By Kai-Hong Tan, New Zealand registered nutritionist
Chinese dishes differ to reflect the region’s climate and availability of foods. Chinese cuisine is classified into four main types - the North, South, East, and West, each with its own characteristics.
The South
South China is in the tropical and subtropical zones, with rivers, lakes and a high rainfall, which brings rich resources for cooking. Freshness is everything to the Southern cuisine. The flavours of the South are relatively light and simple, with the emphasis on fresh ingredients and retaining the original flavour of ingredients. Cantonese dishes are light, less spicy and less oily than those of other areas. The region is famous for its steamed fish and seafood dishes, made with just a delicate base of ginger, garlic and spring onions. Beef and greens in oyster sauce is another common healthier dish.
The North
The flavours in the North are strong and heavy, with salty bean pastes, vinegar, onions and garlic all being important ingredients. The North area has little fertile land, harsh long winters and short scorching summers. The main crops are hardy wheat and millet, eaten as noodles, breads and porridge. Some healthier options are steamed buns, dumplings, noodles in soup flavoured with sliced meat and vegetables, stir-fried eggs and tomatoes, shredded pork with black mushrooms, wood ear fungus and cabbage.
The West
The West is characterised by Sichuan’s spicy dishes. The reason for this may derive from the region's hot, humid climate. Sichuan cooking employs a diverse range of condiments giving all the different tastes: salty, sweet, sour, hot, aromatic, peppery or bitter. What Sichuan cuisine boasts, is an abundance of flavour and diversified methods of cooking. Famous Sichuan dishes include chicken and capsicum with mixed spices, tofu in spicy sauce and the spicy vegetable and meat steam boat.
The East
People from the East prefer their foods slow-cooked. Sugar and vinegar are added when preparing the dishes and the foods are a little bit sweeter than those eaten in the other regions. The dishes are light flavoured. Soy sauce and spices are mild and used sparingly. Steaming, stewing, braising and frying are the most common forms of Eastern cooking. Some tasty and healthier dishes are meat ball and greens cooked in sand clay pot, stir fried rice cake with vegetable and West Lake beef soup (beef mince and egg white thickened by corn starch).
美味的中國菜
中國的飲食文化源遠流長。气候、 自然環境、 民族習俗的差异更造就了各具特色的地方飲食。中國東南西北四大菜系以淮洋菜、粵菜、川菜和魯菜為代表，給我們的味蕾帶來了千變万化的体驗。
南方菜
中國的南方地處熱帶和亞熱帶，气候炎熱，河流密布，雨水充沛，食物資源丰富。南方菜重視食材的新鮮和原汁原味，調味清淡不油膩， 比較符合現代人對健康飲食的要求。清烝魚、蚝油牛肉、上湯菜遠就是一些不錯的選擇。
北方菜
北方菜口味較濃重，常用的調味品有各种醬料、醋、蒜和洋蔥。中國北方每年有漫長的嚴冬，土地的產出相對較南方少，小麥和玉米是主要的農作物。主食以面食為主，例如面條和包子。蒸饅頭、包子、烙餅、湯面、蕃茄炒蛋、木須肉等等，既健康，又好吃。
西方菜
西方菜以川菜為代表，以麻辣見長，大概与地處炎熱潮濕的盆地有關。川菜使用大量的調味料和香辛料以其帶出丰富的多層次的口味，混咸甜酸辣香麻苦于一体。宮寶雞丁、麻婆豆腐、四川火鍋是一些膾炙人口的選擇。
東方菜
東方菜以淮揚菜和江浙菜為代表，擅長紅燒，味道較北方菜清淡，糖和醋的使用帶出了菜肴酸甜清爽的口味。 如獅子頭、炒年糕、西湖牛肉羹，是一些清淡健康又美味的選擇。
由紐西蘭注冊營養師譚凱虹供稿