VIVACITY | Friday, July 9, 2010 | Email | Print |  | Back
“Indian curry is popular in China”
chef talk: Chef Li Peng
The art of gastronomy was god gifted to me as I have always had the passion to make something new, innovative and unique. From the very childhood, I used to wonder how the colour and taste comes in the food, what ingredients are used and how much quantity of species are put. Initially cooking was my hobby but as I grew up, I chose it as my profession because I can not live without preparing food. I love my profession because it enables me to make new dishes with different Chinese ingredients.
Chinese cuisine is a term for styles of food originating in the regions of China, many of which have become widespread and popular in other parts of the world - from Asia to America, Australia, and Western Europe where this cuisine has been adapted to suit local palates.
China is the world’s largest rice producer, and one of the earliest centers of rice cultivation hence for rice is the staple food the Chinese people. They eat it as westerners do with bread. Rice is usually cooked by boiling or steaming, till it absorbs as much water as it can. Noodles are a staple food in this cuisine too, with a long history and wide popularity. Chinese noodles vary in width. They can be thin as needles or thick as chopsticks. However, when it comes to length, they are usually served long and uncut. This is because long noodles are a symbol of longevity in Chinese tradition. Thus, during birthday celebrations, people will serve ‘longevity noodles’ in good hope for longevity.
Indian Chinese food is spicier as compared to the pure Chinese cuisine because in India the usage of chilli here is more. In China, its mostly the herbs which are used and chillies are used only for aroma. If I make Chinese chicken and Indian styled chicken, it will be easy to make out the difference because in Chinese, one main flavour dominates the dish whereas in Indian different spices play different roles.
Chinese food also has good nutritive value mainly because it’s not cooked for too long unlike other cuisines and hence retains its nutrients. Also, most of the Chinese dishes which are prepared in smaller size because firstly, it cooks properly and while having meals with chopsticks it is really easy to eat comparatively the bigger portions of food.
Golden thread prawns with tomatoes, Spicy hot BBQ squid on a sizzler, Crispy vegetables toast with sesame, Tsu-jiao fish soup with chicken, Stir-fried seafood with chives and stir fried sliced fish mint and chillies are some of the popular Chinese dishes.
Though most Indian food is not that popular in China, Indian curry is popular because the local food tastes better with it.
Peng is executive Chinese chef at Jaypee Vasant Continental
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