Zhejiang cuisine(Zhe Cuisine)

Zhejiang Cuisine, more commonly known as Zhe Cuisine, is another of the eight culinary "schools" of China. Zhe Cuisine is a culinary school with a difference, since Zhejiang Province is 'a Land of Plenty, a Land of Fish and Rice' in the heart of the Yangtze River Delta that is also a coastal province (Zhejiang Province is surrounded on the north and the east by Hangzhou Bay and the East China Sea, respectively).

The Zhe Cuisine of modern times, which comprises three subcategories, or styles - the Hangzhou, Ningbo and Shaoxing styles - has produced a number of excellent dishes as it continues to strive for greater perfection as a unique and uniquely endowed culinary "school". Zhe Cuisine enjoys the enviable reputation of having spawned 'three thousand delicacies and snacks'. It is also one of the more innovative of the Chinese culinary "schools".

Zhe Cuisine can best be summed up by its salient features, which are:

1 - Zhe Cuisine makes us of an extensive selection of ingredients, many of which stem from other regions of China as well as from abroad. This makes it possible to concoct a wide variety of dishes, each with a complex set of tastes, where the staple ingredients are ingeniously matched to the seasonings. Like their French counterparts, Zhe Cuisine chefs can prepare fish dishes that neither smell nor taste overpoweringly "fishy", but instead smell and taste mouthwateringly delicious. Similarly, Zhe Cuisine meat dishes have a strong, robust flavor without being "greasy".

2 - Zhe Cuisine rests on expert cutting techniques combined with a flair for visual presentation.

3 - Zhe Cuisine, in keeping with modern concepts of taste, texture and nutrition, emphasizes al dente cooking methods as well as moderation in seasonings, the goal being to enhance the natural flavors of the ingredients rather than overpower them.

4 - Zhe Cuisine, though it makes use of raw materials from far and wide, stresses freshness in order to deliver a taste experience that excites the palate while providing a visual experience that pleases the eye.

Each of the three separate subdivisions, or styles, of Zhe Cuisine has its own, distinct charm:

Hangzhou Style - The Hangzhou style of Zhe Cuisine has long been recognized as a "gourmand's paradise''. It is exquisitely prepared, yielding a delicate appearance and a delicious taste. The Hangzhou style excels in the cooking techniques of stir-frying, braising and deep-frying; its delicious dishes are characterized by clear, fresh colors and distinct tastes and textures.

Ningbo Style - The Ningbo style of Zhe Cuisine rests heavily on the use of "seafood", including freshwater fishes, crustaceans, etc. The main Ningbo cooking techniques are steaming, stewing and baking. The taste register is deliberately moderate with respect to seasonings, yet the preparation techniques and the seemingly magical choice of seasonings yields succulent fish dishes that do not taste overpoweringly "fishy", yet taste distinctly of the fish in question. While just about anyone can fry a steak that tastes good, few - among them, Ningbo chefs - can cook a fish that tastes delicious.

Shaoxing Style - The Shaoxing style of Zhe Cuisine specializes in hearty soups, many based on fish stock, with robust flavors, sublime fragrances, and pleasing textures that deliver the ideal degree of crispness versus tenderness. As an old city with a renowned "waterfront" history (the Yang River runs through it, and Hangzhous Bay lies only 10 kilometers away), Shaoxing excels in simple, hearty dishes that have appealed to local palates for centuries.

Representative Zhe Cuisine dishes include: West Lake Fish in Vinegar, Dongpo Pork, Three-Slashes Fried Fish, Stir-Fried Crab in Orange, Eel Strips in Ningbo Style Sauce, Bifengtang Dasheen with Shrimp, Beggar's Chicken, Fenghua Blood Clams, Braised Duck with Freshly Sautéed Mushroom, and Zhu Hongwu Bean Curd (Tofu).