Chinese cuisine is one of the delights of the world. There are few people who have not tried Chinese restaurants that exist in their own country. Most visitors appreciate the fact that Chinese cooking has traditions, which go further back in history than those of French cuisine. They understand that it is an art, which grew out of a highly developed civilization. The infinite numbers of Chinese dishes, flavors, textures, and methods of cooking, make eating Chinese food exciting.

Another fact is that Chinese cuisine can be conveniently prepared in home kitchens. Chinese people value their way of dining very much. There is an old saying that says, “Food is the first necessity of the people.” Delicious and nutritious food has been regarded as the basis of life. Chinese cooking uses almost all the meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables known to the Western palate, but also embrace other foodstuff which, to Western taste, appear exotic. Compared with the food served at many of the Chinese restaurants abroad, visitors will almost certainly find a difference in quality, substance, and style in the food prepared in China itself.

This article by Yang Tianqing and Daniel Kister.