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Chinese Cooking - The Secret is in the Sauce
By Craig Chambers
Chinese cooking night is a wonderful tradition that my family has created over the years and one that we have all come to love!
On this special night once a month, my aunts, grandmas, parents and even my two brothers and their families clear their hectic
schedules and gather around the family kitchen to whip up a savory and delicious meal straight from the Orient.
Why Chinese food,
you ask?
Of all the different cuisines we have tried throughout the years, Chinese recipes are easy to follow, the food is
delicious and Chinese cooking sauces have become our favorite. Their adaptability and variety of flavorful spices is loved by the
whole family.
One thing we learned very early on is that Chinese food and Chinese cooking are greatly complimented by the key ingredients of the
sauces. You can see this very easily in the American Chinese food cooking trends.
It is mainly a mixture of vegetables enhanced
with Chinese sauces. These cooking sauces are used as garnishes and in preparing many types of delicious authentic recipes. Most
of our favorite Chinese dishes, like noodles and fried rice are made with a variety of spices and sauces making them very popular
and savory meals.
In America, Chinese food has been used in ways that are non traditional and has taken on some of its own new traditions. Their
sauces have become famous as dipping sauces and cooking sauces that are mainly used for different types of meat dishes like pork
or chicken.
Sweet and sour sauce was originally used as a simple sauce for fish dishes in different parts of the world but was
used to create American-Chinese dishes such as sweet and sour chicken when it was introduced in America.
Along with sweet and sour
sauce, some other types of sauces used in America to enhance flavor in popular Chinese foods such as noodles, fried rice and other
Chinese dishes are chili oil, oyster sauce and garlic sauce.
Chinese cooking with its tasty dipping sauces is also a fun way to liven up a meal and something that my children love! Try serving
the dipping sauces in a small bowl along with the meal to accompany Chinese appetizers like pot stickers, spring rolls and egg
rolls. Let the kids have their own bowl to dip and watch their faces light up.
One of the main reasons my family loves Chinese
cuisine is that there are so many different types of flavors that can be easily incorporated into everyday meals. Some of the most
famous are chili oil, sweet and sour sauce, hot mustard and garlic sauce.
Chili oil is made from chili peppers and is normally used
in stir-fry and to enhance the flavor of other dishes such as noodles. Another favorite and one that has been used for many
centuries in China is sweet and sour sauce.
Its main ingredients of sugar and wedding vinegar make it a very popular choice and
one that adds savory flavor to Chinese dishes when combined with tomato sauce.
Garlic sauce and hot mustard sauce are great sauces that work well with a variety of Chinese appetizers. Any of these sauces are
easy to make and will give your meal that special oriental flavor your family will love!
Because Chinese cooking sauces are an easy way add great flavor to Chinese meals and are so adaptable, they have become very
popular in China and around the world...making Chinese food a truly international cuisine.
It is easy to experiment with all the
many sauces and spices Chinese food has to offer and even come up with your own favorite combinations! From sweet and sour sauce
to garlic and hot mustard, Chinese cuisine and its many sauces have proven to be an all time favorite that my family loves.
Try it
out on your family and I'm sure that they too will look forward to your special night of Chinese cooking.
Craig Chambers is a cooking enthusiast who enjoys Chinese cooking and offers an extensive free cooking guide, recipes and resources
on his website http://www.cookingyourbest.com/chinese
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