4 Tips For Great Chinese Food At Home

Chinese food is one of the most popular ethnic cuisines in North America. There are more than 40,000 Chinese restaurants in the United States alone. Many people think that Chinese food is difficult and complicated, but it really is not. With the right tools and equipment, appropriate technical knowledge and some tips and tricks, anyone can make delicious Chinese dishes at home.

Let's take a look at 4 tips to make Chinese food at home.

1 - Get the right ingredients

While most supermarkets carry some Asian ingredients, they are generally not genuine high quality ingredients that Chinese cooks would use. If you can find an Asian market nearby, you'll find they have a wide variety of Chinese ingredients. Usually, grocery stores and Asian markets also carry better quality food as well. For example, a good rice wine is essential to many Chinese dishes you want to do at home. Rice wine than the average grocery store door is not really up to par. The same applies to many elements produce, pasta, vinegars, sauces and spices.

2 - You need the proper tools and equipment

Most kitchens in China are very small and simple. There are really only a few essentials you need to cook with Chinese success. You will do a lot of cutting and cutting when preparing Chinese food, so a good quality knife is important. It is essential that the slices are uniform to ensure even cooking, and many dishes require very thin slices of meat and vegetables. You should be able to get with just a chef's knife, Santoku knife, boning knife, small knife and perhaps a serrated bread knife.

A traditional wok with a rounded bottom is not really suitable for cooking at home. The rounded bottom, it is difficult to uniformly heat the pan, therefore, a flat-style pan bottom wok is a better choice. Cast iron or steel of high quality carbon materials are best to look for when choosing a wok because they retain heat well and can withstand higher temperatures than cheaper alternatives.

3 - Learn techniques

You've noticed that Chinese restaurants tend to serve food quickly. It actually takes more just to cut and chop the ingredients, mix sauces and get everything ready to go than cooking the meal! The main method of cooking in Chinese cooking is skipped. Very few dishes in authentic Chinese cuisine are fried or fried, but our westernized version of Chinese food usually includes some well-fry. After all, what is a sign of China's combination without chicken balls, right?

4 - Branch out!

Most dishes we are accustomed here in America are Cantonese recipes or Mandarin. In fact, some dishes are purely Americanized Chinese dishes you never really find in China! There are many different areas in China, though, and they all have different cooking styles, methods and recipes. Try tasty spicy Sichuan dishes. Jiangsu cuisine is mainly focused on meat dishes with duck, chicken, crab, seafood, and even turtles! Fujian region uses many different types of fish and seafood, and Fujian meals are often served in broth.