An Ancient Chinese proverb says “To the ruler, the people are heaven; to the people, food is heaven.” This proverb clearly shows that food to the Chinese is like tea to the British. In China, dinner is a time of communication, sharing and discussion. During major festivals, food has always played an important role. During Spring Festival, dinner time brings the family together; during the Qingming festival, food is placed at the graves of ancestors as an offering to relatives in the afterlife.

China, having an area of 9,700,000KM2, and, being almost as big as the United States, has a diverse menu of dishes and cooking styles. One of the major differences in China is the choice of staple food. Whereas in the north, the staple of choice is noodle, the south is keener to have rice as the accompanying component.

A very interesting cuisine, originates from the Manchus, the north east region of China, and is known as (东北菜). The Manchus, who used to live in that area, relies heavily on thick and well preserved ingredients to help the locals tackle the harsh winter weather. Two interesting dishes come from this region. The first is called Guo Bao Rou (锅包肉) which translates as coated boiled meat. This dish contains thin slivers of pork which are coated in batter and fried along with ginger, scallions, soy sauce, garlic and chilli. When cooked and crisp, these pork slices are coated in thick gravy which is made up of Rice vinegar, ginger, garlic and potato starch to give it a thick, warming feel.

5 Must Try Chinese Dishes — Century Cruises