Zhejiang Cuisine

Zhejiang Cuisine, or Zhe Cuisine, one of the eight traditional Chinese Cuisines, is originated in Zhejiang Province. As a proverb goes, the most beautiful place above is Paradise while below Suzhou and Hangzhou. Zhejiang is abundant in various food materials scattered in green mountains and clear revers. Most Zhejiang Cuisine dishes taste fresh and light and maintain the original flavor of ingredients. Widely used seafood, river food and other ingredients must be in season. The notable Zhejiang Cuisine dishes include West Lake Fish, Longjing Tea Shrimps, Dongpo Pork, Braised Bamboo Shoots, etc.

浙江菜，或浙菜，中國八大菜系之一，起源于浙江。故諺曰：“上有天堂，下有蘇杭”。浙江山清水秀，物產(chǎn)豐富。浙菜大多口味清淡，注重食材本味。所用水產(chǎn)、果蔬，種類繁多，但無不以時令為上。著名的浙菜包括西湖醋魚、龍茶蝦仁、東坡肉、油燜春筍等。

Up to the late Spring and Autumn Period, many famous dishes in Zhejiang Cuisine had been invented. Since Northern and Southern Dynasties, it has become more and more mature. It formed its own primal system gradually as to Tang Dynasty. In Southern Song Dynasty, the Cuisine absorbed not a few characteristics of northern dishes through the cultural exchange. During Ming and Qing Dynasties, the unique style of Zhejiang Cuisine had already formed.

早在春秋晚期，浙中的許多名菜就已經(jīng)出現(xiàn)。南北朝以來，逐漸走向成熟。到了唐代，浙菜基本體系逐漸形成。南宋時期，南北文化交流，浙菜吸收了許多北方菜肴的特色。明清時期，浙江菜的獨特風(fēng)格已經(jīng)形成。

In general, the ingredients of Zhejiang Cuisine are fresh and in season, which are selected strictly. Firstly, the ingredients used are from the best part of raw materials to make dishes superb. Secondly, local seasonal specialties are widely used to make dishes unique and special. Thirdly, the ingredients must be fresh; seafoods and fishes are usually killed just before cooking, to pursue the fresh and pure taste. Last, the ingredients should be tender, especially of meat.

總的來說，浙菜選料講究鮮活和季節(jié)時令，精挑細(xì)選。首先，選取原料精華部分，以保持菜品高雅上乘。其次，選用當(dāng)?shù)貢r令特產(chǎn)，以突出菜品的地方特色。第三，選用時鮮蔬果和鮮活現(xiàn)殺的海味河鮮，以確保菜品的口味純正。最后，選用鮮嫩食材，以保證菜品的清鮮爽脆。

To make the dishes have a better taste, some seasonings are used in Zhejiang Cuisine recipes, like shallots, gingers, garlics, vinegar, and Shaoxing yellow wine, which can achieve the effect of reducing unwanted smell and promoting the flavor, making Zhejiang Cuisine have a style of its own.

浙菜的風(fēng)味與其選用的調(diào)味品密不可分。蔥、姜、蒜、醋、紹興黃酒等調(diào)味品，具有去腥膻，提風(fēng)味之功效，使浙菜獨具風(fēng)格。

Zhejiang Cuisine is known for its verifying cooking skills, such as frying, deep-frying, quick-frying, steaming and braising. Frying, especially sliding-frying, is the one of the best cooking methods in Zhejiang Cuisine. The process is fast and the cooked food would be tender and tasty with little oil. The deep-fired materials are often shaped into rolls, which are crisp outside and tender inside. The foods braised are generally crisp with a strong flavor. The deep-frying, quick-frying, and braising are particular about cooking time and temperature of fire, which is not easy to control. But that is where Zhejiang Cuisine stands out.

浙菜以烹調(diào)技法豐富多彩聞名于國內(nèi)外，其中以炒、炸、熘、燴、蒸、燒6類為擅長。炒，以滑炒見長，要求速度，快速成菜，質(zhì)地滑嫩，薄油味美。浙菜油炸菜品，卷炸見長，外焦里嫩。燒制菜品，酥脆入味，濃香適口。炸、熘、燒對烹調(diào)時機(jī)和火候要求極高，不易控制，這更顯浙菜風(fēng)格。