Creating Authentic Chinese Cuisine
It doesn’t take a culinary expert to know that the food dishes commonly thought of as “Chinese” in the United States are, at best, only roughly inspired by the foods of China. For decades, this has been more or less okay with food buyers. However, times have changed. As ethnic foods take over the culinary market, many people are taking a second look at authentic Chinese cuisine. While buyers’ favorites aren’t likely to disappear from restaurant menus or grocery store freezers anytime soon, more authentic dishes are now appearing right alongside them.
One of the biggest differences between more authentic Chinese dishes, and those that have traditionally been more popular in the United States, is the flavors themselves. Not just the individual flavors of different ingredients, but the overall types of flavor. While sweet and sour sauce has always been a big hit in the US, it tends to go easy on the “sour.” In authentic cuisine, sour flavors can be a much more important component. Flavor ingredients such as Advanced Biotech’s Natural Pyruvic Acid may therefore be important in creating these effects. In addition, Natural Acetic Acid (for that vinegar flavor) may also be important.
Sauces are also much less important in authentic Chinese cuisine than they are in Americanized versions of these dishes. They also tend to be, on the whole, much simpler. Natural Ginger Oil for ginger flavor or Natural Garlic Oil for the flavor of garlic, are simple and easy ways to create basic, authentic bases for Chinese dishes. Though going completely authentic isn’t likely going to be a big hit anytime soon – it’s still important to convert these dishes to be more acceptable to the American palate – there is plenty of room to explore new flavor options by taking inspiration from China to create delicious new dishes for buyers.