The development and diversity of the delights of Chinese cuisine are also representative of China's long history. With each dynasty new recipes were created until the art of food preparation reach its peak during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). The dinner called Man Han Quan Xi that incorporates all the very best of Man and Han Cuisine is held in high esteem involving as it does countless dishes, each with its own distinctive flavor and appeal. This veritable banquet in its preparation and presentation typifies all of the culture and culinary arts that have been perfected over centuries and is a comprehensive amalgam of taste, instruments, and manners.

It is no exaggeration to say that Chinese cuisine is dainty, in its items, esthetics, atmosphere, and effects.

Eight Cuisines:

The diversity of geography, climate, costumes and products have led to the evolution of what are called the 'Four Flavors' and 'Eight Cuisines' but as catering is a living art sub-classifications continue to increase. For example in each field of cuisine, adept chefs can utilize something as simple as a melon to create dozens of dishes with dozens of flavors. Meanwhile, local specialties and snacks with their origins steeped in the mists of time are also an important progeny and indicate a profound philosophy and taste. As well as the cuisine of the majority Han people, the many minorities have their own fantastic traditions and appeal.

Cuisine in China is a harmonious integration of color, redolence, taste, shape and the fineness of the instruments. For the cooking process, chefs pick choice and various ingredients and seasonings while employing unparalleled complicated skills handed down from their fathers, ever aspiring to their ideal of perfection for all the senses. Among the many cooking methods they use are boiling, stewing, braising, frying, steaming, crisping, baking, and simmering and so on. When they finish their masterpieces they are arranged on a variety of plates and dishes so that they are a real pleasure to view, to smell and ultimately to savor. The facility to partake of these delights is also distinctive - chopsticks! To see even the smallest child eat with such dexterity is quite amazing for many foreigners. The use of two simple sticks in this way is an art in itself and chopsticks have determined the way in which Chinese food is presented at table.

Cuisine can rise to many different occasions from luxury court feasts, fetes, holy sacrificial rites, joyous wedding ceremonies to simple daily meals and snacks. The art of a good cook is to provide a wholesome and satisfying dish to suit the occasion.

Medicinal Cuisine:

Good cuisine has the effect of prolonging life, sustaining the constitution and promoting energy and in this respect bears some relationship to Chinese medicine.

Chinese medicinal cuisine is a long standing tradition. Early records show that it was in use as far back as the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). Through continual improvement during succeeding dynasties, it has developed into a practical science of nutrition. This is not a simple combination of food and traditional medicine, but is it a distinctive cuisine made from food and medicinal ingredients following the theory of Chinese medicine.

This not only became the means of health-preservation among the people of China, but also spread abroad, especially into Southeast Asia. There is now sufficient interest from people wishing to learn about alternative medicine that regular conventions are held to promote this branch of medical science.

There is a wide choice of foods that are used in many different ways to promote health and well-being. It is estimated that there are more than 600 different kinds of resource ranging from cereals, fruits, vegetables, meats and marine products. Many of these will be unfamiliar to foreigners who may be reluctant to try them; however all are quite precious and effective in the field of medicinal food. Many different ingredients are used to add to the appeal as well as to strengthen effects of the cuisine. Wine, sugar, oil, salt, vinegar and honey, and other commonly available items such as almonds, mandarin orange, or peanuts, all are utilized in the cooking process.

According to its respective functions, medicinal cuisine is classified under four categories: health-protection cuisine, prevention cuisine, healing cuisine and therapeutic cuisine.

Health-protection cuisine refers to reinforcement of required nutritional food correspondingly to maintain the organic health. A soup of pumpkin and almond can help lose weight; soup of angelica and carp can add beauty; and ginseng congee can give more strength.

Prevention cuisine builds resistance to potential ailments. Mung bean soup is considered helpful as a guard against heat stroke in summer. Lotus seeds, lily, yam, chestnuts, and pears can assist in the prevention of dryness in autumn and a strengthening of resistance to cold in winter.

Healing cuisine is the medicinal food for rehabilitation after severe illness. Broiled sheep's heart with rose or braised mutton with angelica will help to rebuild a healthy constitution.

Therapeutic cuisine aims at the specific pathology. Fried potatoes with vinegar can adjust the organ and restrain hypertension and carp soup with Tuckahoe may enrich the strength of blood plasma albumen to help reduce swelling.

Minority Cuisine:

It also has their own flavor and appeal in our ethnic groups, which is quite distinctive.

Besides the various Han cuisines, the other 55 ethnic groups each have their own. With their peculiar religions and geographical zones, their diets differ respectively and are full of interest.
Hui Cuisine

The Hui ethnic group possesses the most Muslims, which influences the cuisine greatly and makes it the representative of the Chinese Muslim food. With a long history, Hui cuisine embodies the life habit - cleanness. Their diet never involves pig meat, the meat of non-ruminating animals, fierce animals and their blood. But those meats that are allowed and which have been prepared under the auspices of an imam can be made into delicious dishes. Muslims are not allowed to smoke or drink wines, but encouraged to enjoy teas. When there are guests come to visit, welcoming hosts will produce tea together with fruits and fried cakes. The tea can contain sugar, Chinese wolfberry, sesame, red Chinese date, longan, and raisins, which are rich in nutrition.

There are four main characteristics of Hui Cuisine. Most of the staple food is made of flour rather than rice, and can have many forms. Sweeteners play an important role in the meals - these people tend to add honey or sugar to their dishes. Hui people like eating beef and mutton which also stimulate the appetite and are nourishing. One of the typical meals is roast mutton. They have also renovated and adapted aspects of Han cuisine - for example dumplings in a sour soup is one of their favorites.

Tibetan Cuisine:

Tibetan cuisine includes Zanba (roasted highland qingke barley flour), meat, and milk products. The products reflect the differences between the various pastoral and farming areas. Favored by all are vegetables such as cabbages and wine made from qingke barley and corn.

Although Tibetan cuisine has no real classified styles, it can be roughly divided into four typical flavors: Ngari's Qiang Cuisine, Lhasa's Lhasa cuisine, Nyingchi's Rong cuisine and the Court Cuisine that comprises dishes common among the former aristocrats of Tibet. In total there are some 200 or more recipes. Qiang cuisine caters for the people who live in the pastoral area with a high altitude. The food preparation pays particular heed to helping people cope with the very cold climate. Examples of produce are cheese, acidulous milk, butter and stock made from boiled cattle hoofs. The latter being something akin to the calf's foot jelly prepared in the West. Lhasa cuisine uses a wide range of ingredients and is cooked in many different ways. Carbonade with radish, boiled mutton, beef catsup are all popular dishes. Rong Cuisine is found in southeast Tibet where there is a lower altitude. Wild fungi and mushrooms are readily available and used to flavor food. Court cuisine is a quintessential art using the best traditions of Tibetan dietary skills and cooking methods for a wide variety of different produce in order to serve attractive and flavorsome dishes.

Specialties are yoghourt made from yak milk which is also used to produce excellent and famed cheeses. Zanba in Lhasa and a particularly excellent recipe for stewed chicken with mushrooms in Nyingchi, and so on.