Food is an important part of daily life for the Chinese. Chinese people not only like to eat, but they believe that eating well can bring harmony and closeness to family and relationships.

Buying fresh food daily is essential to all Chinese cooking. Unlike the US fast food society, the Chinese select live seafood, fresh meats, and seasonal fruits and vegetables from the local market to ensure freshness. This means swimming fish, nimble crabs, and squawking chickens. Even prepared foods like dim sum or BBQ duck to go should sparkle, shine, and smoke like they just came out of the oven.

The Chinese in general are not as concerned with nutrition as Western culture. They are more concerned with the texture, taste, color and aroma of food. These are the crucial points for a good Chinese cuisine. Daily Chinese meals consist of four food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, and meat. Due to lactose intolerance, the Chinese do not consume large amounts of dairy products. Instead, the Chinese substitute soy milk and tofu, which also contain large amounts of protein and calcium. Vegetables, fruits and meats are usually fresh. Some exceptions include preserved vegetables such as snow cabbage or mustard greens, preserved eggs, also known as “thousand-year eggs,” or dried, salted fish. Other exceptions include snacks like jerky, cuttlefish jerky, sweet and sour plum preserves, or dried mango slices.

Canned or frozen foods are rarely eaten. Western desserts such as cookies, cakes, tarts, and ice cream are eaten only on special occasions such as birthdays and weddings. After dinner, families often eat seasonal fruit for dessert. Chinese desserts like red bean soup, sweet white lotus seed soup, or steamed papaya soup are occasionally served as a special treat on a hot summer night.

Chinese ethnic cooking does not involve much deep-fried cooking. The reason most Chinese restaurants in America have deep-fried dishes, such as sweet and sour pork, almond fried chicken, and fried shrimp, is to promote business and cater to Western tastes. This clearly reflects why there are more problems with overweight and high blood pressure in Western culture than in Chinese culture.

This ethnic Chinese food mixed with traditional Indian food can be enjoyed at the Indo Munch restaurant. [http://www.indomunch.com] which is Chinese and Indian fusion cuisine.