Download FOOD and GEOGRAPHY The kind of food produced and the

FOOD and GEOGRAPHY
The kind of food produced and the cooking practices of different areas in China depend on the geography of each
particular region.
Wheat is grown in the area north of the Yangtze River. It is made into noodles, pancakes and dumplings. However,
because China has such a large population, rice is even more important than wheat. China can support a much
larger population than most nations which concentrate on growing wheat, because 2 to 3 times as much rice as
wheat can be grown in a single acre.
So China needs to use it available farmland to support its large population. Since valuable farmland cannot be used
for grazing, the Chinese do not raise or eat a lot of beef. Cattle need a lot of land for grazing, but this land is needed
for growing food. Therefore, the Chinese will eat mostly pork and chicken, which can be raised on very little space.
Fish, which is caught in the rivers or along the coasts, is also an important source of food.
The lack of pasture land for grazing also means that there are less milk and dairy products in the Chinese diet.
Therefore, they use the soy bean to provide protein and calcium. It is made into bean curd. The soy bean also
provides the Chinese with a number of popular seasonings — soy sauce, brown and hot bean past, sweet and spicy
hoisin sauce, and salty fermented black beans.
Another geographic fact which has affected food patterns over the centuries is the scarcity of fuel (specifically wood)
available for fires. Cooking needs to be done quickly. Dicing, slicing, shredding or cubing food into small pieces
before cooking prepares it for quick stir frying or steaming and braising in hot liquid off the fire. And, with small pieces
of meat or vegetables, there is always a little bit to go with every bit of rice or noodles.
Stir frying, one of the common Chinese cooking techniques, serves the dual purpose of cooking food quickly using
little fuel and preserving the flavor and texture of the food. In addition, stir frying uses little oil compared to Western
frying techniques.
In Southern China, regions renowned for their hot climates are also well known for their hot, spicy dishes. Regions
with hot climates often eat very spicy foods. Why? Because such foods raise the body temperature and cause one to
perspire. This has the overall effect of cooling the body so that extreme temperatures can become more bearable.
Northern China, on the other hand, is known for its noodles, since the main agricultural product of this region is
wheat. Obviously, one would not eat hot and spicy foods in the north where people strive to keep warm.