REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

Commission on Higher Education

Region V (Bicol)
Province of Albay
LIBON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Libon, Albay
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
A/Y 2020-2021
1st Semester
INTERNATIONAL CUISINE
MODULE 13 and 14

INTRODUCTION
Nihao! Here is the double edition of modular discussion in international cuisine. This another exciting
learning that will tackle in the last season of the first semester. Now let’s dig deeper, comprehend, appreciate
and apply the stunning activities in the country of CHINA.

LESSON OVERVIEW

Prehistoric people inhabited northern China more than 25, 000 years ago. Written records document Chinese
history from as early as the middle 1700s B.C having existed for more than 3,500 years; the world’s oldest
living civilization comes from China.

Here are the learning objectives that will help you to explore, relate, and perform the task easily;

OBJECTIVES:
1. Identify several provinces of China and explain characteristics of the cuisines found there.
2. Discuss various cooking techniques used in China and the advantages of those techniques.
3. Distinguish regional cuisines in China.
4. Demonstrate understanding on Chinese Philosophy reflected in China.
5. Prepare a variety of Chinese dishes.
PRE- TEST
ACTIVITY 1: Discuss the following
1. Chinese Province and their Regional cuisines.
2. Chinese Cooking Technique.
3. Chinese Philosophy
4. Chinese Dishes.
PRE-QUESTIONS:
1. What are the Chinese regional cuisines and their characteristics?
2. How the cooking technique in China provide new advancement in their cooking method?
3. How Philosophy link the history, culture, life, and belief of Chinese people in their daily diet?
LESSON CONTENT
CHINA
DYNASTIES

Various dynasties ruled from 1766 B.C. until 1911 around 221 B.C., many small states of China united
into an empire with a strong central government led by the emperor. Thousand years of dynasties ended in
1911, when revolution erupted in China. Political unrest and turmoil ensued, and difficult times prevailed.

CONFUCIUS in

Confucius lived from 551 to 479 B.C., and he exerted strong influence on China’s culinary heritage.
Some call him the father of northern Chinese cooking. He stressed eating foods in season; fresh foods (in a time
before refrigeration, when people often are spoiled food); cutting meats and vegetables into small pieces; proper
preparation, cooking methods, and condiments for recipes, and moderation in eating.

o By 4 B. C., the Chinese already recognized the five taste sensations.

o Chinese food can be divided into 34 Provincial foods, and 8 Regional Cuisines.
COMMON FEATURES OF CHINESE FOOD

Chopsticks play an important role in Chinese food culture. Chopsticks are Chinese called "Kuaizi" in
Chinese and were called "Zhu" in ancient times Chinese people h ave been using kuaizi as one of the main
(Kuaizi) tableware for more than 3,000 years.

Chopsticks can be classified into five groups based on the materials used to make them, i.e., wood,
metal, bone, stone and compound chopsticks. Bamboo and wood chopsticks are the most popular ones used in
Chinese homes. There are a few things to avoid when using chopsticks.

Chinese people usually don't beat their bowls while eating, since the behavior used to be practiced by
beggars. Also don't insert chopsticks in a bowl upright because it is a custom exclusively used in sacrifice.

PHILOSOPHY ABOUT FOOD

Yang foods = increase the body's heat dense in food energy acne & bad breath.

Yin foods = decrease the body's heat, high water content, lethargic/anemic.
TYPICAL MEDICINE CUISINE

o Baby Pigeon Stewed with Gouqi (Medlar) and Huangqi (Membranous Milk Vetch
o Pork Simmered with Lotus Seed and lily

BALANCE & HEALTHY

The Chinese ideal is to eat both types of food to keep the body in balance.
DIET AND HEALTH
During the period from 600 to 900 A.D., Chinese physicians began attributing many culinary principles
to health. The idea of balance in food and health became very important. Doctors and pharmacists labeled herbs
and spices as either hot or cool and used them to balance the foods they joined. When adding spices as well as
their flavors. At this time, cooks used pepper, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginseng. Doctors recommended
eating whole grains and sparse amounts of meat. Throughout history and now, many Chinese believe that foods
cure diseases well as contain the key to good health and longevity. Many consider the Chinese diet to be one of
the healthiest. Ample grains and vegetables with small amounts of meats and animal products fill the consumer
with plenty of nutrients, fiber, vitamins, and minerals while providing limited high cholesterol fats and empty
calories from products like sugar. The most popular vegetables are ones containing lots of vitamins like green,
cabbage, and bok choy.

INGREDIENTS AND FOODS COMMONLY USED THROUHOUT THE CUISINE OF CHINA INCLUDE

 Rice, wheat milk, peanuts, cabbages, greens, and bok choy.

