CHINESE CUISINE– HISTORY AND HIGHLIGHTS

1. Oldest civilization in the world
2. Before the birth of Christ they were already experimenting with fancy cooking, recording their recipe on silk and bamboo.
3. Famines greatly influenced Chinese cooking. This forced Chinese to seek new source of food.
4. Chinese cooks are very skillful.

TECHNIQUES OF CHINESE COOKING

1. Sauté, steam, deep fry and roast
2. Baking is rare; stir-frying is the most popular method.
3. Basic ingredients are soy sauce, peanut oil, Sherry, ginger root, pepper, chili sauce, vinegar, corn flour, bamboo shoot, beans sprout and dried shrimp.

Five regions of chinese cuisine

• South eastern- Canton
• Western- Szechwan cuisine
• North eastern- Peking/shantung
• Central- Hunan/honan
• East-Fukien

Cantonese – influenced by western travelers, when they migrated they established Chinese restaurants outside china.

Szechwan style- the province is hot, the food is slightly spiced, peppery and somewhat oily, deep frying is popular.chichen chilli, fry Szechwan duck is a favorite dish of this region.

Shantung style- shanghai was influenced by the attire trade between Peking and shantung,Peking is now called as Beijing.

Hunan style/xiang cuisine- the yellow river run through the Hunan province which is famous for its yellow river crop. It is known for its spiced concoction, sweet and sour dishes and rich seasoning.

Fukian cuisine- it is famous for seafood and for clear soup.

Temperature in Chinese cuisine

High or fierce heat- used for quick cooking which makes food more crisp and tender

Medium or moderate heat- used for quick braising, stewing and boiling.

Low or gentle heat- used for slow cooking, allowing the flavour to penetrate through all the ingredients such as roasting and simmering.

Weak heat- used for long cooking turning hard to soft ,simmering , braising and stewing,

   
Commonly used method

Chuan- rapid boiling-used to make soup, no thickening agents required.

Shuan- instant boiling or rinsing thinly sliced vegetables dipped into hot boiling water for minimum time.

Ao- stewing and braising- flavor with spring onion and ginger root.

Hui- Braising-it is a method of cooking a dish that consists of several different ingredients.

Ban- Mixing salad

Giang- hot salad-blanched then dressing is added.

Yan – pickling- main ingredients are salt sugar and wine.

Jian - shallow frying.

FRENCH CUISINE – HISTORY AND HIGHLIGHTS

1. The kitchens were large and high spit roasting was common.
2. Ovens were installed in the twelfth century for the roasting.
3. Fourteen century sauces were a much appreciated part of culinary art.
4. Menu included game, fish, fowl and butcher meat vegetables were featured less.
5. Sixteen century royalty and high ranking people took great interest in food. Confectionery, foreign dishes such as caviar became popular.
6. End of nineteenth century, Escoffier and prosper salles published book on cookery.
7. French cooking is less complicated but the garnish served along with the food is more complex.
8. South France-Mediterranean heat adds flavour and richness to fruit, vegetable and herbs.
9. In northern region – finest fish is available.
10. In certain region mushroom and hard cheese are popular.
11. Wine for cooking come from Bordeaux, champagne and Brittany.
12. Coking medium used is butter, olive oil and salad oil, thus the dishes are not greasy, but give a lightness to the taste.
13. Popular spices and herbs parsley,celery,basil,tarragon,thyme,rosemary,chives,shallots,all spices,bayleaf,paprika,pepper and nutmeg.
14. Popular continental vegetables are- asparagus, artichoke, carrot, turnips, aubergines, broccoli, seakale, Brussels sprouts and mushrooms.
15. Vegetables are served with man course and served as one of the accompaniment.
16. Main dish consist of flesh food such as lamb, beef, veal, pork, chicken, turkey and fish.
17. Red wine and white wine is used In sauce and marination. 

The popular 17 course French classical menu.

1. Hors d oeuvre-caviar, frappe, smoked salmon, pate
2. Potage-Soup
3. Oeuf-Egg preparation
4. Farinaceous-Pasta and rice
5. Poisson-Fish preparation
6. Entrée-Small dish meat
7. Sorbet-chilled drink
8. Releve-joints-large than entree
9. Roti-Roast meat
10. Legume -vegetables
11. Salad-hot/cold
12. Buffet froid- cold buffet
13. Entremets –sweets,(Crepe, ice creams)
14. Savoury –canapés  
15. Fromage-cheese
16. Dessert –dry fruits and cut fruits
17. Boisson- tea and coffee

Spices – Facts and Figures

          Spices – Facts and Figures

Turmeric powder-

·       it was cultivated 5000 years ago.
·       Origin is India and Indonesia.
·       It has peppery,warm and bitter taste
·       It has nature color
·       Uses as medicine, iron and magnesium enriched.

Coriander powder-

·       It is Mediterranean native
·       Cultivated in Egypt
·       Very good source of fiber,iron and magnesium

Red chilli powder-

·       Two hundreds of varieties found.
·       Cultivated in India,Mexico,China,Japan,Indonesia and Thailand.
·       Used for aroma
·       Used in savoury dish ,used to enhance the flavour
·       Good source of vitamin A and dietery fibres.
·       Good source of iron and potassium.

Asafoetida-

·       Grows wild from the estern Mediterranean to central Asia.
·       Used in ground powder form
·       In western and southern India asafoetida used in pulses, pickles and gravies.
·       Contains minerals and vitamins, iron and phosphorus.

Cumin seed –

·       It is having peppery flavour.
·       Cumin is now widely used in India, middle east countries.
·       Warm cliomate is required, best grown in sandy,calcium rich soil
·       Used in both the form –tempering the seed or dry roasted ground powder.
·       Very good source of iron and good source of magnesium

Bay leaf-

·       Many bayleafs are available-
·       Bay laurel,califormia,india,Indonesian,west Indian, Mexican bay leaf.
·       Native is Mediterranean, cultivated widely in north America, India, Russia and France.
·       Detoxify the body ,reduce the inflammation.

Aniseed –

·       Originated in Mediterranean region and southwest Asia.
·       It is used to give flavour to the food.
·       Anise was first cultivated in Egypt,4000 years approx..
·       Iron,Magnesium,Calcium and fibres.

Combination of spices and paste in Indian cuisine

Combination of spices and paste in Indian cuisine

Spices and paste of each ingredient gives its own unique flavor to the food. Indian cuisine is all about combination of right ingredients at right time. Cooking time and temperature also helps to impart flavor and helps to achieve right consistency. Gravies and masala is having consistency from which names are denoted. Here some masala and pastes are discussed which is frequently used in hotel industry.

Coconut based paste- in korma, southern region and some western cuisine use this paste to enhance the flavor and consistency of gravies.it is just because of availability of ingredient in that region.

Whole garam masala- in some dishes where whole garam masala is broiled and pasted gives peppery and hot flavor to the food, it gives usual flavor to the food as compare to the tempering of whole garam masala.

Red chili paste- in some gravies the red chilies are broiled or boiled and converts into paste.

Brown onion paste- onion is first sliced and then fried until brown color later can be paste used in brown gravy or korma gravy.

Seeds and nuts paste- cashew, almond and melon seeds, poppy seeds needs to be boiled or roasted then converts into paste later can be used in preparations.

Onion tomato masala- onion and tomato is well cooked together with the basic ground spices (Turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder). It is one of the common masala which is used in most of the Indian dishes.