Chinese cuisine at home

Any Chinese restaurant seems so exotic and inviting to us! For many, going out to eat there is still a special occasion. I wonder why? What's so special about Chinese cuisine? After all, it doesn't use any exotic vegetables or seasonings—any Chinese dish can be prepared at home, if you really want to. It also doesn't require any special equipment. Most Chinese cuisine dishes They cook in a regular frying pan, rather than a traditional wok, which is a nearly flat, semi-circular vessel similar to a cauldron.

The real secret to the appeal of Chinese cuisine lies in the harmonious combination of flavor, texture, and color. Take, for example, sweet and sour pork. The flavors of the sour and sweet sauce complement each other beautifully, and their reddish color provides a beautiful contrast to the pineapple and green pepper. And this applies not only to this dish but to many others, including soups.

Why don't people want to make something similar themselves? Some say Chinese cuisine uses cooking processes unknown to us. This isn't true. In fact, there are only three main methods of preparing food in China: frying, steaming, and deep-frying. Is it really impossible to master all of these at home?

Maybe you think most Chinese recipes are too complicated and time-consuming? Yes, the basic ingredients may be a bit unusual. But now you can find them in the dedicated Chinese and Japanese food sections of any supermarket. Upon closer inspection, you'll see that many dishes are easily prepared using a marinade or sauce. And everything else is even simpler.

Now, regarding time. The actual time spent preparing a dish can be as little as a few minutes, especially when it comes to stir-frying. Much more time is spent simply chopping vegetables and other ingredients. But Chinese chefs manage to do this during other cooking processes: for example, while marinating meat or sautéing other ingredients, they chop ingredients for subsequent dishes. A good way to save time is to wash vegetables in the morning. They dry naturally throughout the day, and then you cook them at lunch or in the evening. In the morning, marinate the meat as well. As you probably know, marinated meat must be refrigerated. Then, in the evening, you can take all of the ingredients and cook them into a delicious dish.

What are the benefits of cooking Chinese food yourself? Firstly, it's easier on your wallet. Secondly, you control the amount of fat and carbohydrates in your dishes. You can get creative, adding your favorite ingredients or seasonings. Some ingredients can even be substituted. For example, if a recipe calls for parsley, and you're not a big fan of it, you can substitute cilantro at home, something you wouldn't find in a Chinese restaurant.

An added benefit of Chinese cuisine is that you can cook with children. They love helping adults. They can be entrusted with the most time-consuming task—chopping vegetables. Children also enjoy filling pancakes and decorating dishes. This way, the whole family can gather to prepare a unique Chinese dish and then enjoy enjoying it together.

Author of the article: Natalia Semenova "TopCook"

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