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TAIWAN - A
PARADISE FOR GOURMANDS
The culinary culture of the Chinese people goes back a very long time;
and while Chinese food can be enjoyed in every large city in the world
today, true gourmets know that only in Taiwan is it possible to enjoy
fine authentic cuisine from all the different regions of China. In
Taiwan, where it seems the people live to eat, it is said that there
is a snack shop every three steps and a restaurant every five. These
establishments serve all kinds of Chinese food, from the roast duck,
smoked chicken, lamb hotpot, fish in wine sauce, beef with green
peppers, and scallop and turnip balls of the north to the camphor-tea
duck, salty fried chicken with spices, honey ham, stir-fried shrimp,
dry-fried eggplant, and spicy bean curd of the south. As the island's
economy has developed rapidly in recent years, its culinary culture
has expanded beyond the traditional Chinese foods to Chinese-style
fast-food chains, thus bringing greater complexity than ever before to
the art of Chinese dining. Foreign foods from all over the world have
also made their appearance in Taiwan, and the island is now filled
with eateries serving American hamburgers, Italian pizza, Japanese
sashimi, German pig's knuckles, Swiss fondue, and just about
everything else. All of this makes Taiwan a veritable paradise for
gourmands. Taiwan's own native cuisine has also become known around
the world, and if you try it just once you will remember it forever.
CHINESE FOOD
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CANTONESE FOOD :
Cantonese cooking is known for its meticulous methods of preparation,
whether fried, roasted, stir-fried, steamed, or boiled, and the
vessels used to contain this food are known for their exquisite
nature.
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SICHUAN FOOD :
The most prominent characteristic of Sichuan cooking is that it uses
the most common materials to produce dishes with a most uncommon
flavor. It is best known, of course, for its spicy hotness.
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BEIJING FOOD :
This culinary tradition combines the features of Qing Dynasty
court dishes, Moslem cuisine, and Mongolian tastes, and Beijing food
can be eaten in a surprising variety of ways. Beijing chefs place
heavy emphasis on cooking time and slicing techniques, and they strive
for bland tastes and soft and tender textures.
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JIANGZHE FOOD :
Shanghainese food is the representative cuisine of this tradition,
which originated in the lower reaches of the Yangzi River and the
southeastern coastal areas of the country. Because the many rivers and
lakes in this area produce rich harvests of shrimp, crabs, eels, and
the like, Jiangzhe cuisine concentrates on seafood.
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HUNAN FOOD :
The preparation of meats by smoking
is one of the most prominent features of richly flavored Hunan
cuisine. Hunan has one thing in common with Sichuan in its cuisine:
many of their dishes use large amounts of chili peppers, making them
very hot and spicy.
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TAIWAN FOOD :
The emphasis in Taiwanese cooking is on light, natural flavors and
freshness, and there is no pursuit of complex flavors. Another feature
of Taiwanese cuisine is that tonic foods are prepared by using
different types of medicinal ingredients for the various seasons of
the year.
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HAKKA FOOD :
Dried and pickled foods have an important position in the cuisine of
the Hakka people. Flavors are relatively heavy, and this food features
fried, spiced, well-done, salty, and fatty dishes.
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