China has been the focus of the world’s attention for a long time now, especially since the pandemic outbreak that began in Wuhan and has killed thousands of people across the world. But, while the pandemic began in China and researchers are still thinking about the reason for this pandemic or its treatment, people have come to several conclusions that explain the cause of the outbreak. For instance, the wild animal trade, bat soups, etc. Yes, the food habits of Chinese people are very different and also include eating raw food, but there are many more fascinating food habits of the Chinese culture that people across the world are unaware of. Let’s take a look into these interesting food facts here.
STAPLE FOOD
If you thought that most Chinese people eat noodles as their staple food, then you are wrong! The fact is that most people living in the northern part of the country eat noodles as their staple food due to the dry climate conditions which is suitable for the growth of wheat. While people in the southern part of the country eat rice as their staple food because the weather is hot and rainy, thus making it ideal for growing rice in the fields.
USE A WIDE VARIETY OF INGREDIENTS
The authentic Chinese food is made using the widest variety of ingredients that includes various vegetables, fruits, animals, poultry, seafood, aquatic products, spices and sauces. The food, whether it is vegetarian or non-vegetarian is all cooked using this wide variety of ingredients. And whatever they make, they cook it in small bite sizes so that they are easy to eat using their chopsticks. In fact, China uses almost 45 billion pairs of chopsticks in one year.
HEALTHIEST FOOD IN THE WORLD
One of the main factors associated with Chinese food is its high nutrition value and its perfect balance of meat and vegetables that make it one of the world’s healthiest foods. The people in China prefer using fresh vegetables, meat and ingredients which makes the food not only delicious but also very healthy. Additionally, people follow cooking methods like steaming to preserve the nutrition present in the ingredients.
CRAZY CHILLI LOVERS
If you thought that the Chinese people don’t like to eat spicy food, you are definitely wrong. In fact, they are crazy chilli lovers and you can see them eat chillies almost every day with their meals. The people from Sichuan, Guizhou and Hunan are known for their love for chilli peppers.
MEAT LOVERS
Yes, Chinese people love meat and they can eat almost anything that moves. People in China can eat anything including insects, scorpions, snakes, rats, dog, chicken, octopus, etc. Also, they make sure to use the internal organs of these animals also in the food. However, there are many people in the country who are now turning vegetarian due to the increasing risk of infections that are related to animals.
USE THE BIGGEST VARIETY OF VEGETABLES
If you thought that the Chinese people are only meat lovers, you are definitely wrong. They are also vegetable lovers and use a huge quantity of vegetables in their cooking. In fact, they use the widest variety of vegetables in their meals that include pomeloes, yard long yams, weed-like plants, tree fungi, bitter cucumber, etc.
