What are the main regional cuisine in China？

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Since ingredients are not the same everywhere，Chinese food began to take in a local character by virtue of the ingredients.Chinese regional cuisine have evolved over the course of the centuries，and the precise number is disputed.Generally speaking，there are four basic gastronomic areas:Shandong，Cantonese，Sichuan and Yangzhou；but these designations have no specific geographical boundaries.Beijing cooking，for instance，falls within the realm of Shandong cuisine and includes someSichuan dishes and Mongolian-influenced specialties.The cuisine in the Changjiang River delta area，including Huaiyin，Suzhou，Shanghai and Hangzhou dishes，falls under the category of Yangzhou cuisine.

The four regional cuisine have influenced each other，and their cooking methods are shared among themselves.Nevertheless，each regional cuisine has its own history，unique techniques，distinguished dishes and prevailing tastes.

How much do you know about Shandong cuisine？

Shandong Province was the birthplace of Confucius，who，twenty-five centuries ago，presided over a rich mixture of philosophy and gastronomy.Shandong cuisine belongs to the Northern cooking style and should be more correctly described as thecooking tradition in kitchen in the North China Plain.Within this realm of northern provinces，Beijing，Hebei，Shanxi，Shaanxi and other northern areas all have their own unique cooking styles.Wheat buns and pancakes，not rice，are the staff of life here.Shandong cuisine includes the menus of the emperors of the Yuan（1206-1368），Ming（1368-1644）and Qing（1616-1911）dynasties，when the imperial capital was located in Beijing.Popular dishes are noted throughout China，such as Dezhou braised chicken，roast pork and fried pig stomach.

Located on China’s eastern seaboard，one would expect that Shandong cuisine might include many seafood dishes，including shark’s fin，sea cucumbers（not a local product），and scallops.All of them are available in dried form.The coastal areas are also home to such dishes as Swallow’s Nests in Consomme，Fried Oysters，Steamed Porgy，and Conch in Brown Sauce.