 Carrots, sweet potatoes, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and bean sprouts.
 Mushrooms and fungi
 Tofu and soybeans
 Seafood and fish-both fresh and dried
 Pork, and poultry
 Onions, garlic, and spring onions, ginger
 Soy sauce
 Rice wine and rice vinegar
 Tea

COOKING METHODS
The most well-known Chinese cooking method, chao or stir frying, developed as a way to save scarce
cooking fuel. Cutting the food into small pieces and cooking rapidly over high heat required the least amount of
cooking time and, therefore, less fuel. Besides cooking quickly, this method has two other distinct advantages:
stir-frying preserves the texture of the food, and it retains valuable nutrients. The pan used for stir-frying, a wok,
has sloping side and a rounded bottom. The rounded bottom eliminates corners where food might stick.
 To stir fry, heat the oil in the wok over high heat until very hot, add the foods in the order of their
cooking time that is beginning of the items requiring the most time to cook, and constantly stir the food while it
cooks quickly over high heat. The Chinese cooks’ vegetables until done but still crisp.
Another frying techniques, deep frying, appears often. Again, this, method conserves fuel as foods
submerged in hot fat cook quickly. Sometimes, deep frying is combined with another method. For example, an
item might be deep-fried to produce a crisp crust and then steamed.
Poaching, parboiling, and steaming are used for the cooking of soups, stews, rice, and many other items.
Steaming appears as a method for cooking whole duck, chicken, or fish, as well as individual items such as
steamed buns or dumplings. Bamboo steamers, which hold the foods during the steaming process, can be
stacked on top of each other in a wok. This facilitates steaming several foods at one time, another way of
conserving limited heating fuel.
Sand -pot or clay pot cooking is actually braising. The traditional pot used for this method resembles a
squat, earthenware pot a with a lid.
Commonly in China, a recipe uses more than one cooking method. While this is not common in most
countries, it has interesting effects on the texture and taste of the dish.
Pickling, smoking, and wind drying became popular during the T’ang Dynasty (618 to 906 A.D.) as
methods of preserving food for use during the long winter. To pickle foods items are still widely consumed.

REGIONAL DIFFERENCES
Overwhelming, the cuisine of each region depends on the foods that grows or is raised there. Generally,
favorable growing conditions result in more crops flourishing in the areas south of the Yangtze River. Lots of
shrimp, crab, and fish are consumed in the eastern and southeastern coastal areas. The province of Sichuan and
Hunan prepare spicy foods, whereas many other areas prefer mild or even bland dishes. The cooking method of
choice throughout the southern regions remains stir frying.
During the time of the Sung Dynasty from 960 A.D. to 1279 A. D., the regional cuisines began to unite into the
cuisines of China. By that time, there was more transportation between regions, and foreign powers spread
culinary knowledge of both other regions and their own country from one region to the next.

REGIONAL CUISINES
1. Shandong Cuisine
Stewed Meat Ball Lion's Head Meatballs
Yellow River Carp in Sweet and Sour sauce

2. SICHUAN CUISINE
 Hot Pot Sichuan cooks specialize in chilies and hot peppers and Sichuan dish is famous for aromatic and
spicy sauces.

MAO DUFO KUNG PAO CHICKEN

3. CANTONESE CUISINE

SHARK PIN SOUP ROASTED PIGLET

 DIM SUM

4. JIANGSU CUISINE

 Stewed Crab with Clear Soup

 Fujian
 Buddha Jumping Over the Wall
 Snow Chicken
 Long-boiled and Dry-shredded
 Duck Triplet
 Crystal Meat
 Squirrel with Mandarin Fish
 Liangxi Crisp Eel

5. HUNAN CUISINE
Peppery and Hot Chicken
6. ANHUI CUISINE
 Stewed Snapper;
 Huangshan Braised Pigeon
7. ZHEJIANG CUISINE
Sour West Lake Fish,
Longjing Shelled Shrimp,
Beggar's Chicken

IN GENERAL,
 southerners have a sweet tooth
 northerners crave salt
 CUISINE
Many claim the Chinese diet is the most nutritionally balanced diet in the world. Certainly,
throughout China’s history, medicine and food have been linked closely. The Chinese believe diet and
food directly influence health and disease, so one’s diet determines one’s health. Preparation and
cooking remain two distinctly different aspects of food production here. Differing from western
cookery, it usually takes more time to prepare the food for Chinese cooking than the actual time needed
to cook the food. Both meat and vegetables are meticulously chopped into small, uniform pieces to
ensure quick and even cooking. The importance of evenly sized pieces cannot be overstated, because a
variety of sizes results in overcooked and undercooked ingredients. In addition, all ingredients must be
prepared before the cooking begins, because the actual cooking process happens very rapidly.

ACTIVITY 2: Answer the questions below. Accomplish your written input and send it to google classroom.
1. Name and describe four provinces or regions and explain the difference in the flavorings and
cooking of each.

2. Explain Yin and Yang and its effect on the cuisine of China.

3. Described stir frying, including the preparation of the food and the actual cooking process.

ACTIVITY 3: Practical Performances.

Instructions:
1. Choose Chinese Regional Cuisine and search the content, cooking methods, preparation,
ingredients, and their significant in the Chinese diet.
2. Make a PowerPoint presentation with your chosen Chinese Regional Cuisines.
3. Report it with brief explanation and post it on our official facebook pages.

REFERENCES: International Cuisine, 2nd Edition. Patricia A. Heyman.

PREPARED BY:
MR. BENJAMIN S. TADURAN JR.
Instructor