| To Americans, the most familiar of Eastern | | | | in the northern cities naturally served them the |
| cuisines undoubtedly is the Chinese. Every large | | | | specialties of their own region. On the other hand, |
| U.S. city has its Chinese restaurants, sometimes | | | | large numbers of the Chinese who went abroad |
| scores of them, as in New York and San | | | | were coolies. It was easy to jump to the |
| Francisco, and often first-class. In smaller cities, | | | | conclusion that northern food must be the cuisine |
| especially in Western states, a Chinese restaurant | | | | of the elite, southern food fit only for peasants |
| may well be the best place in town, not only | | | | and the poor. This ignored the fact that even the |
| because everyone seems to like chop suey, but | | | | poorest coolie knew how toenjoy good food, and |
| because a good Chinese cook can whip up a | | | | ate it when they could afford it. |
| Yankee steak or a Southern fried chicken as | | | | There is a saying in China, "to be born in Suzhou, |
| expertly as he stir-fries a lobster. | | | | to eat in Kwangchow (i.e., Canton), to dress in |
| In the Orient itself, Chinese restaurants dominate | | | | Hangzhou, and to die in Liuzhou." For Suzhou is |
| the public dining scene from Myanmar (Burma) to | | | | known for beauty, Guangzhou for food, Hangzhou |
| the Philippines and on across the Pacific islands to | | | | for silk, and Liuzhou for wood for making coffins. |
| Hawaii. Again, they are apt to be among the best | | | | Besides, the majority of the Chinese restaurants |
| available. Moreover, Chinese cookery methods | | | | abroad are Cantonese. Though this may be due |
| have invaded other native cuisines to the extent | | | | to the fact that most of the Chinese abroad are |
| that Indonesian food, for example, could be | | | | Cantonese, I think it is also due to the fact that |
| described as tropical Malay spiced by India and | | | | Cantonese cooking is broader in basis and can be |
| cooked by China-and then served up a la Dutch. | | | | "international" in taste. Canton has also at its |
| It happens that Guangzhou (Canton) was the first | | | | disposal a greater variety of seafood and so has |
| port to be opened to foreign trade by the old | | | | the advantage of creating more dishes than any |
| Empire, and it became the embarkation point for | | | | of the other schools. Therefore it is only fair to |
| the great emigrations of Chinese fleeing the | | | | put the Canton school at the top. |
| famines of the mid-19th century. The restaurants | | | | According to experts, the Guangdong (Cantonese) |
| the emigrants established abroad reflected their | | | | cuisine holds a position akin to the French in |
| southern China origin. What most American and | | | | Europe-the haute cuisine; others are good, but this |
| European identify as "Chinese food" is more | | | | one is better. When a Chinese emigre opened a |
| accurately labeled "Cantonese." This has led to | | | | restaurant and called it "Cantonese," he felt he |
| arguments. | | | | was putting his best foot forward-just as an |
| The Old China Hand who spent years in the | | | | American opening a restaurant in, say, Brazil might |
| international circles of Beijing or Shanghai insists | | | | dub it the "New York" or the "New Orleans" but |
| that the southern style is not all there is to | | | | probably not the "Omaha." |
| Chinese cuisine. Of course, Beijing and Shanghai | | | | Nevertheless, each school of Chinese cookery has |
| are about as far and as different from | | | | its staunch adherents. The above will by no |
| Guangzhou (Canton) as New York from New | | | | means satisfy the Old China Hand, and the |
| Orleans. Continental in size, China has as many | | | | inquisitive modern gourmet will want to try them |
| diverse ways of preparing food as does the | | | | all. So we will briefly identify the major cuisines |
| continent of Europe. At least five major regional | | | | and wish you luck in telling them apart. |
| cuisines are recognized by gourmets, plus some | | | | Notice the conspicuous absence of any "Beijing" |
| subsidiary schools. All are "real," but the | | | | school. China's capital, like Washington, D.C., has |
| north-versus-south dispute implies a class | | | | borrowed its cuisine from neighboring provinces. |
| distinction. | | | | The so-called Mandarin style is mostly from |
| The Old China Hand's upper-class Chinese friends | | | | Shandong. |