Fujian cuisine
Encyclopedia
Fujian cuisine is one of the native Chinese cuisines derived from the native cooking
style of the province of Fujian
, China
. Fujian style cuisine is known to be light but flavourful, soft, and tender, with particular emphasis on umami
taste, known in Chinese cooking as "xiānwèi" , as well as retaining the original flavour of the main ingredients instead of masking them.
Many diverse seafood
s and woodland delicacies are used, including a myriad of fish, shellfish and turtles, or such edible mushroom
s and bamboo shoot
s, provided by the coastal and mountainous regions of Fujian. The most commonly employed cooking techniques
in the region's cuisine include braising, stewing, steaming and boiling.
Particular attention is paid on the finesse of knife skills and cooking technique of the chefs, which is use to enhance the flavor, aroma and texture of seafood and other foods. Strong emphasis is put on the making and utilizing of broth and soups
.. There are sayings in the region's cuisine: "One broth can be changed into numerous (ten) forms" (－湯十變) and "It is unacceptable for a meal to not have soup"(不湯不行).
Fermented fish sauce
, known locally as shrimp oil (虾油), is also commonly used in the cuisine, along with oyster
s, crab, and prawns. Peanut
s (utilized for both savory dishes and desserts) are also prevalent, and can be boiled, fried, roasted, crushed, ground or even turned into a paste. Peanuts can be used as a garnish, feature in soups and even be added to braised or stir-fried dishes.
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
style of the province of Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Fujian style cuisine is known to be light but flavourful, soft, and tender, with particular emphasis on umami
Umami
Umami , popularly referred to as savoriness, is one of the five basic tastes together with sweet, sour, bitter, and salty.-Etymology:Umami is a loanword from the Japanese meaning "pleasant savory taste". This particular writing was chosen by Professor Kikunae Ikeda from umai "delicious" and mi ...
taste, known in Chinese cooking as "xiānwèi" , as well as retaining the original flavour of the main ingredients instead of masking them.
Many diverse seafood
Seafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
s and woodland delicacies are used, including a myriad of fish, shellfish and turtles, or such edible mushroom
Edible mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. Mushrooms belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground or above ground where they may be picked by hand...
s and bamboo shoot
Bamboo shoot
Bamboo shoots or bamboo sprouts are the edible shoots of many bamboo species including Bambusa vulgaris and Phyllostachys edulis. They are used in numerous Asian dishes and broths...
s, provided by the coastal and mountainous regions of Fujian. The most commonly employed cooking techniques
Chinese cooking techniques
Chinese cooking techniques are a set of methods and techniques traditionally used in Chinese cuisine. The cooking techniques can either be grouped into ones that use a single cooking method or a combination of wet and dry cooking methods.-Wet:...
in the region's cuisine include braising, stewing, steaming and boiling.
Particular attention is paid on the finesse of knife skills and cooking technique of the chefs, which is use to enhance the flavor, aroma and texture of seafood and other foods. Strong emphasis is put on the making and utilizing of broth and soups
Asian soup
Asian soups are soups traditionally prepared and consumed in the cultures of East Asia. Such soups are usually based solely on broths and lacking in dairy products such as milk or cream. Thickening for the soups usually consists of refined starches from corn or sweet potatoes.Asian soups are...
.. There are sayings in the region's cuisine: "One broth can be changed into numerous (ten) forms" (－湯十變) and "It is unacceptable for a meal to not have soup"(不湯不行).
Fermented fish sauce
Fish sauce
Fish sauce is a condiment that is derived from fish that have been allowed to ferment. It is an essential ingredient in many curries and sauces. Fish sauce is a staple ingredient in numerous cultures in Southeast Asia and the coastal regions of East Asia, and features heavily in Thai and Vietnamese...
, known locally as shrimp oil (虾油), is also commonly used in the cuisine, along with oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
s, crab, and prawns. Peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s (utilized for both savory dishes and desserts) are also prevalent, and can be boiled, fried, roasted, crushed, ground or even turned into a paste. Peanuts can be used as a garnish, feature in soups and even be added to braised or stir-fried dishes.