Northeastern Chinese cuisine facts for kids

Northeastern Chinese cuisine is a special way of cooking from Northeast China. This region is known for its cold winters and short growing seasons. Because of this, people there often use preserved foods and serve large portions to make sure everyone gets enough to eat.

Many dishes in Northeastern cuisine were first created in Shandong cuisine and Manchu cuisine. It also has strong influences from other places like Russia, Beijing, Mongolia, and North Korea.

One very common way to save food in this region is by pickling. Suan cai, which is pickled Chinese cabbage, is a traditional food. Many families make it themselves in big clay pots. Another unique thing about Northeastern cooking, especially near the coast, is that people eat more raw vegetables and raw seafood.

Common cooking methods used in the Northeast include simmering (cooking slowly in liquid), braising (cooking slowly in a little liquid in a covered pot), and sautéing (frying quickly in a little fat). These methods are used to make many of the region's most famous dishes.

People in Northeast China eat a lot of wheat and maize (corn) every day. These grains are used to make foods like noodles, steamed buns, and cornbread. Some popular dishes you might find are pork and chive dumplings, suan cai hot pot, lamb with cumin, congee (rice porridge), tea eggs, and nian doubao (sticky rice buns with sweet red bean filling). You can also find sachima (a traditional Manchu sweet treat) and cornmeal congee.

The Heilongjiang area, which has many rivers, is famous for its fish banquets. They specialize in fish that swim up rivers from the sea, like trout and sturgeon. In the Jilin area, which has mountains, dishes often use animals that live in the wild. However, by law, only farm-raised animals are allowed for cooking. Liaoning cuisine is also becoming very popular, and chefs from Liaoning have won many awards in cooking competitions in China.

What ingredients are used in Northeastern Chinese cuisine?

The weather in Northern China is often too cold and dry for growing rice. So, the main crop people eat there is wheat. People use wheat flour to make different foods like noodles or steamed dumplings. Other important grains include sorghum, maize (corn), and millet. Sorghum and millet are also used to make a strong alcoholic drink called maotai.

What are some classic dishes from Northeast China?

Northeastern Chinese cuisine has many delicious and hearty dishes. Here are some of the most famous ones:

• Northeastern hot pot (东北火锅): This is a hot pot with pork belly and suan cai (pickled cabbage).
• Borscht (羅宋湯): A hearty soup that shows the influence of Russian cooking.
• Guo bao rou (锅包肉): This dish features crispy pork slices covered in a sweet and sour sauce.
• The Four Northeastern Simmerings (东北四大炖): These are four popular stewed dishes:
  • Pork with cellophane noodles (猪肉炖粉条): A comforting stew with pork and clear noodles.
  • Free range chicken with honey fungus (小鸡炖榛蘑): Chicken stewed with a type of mushroom.
  • Catfish with eggplant (鲇鱼炖茄子): Catfish cooked slowly with eggplant.
  • Pork ribs with common beans (排骨炖豆角): Pork ribs stewed with green beans.
• Northeastern hotchpotch (东北乱炖): A mixed stew with potatoes, beans, Chinese cabbage, eggplant, wood ear mushrooms, and other vegetables, often with pork belly.
• Fatty pork with blood sausage (白肉血肠): A dish combining fatty pork and a type of blood sausage.
• Di san xian (地三鲜): This means "three treasures from the earth." It's a stir-fry of fried potato, green pepper, and eggplant.
• Shredded Potato Stir-fry (酸辣土豆丝): Thinly shredded potatoes stir-fried with a sour and spicy flavor.
• Caramelized Sweet Potato (拔丝地瓜): Sweet potato pieces coated in a crispy caramel.
• Qié Hé (茄盒): Eggplant slices stuffed with a filling, often meat.
• Mantou (饅頭): Plain steamed buns, often eaten instead of rice.
• Wotou (窝头): A type of cornbread, usually shaped like a cone.
• Potato stuffed Dumplings (土豆饺子): Dumplings with a potato filling.
• Hua Juan (花卷): Steamed scallion rolls, twisted to look like flowers.
• Dongbei lengmian (东北冷面): A cold noodle dish, often served with a tangy broth.

What are some popular snacks?

• Sachima (沙琪玛): A sweet, fluffy pastry made from fried dough strands and sugar syrup.
• Mahua (snack) (麻花): Fried dough twists, often sweet or savory.
• Red Bean Bun (豆沙包): A soft, steamed bun filled with sweet red bean paste.
• Dragon's beard candy (龙须糖): A very delicate, sweet candy made from many thin strands of sugar.