate of Guangdong is hot, these dishes are fresh, tender, and lightly seasoned. The raw material for Guangdong cuisine is very rich, which includes snake, cat and pangolin. Cooked snake is considered a delicacy. The most famous snake dish is the Dragon and Tiger Locked in Battle, in which cobra, leopard cat, and over twenty spices are used. Roast snake with Chrysanthemum Blooms is provided in autumn. The dish is creamy in color and is garnished with beautiful petals of chrysanthemum, mushrooms, and various flavoring. Other delicacies in Guangdong cuisine include Roast Suckling Pig, Duck Web in Oyster Sauce, and Braised Chicken Feet with Wild Herbs. 4. JIANGSU-ZHEJIANG CUISINE Jiangsu-Zhejiang cuisine is popular in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and is characteristically sweet. In this school of cooking, cutting technique and temperature control are emphasized. Some of its best-known dishes are Crystal Pork, Braised Shark Fin in Brown Sauce, Simmered Pork Head, Eel and Crabmeat in Crab Shells, and West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce. Jiangsu-Zhejiang cuisine is also becoming popular in the north. In addition to the principal cuisine mentioned above, there are more than twenty well-known styles which include Beijing cuisine, Henan cuisine, Hunan cuisine, Hubei cuisine, Anhui cuisine, Fujian cuisine, Muslim cuisine, and vegetarian cuisine. 1. Chinese cuisine is _________. A. the most popular one in the world B. diversified and complicated C. very cheap for foreigners D. likely to offer the dishes once enjoyed by the imperial family 2. Sichuan cuisine _________. A. has the longest history among China's culinary art B. isn’t liked by those who dislike hot and pungent flavor C. makes Sichuan people boastful D. can satisfy the needs of diners with different tastes 3. Pockmarked Woman's Bean Curd _________. A. was named after its inventor B. got its name because it was tongue-numbing C. was introduced to Chengdu decades ago D. shouldn’t be simmered in the process of cooking 4. Shandong cuisine is characterized by a kind of _________ flavor. A. pungent B. appetizing C. greasy D. mild 5. Guangdong cuisine _________. A. was developed within Guangdong province B. is influenced by its climate to some extent in terms of its flavor C. always uses a large quantity of spices D. advocates using various wild animals as the raw materials 6. Jiangsu-Zhejiang cuisine _________. A. is popular in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River B. is too sweet for northerners as well as foreigners C. puts great emphasis on cutting technique and temperature control D. has set up many schools to train cooks 7. From the passage we know that _________. A. there are only four Chinese regional cuisines acknowledged internationally B. each cuisine has its unique characters C. Chinese cuisine is becoming more and more popular with foreigners D. many foreigners are eager to study Chinese cuisine