The Yin and Yang of Chinese Cuisine

Many treasures have come out of China, but it's the food that captures the imagination of culinary fans worldwide. This eclectic dish is typical of the balance of flavor that's so prevalent in Chinese cuisine. Rice is the staple of Chinese cuisine and is served at all meals--mainly because it absorbs the flavors so well. It is believed that China was the home of the first pasta noodle, dating back as many as 2,000 years ago. To this day, noodles are the "other" staple in Chinese cuisine. Wok cooking, which goes back more than 1,000 years, was first called "explosion" cooking because when the food was thrown into this unique utensil, an explosive sound was heard. Before the wok, and still to this day, the bamboo steamer is vital in Chinese cooking. Bamboo is important because it can absorb condensation so that moisture doesn't drop back on the food and make it soggy. New-world foods such as peanuts, corn, squash, chili peppers and tomatoes have arrived in China only within the last 200 years or so, but today they all play a major role in Chinese cuisine.  REAL VIDEO Have you heard of the Blue Willow China legend? If not, listen to Lisa Valdini, host of All in Good Taste, tell the story.  REAL VIDEO For a quick tip from All In Good Taste, watch this video on the proper technique for using chopsticks.

Chinese cuisine can best be described with those two famous words synonymous with its culture--yin and yang. "Opposites in perfect balance" is not only a way of life, but also the perfect explanation for what occurs in a Chinese meal.

"The balance of flavors in Chinese cooking is very important," acoording to Wai Lai Chan, a Chinese chef and guest on HGTV's All in Good Taste. "You don't want one flavor overpowering another flavor in a dish."

The philosophy of yin and yang, which was first introduced in the I Chin (the five classic works edited by the legendary philosopher Confucius), permeates Chinese culture. Taken literally, yin and yang mean the dark side and sunny side of a hill.

Although the common thought is that yin and yang are opposing forces, it is really more appropriate to view them as complementary pairs. The Chinese believe problems arise not when the two forces are in conflict, but when there's an imbalance between them in the environment.

This philosophy is also the backbone of Chinese cuisine. There's always a balance of color, flavors and textures in Chinese cooking--from sweet-and-sour pork to stir-fried vegetables with beef. This thinking extends further into the yin and yang properties in food. For example, yin is thought to have cooling properties, while yang is thought to have warming effects.

• Yin cooking methods include boiling, poaching and steaming, and yin foods are bean sprouts, cabbage, crab, cucumber, duck, tofu and watercress.

• Yang cooking methods include deep frying, stir-fry and roasting,with yang foods such as bamboo, beef, chicken, eggs, ginger, mushrooms, rice, sesame oil and wine.

Note: Experts can't agree on which foods are purely yin or yang. The more important aspect is that there's balance between the foods.

Did you know?

• The reason all pasta noodles in Chinese cuisine are long is to signify long life.

• The Chinese style of dining is based on the "family style," with all the dishes placed in the center of the table where everyone can take from each.

• When cooking with a wok, it's important to slice ingredients on a diagonal (or bias), which allows the wok to cook food quickly and evenly.

• The key flavoring sources of Chinese cuisine include ginger, garlic, scallions and oyster sauce.

• The Chinese are known for perfecting the glazing process, which in turn made their blue-and-white china legendary collector's items worldwide. Originally, the Chinese found that the blue color, which is a derivative of cobalt, could withstand the heat from the kiln and wouldn't fade. That's why to this day the colors blue and white are synonymous with Chinese porcelain.

Do you know the difference between Canton and Szechwan?

Cantonese cuisine is probably the most popular Chinese culinary style internationally. It's known for dim sum, a meal of pastries stuffed with a variety of foods (meats, vegetables, beans, seafood, etc.) that are served in succession. Canton, China, is known for its long, wet, warm days and ample culinary variety.

Szechwan is considered the hot-and-spicy style of Chinese food.Szechwan, China, is located in the mountainous hot and steamy west region of the country, where rice, mushrooms, bamboo, citrus fruits and chili peppers grow in abundance.

What's with the MSG debate?

It appears that people either love or hate monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is the salt form of glutamate that's used in both Chinese and Japanese food. The Japanese, in fact, first discovered that certain foods tasted better when served with a broth made from seaweed, but it wasn't until 1908 that Professor Ikeda of the University of Tokyo isolated MSG from the seaweed.

Today MSG has been found to cause headaches, disorientation and other more serious medical complications in certain individuals. Most of the MSG found on store shelves is usually made from fermented sugar beet or sugar cane molasses, in a process quite similar to the way soy sauce is made.

It has long been known that there are four basic tastes--bitter, salty, sour and sweet. It is now thought, however, that there is a fifth taste, called "umami," which is the savory taste found in foods such as seafood, tomatoes and certain vegetables. Just as eating sugar products stimulates the "sweet" taste receptors on the tongue, eating food seasoned with MSG stimulates the "umami" or glutamate receptors on the tongue, thus enhancing the savory flavor of these foods.