Chinese Staple Foods

When it comes to Chinese food, what dishes come to your mind? China has a

 broad territory and abundant resources, and it is one of the four most ancient

 civilizations in the world. Chinese people who live in different areas enjoy

 different kinds of staple foods, which are made from different grains. In China,

 there are three important, traditional grains: rice, wheat, and millet. These grains,

 transformed into different types of staple foods, appear on the Chinese people’s tables.

 Some staple foods and festivals are inseparable, and the way that Chinese people

 make their staple foods show off their delicate skills and wisdom.

 

Rice is cultivated in the south of China, and is the most popular grain.

 Depending on the eating traditions in different areas, Chinese people eat cooked

 rice as a staple food; they also eat various types of staple foods made from rice

 such as Mifen (rice noodles), Nian-gao (rice cake), Zong-zi (sticky rice

 dumplings), and Hefen (flat rice noodles).

 

Each year when lunar May is approaching, every household begins washing

 bamboo leaves to make Zong-zi to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on

 the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Chinese people use bamboo leaves to wrap rice

 along with other ingredients such as meat, dried mushrooms, peanuts or seafood.

 They are usually wrapped into triangular shape and tightly held together with string. It

 takes several hours to steam Zong-zi; however, it is worthwhile to wait patiently.

 

Nian-gao is made from rice flour, and it is an important dish for the Chinese

 Lunar New Year’s Eve banquet. Nian-gao symbolizes increased incomes and job

 promotions year after year. Nian-gao can be mixed with vegetables or nuts to

 help to get more food value.

 

Mifen and Hefen are also made from rice powder, and the process is similar. The

 difference is that Hefen is wide and flat and Mifen is narrow and round.

 

Wheat is cultivated in the north of China. In China, wheat transforms into

 Miantiao (noodles), Mantou (steamed bread), Baozi (steamed stuffed buns),

 Jiaozi (dumplings), Mo (white bun), and Laobing (fried bread).

 

Miantiao is not only an important staple food for Chinese people but also

 the necessary dish for a traditional birthday banquet. The shape of the

 noodles is long and thin. The Mandarin sound for long and thin is the same as the

 sound for longevity (changshou), thus Chinese people named these, “long-life

 noodles”.

 

Miantiao is made from flour dough. Chinese people have various ways to handle

 the dough: pulled completely by hand; pressed by a rolling stick, and then cut into

 many thin, fine noodles; or shaped by an iron plate. After all the above hard work, the

 dough will transform into different types of noodles.

 

Jiaozi is a must food to celebrate Spring Festival for Chinese people who live in

 the north. The shape of Jiaozi looks like a Chinese ingot. Wanting to do anything to

 get good luck or good fortune in the coming year, Chinese people enjoy having ingot

 shaped Jiaozi during the Spring Festival. A special tradition about Jiaozi is that people

 can put a coin into one of the Jiaozi dumplings during the process of making Jiaozi.

 The person who eats that special Jiaozi will be blessed with good luck and good

 fortune for the whole year.

 

The process to make Jiaozi is somewhat complicated; therefore, making it is

 always a whole family activity. Making Jiaozi is a fun time for the family reunion

 during Spring Festival.

 

Mo is the most common staple food in the northwestern part of China. Mo is

 white and round shape, and it is baked with fire. The classical way to have Mo is to

 make a gash and insert stewed pork just like a “Chinese Hamburger”.

 

The way to make Mantou and Baozi is the same. However, Mantou has no

 stuffing, and the shape usually is a half dome or rectangular. Baozi, which is half

 dome shaped, has stuffing, and the stuffing can be meat or vegetables or seafood.

 

Laobing is a round, thin, flat bread. Meat and vegetables can be rolled inside

 Laobing. The way Chinese people eat Laobing is like Mexican tortillas. However,

 Laobing tastes better than tortillas because of the flavor.

 

Millet is also grown in the north of China. It has great food value. Millet gruel is

 a popular staple food. Like rice and wheat, Millet can be ground into powder and

 further processed into bun or bread.

 

Chinese staple foods are a reflection of Chinese culture. There is an old saying,

 “People regard the food as the heaven.” Chinese people enjoy the food, respect the

 food, and use their wisdom to produce delicious, healthful, and meaningful food.