China is a country where the preparation and appreciation of food has been developed to the higest level. Chinese culture considers cooking an art. All other philosophies consider the preparation of food a craft.
The art of Chinese cooking has been developed and refined over many centuries. Emperor Fu taught people to fish, hunt, grow crops and cook twenty centuries before Christ. However, cooking could not be considered an art until the great classical age of China, the Chou Dynasty 1122-249 B.C.
The two dominant philosophies of the Chinese culture are Confucianism and Taoism. Each influenced the course of Chinese history and the development of the culinary arts. Confucianism concerned itself with the art of cooking and placed great emphasis on the enjoyment of life. To the Chinese, food and friends are inseparable. A gathering without food is considered incomplete and improper.
Confucius loved and respected the art of cooking. He established culinart standards and proper table etiquette. Most of these are still considered to be the standards of today. The tradition of cutting foods down into bite size pieces during preparation and not at the table is unique to the Chinese culture.
Taoism was responsible for the development of the hygienic aspects of foods and cooking. The principle objects of this philosophy were the nourishment of the body and the search for longevity. Taoists were concerned with the life-giving attributes of various foods.
The Chinese following the philosophy of Taoism may have found the answers in 500 B.C. to today's diet and health problems. The Chinese cooking style certainly affords you the opportunity to cook healthy. |
