telling chinese stories作文【一】
Confucius loved and respected the art of cooking. He established culinary standards and proper table etiquette. Most of these are still considered to be the standards even today. The tradition of cutting foods into bite size pieces during preparation is unique to the Chinese culture. The use of knives at a Chinese dinner is considerd poor taste. Confucius taught that good cooking depends on the blending of various ingredients and condiments rather than the taste of the individual elements. He believed that in order to become a good cook one must first be a good matchmaker. The flavors of the ingredients must be blended with harmony. Without harmony there is no taste. He also stressed the use of color and texture in preparing the dish. Most certainly Confucianism helped elevate cooking from a menial task to the status of an art, "the art of Chinese cooking." Taoism was responsible for the development of the hygienic aspects of food and cooking. The principle objectives of this philosophy were people's wish for longevity. In contrast to supporters of Confucianism who were interested in the taste, texture and appearance, Taoists were concerned with the life-giving attributes of various foods. Over the centuries the Chinese have explored the world of plants, roots, herbs, fungus and seeds to find life-giving elements. They discovered that the nutritional value of vegetables could be destroyed by improper cooking and that many items had medicinal value. For example, ginger, a favorite condiment, is also used to soothe an upset stomach and as a cold remedy.
