IPA Project

Interpretive Task: Eight Chinese Cuisines

Go to http://www.yes-chinese.com/feature/everydaychina/ , click Food and Drinks, then (Eight
major Chinese Cuisines), to watch a 3-minute video. According to the video, answer the following questions.
1. Chinese cuisine has a great diversity. What are the difference between the southerners and
northerners In terms of their staple and non-staple food? What causes it?
Rice as a staple food, with meat, fish, and fresh vegetables as non-staple foods.
Wheat, corn, and various grain crops are the staple foods of the north, with meat, egg, and
vegetables as non-staple foods, although the variety of vegetables is smaller than the south.
The differences arise from the climates of the regions. In the south, it is warmer and can grow a wider
variety of crops than the north.
2. Go to the following sites to learn about these 8 cuisines and listen to their famous dishes ():
http://www.meishichina.com/topic/caixi/ and3 minute of (part1) and (part 2) .
What are the eight major Chinese cuisines? In the map below, circle the provinces that the eight
cuisines represented, and write one of the most famous dishes for each

3. cuisines.
4.
5. Due to the difference in climate, products, and life styles, people from different regions in China have
different tastes. Fill in the table and draw arrows to link the tastes to the areas.










Learning objectives:
1. Name four principal regional Chinese cuisines.
a.
b.
c.
d.
2. Order food and drinks.
a.
3. Talk about what flavors you like or dislike.
a.
4. Make your dietary restrictions or preferences known.
a.

Reflection:
So far, this has been my favorite lesson. It was very interesting to learn the specific cuisines of
Chinas regions. Overall, I think this was the most involved and fun IPA project, and it was very
helpful to see what others did for the project. I wish we spent more time working on grammar
in class, as I feel like I dont have a strong enough grasp on the structure of the Chinese
language.