Shandong cuisine

Branch of Chinese traditional cuisine native to Shandong province

Shandong cuisine , more commonly known in Chinese as Lu cuisine, is one of the Eight Culinary Traditions of Chinese cuisine and one of the Four Great Traditions (四). It is derived from the native cooking style of Shandong Province, a northern coastal province of China.

Shandong cuisine is famous for its wide selection of material and use of different cooking methods. The raw materials are mainly domestic animals and birds, seafood and vegetables. The masterly cooking techniques include bao (爆; quick frying), liu (溜; quick frying with corn flour), pa (扒; stewing), kao (烤; roasting), zhu (煮; boiling), and coating sugar onto fruits with honey as the adhesive.

Shandong cuisine is divided into two sub regional styles: Jinan and Jiaodong. Shandong cuisine is known for its light aroma, freshness and rich taste. It puts emphasis on two types of broths, light and milky. Both broths are seasoned with scallions and go well with the freshness of seafood. Jiaodong style, encompassing dishes from eastern Shandong: Fushan (a district of Yantai), Qingdao, Yantai and the surrounding regions. It is characterised by seafood dishes with a light taste. Jinan style, made up of dishes from Jinan, Dezhou, Tai'an and the surrounding regions. One of its features is the use of soup.

Although less available in overseas Chinese restaurants (usually operated by Cantonese and Hokkien immigrants), Shandong cuisine is considered one of the most influential schools in Chinese cuisine; most of the country's culinary styles have developed from it. Modern cuisines in North China (Beijing, Tianjin and the Manchuria) are branches of Shandong cuisine, and meals in most Northern Chinese households are typically prepared using simplified Shandong methods.

Shandong's greatest contribution to Chinese cuisine is arguably its vinegar. Hundreds of years of experience and unique local methods have led to the region's prominence in Chinese vinegar production. Unlike the lighter, sharper types of vinegar popular in the south, Shandong vinegar has a complexity which some consider fine enough to stand alone.

Jinan cuisine : The cooking methods of Jinan cuisine focus on quick frying, roasting and boiling. Jinan style food is generally sweet, aromatic, fresh and tender. A famous dish from Jinan is stir fried large yellow croaker with sugar and vinegar Jiaodong cuisine : Jiaodong cuisine focuses more on cooking and cutting skills. The Jiaodong area is located close to the sea, so most raw materials are seafood. Sea cucumber, abalone and scallop are common in this area. A famous Jiaodong dish is stir fried sea cucumber with scallions Kongfu cuisine : "Kongfu" refers to the descendants of Kong Qiu (Confucius). The Kong family have high standards for the quality of every dish. Therefore, for every dish, Kongfu style emphasizes rigorous slicing skills during preparation and elegance when served. Luxinan cuisine : "Luxinan" refers to southwestern parts of Shandong Province. Local people like foods made of natural ingredients; they occasionally flavor dishes with Chinese herbs.