irvinehomeowner said:
Being Austrian... I don't have any idea, but maybe this is something that momopi can answer.
What is the difference between:
1. Chinese
2. Taiwanese
3. Hong Kong
The first I am kind of familiar with (well... Americanized Chinese food)... and the 2nd seems like it's rice dishes, popcorn chicken and shaved ice (at least that's what I see at all those Taiwanese cafes)... but what is different about the 3rd? Is Hong Kong the Beef Noodle soup one (or is that Taiwanese?).
I feel like SoCal.
Chinese is pretty much all encompassing...Chinese cuisine is actually divided into eight different types of cuisine but the the four most popular are Mandarin, Cantonese, Szechuan, and Shanghai. Those types are regional in nature(kinda of like Southern food v. California v. Midwest).
Mandarin is cuisine from Northern China and generally more balanced and refined. Noodles and wraps are used a lot (as opposed to rice). Dishes are usually very light and delicate and do not rely on heavy sauces. Beef and lamb are the primary meats as well as exotics like duck and quail. Mandarin Cuisine is what you would usually get if you go to a high end Chinese restaurant in Asia.
Cantonese comes from the province of Guangdong (or Canton), which is in the south of China and a tradition trade hub. Hong Kong food is pretty much Cantonese in origin. Cantonese food focus on speed and rice-focused. A lot of seafood and a wide variety of meats. Cantonese food is what most Westerners consider to be "Chinese food".
Shanghai cuisine is a mix between Mandarin and Cantonese as Shanghai is located between Beijing and Canton. Shanghai is also a port city and thus have easy access to fish/seafood. Shanghai cuisine uses both noodles and rice and is generally sweeter than the other Chinese cuisines. It also features alcohol as a major ingredient.
Szechuan cuisine is from the Szechuan province which is located in the inner parts of China. It uses spices and chili as primary flavoring. There is relatively little meat and almost no seafood in the cuisine (due to the landlock nature of Szechuan). Most of the dishes are spicy and/or peppery in flavor.
Taiwanese food is sort of an amalgamation of all the cuisine above. Taiwan cuisine developed when the KMT retreated to Taiwan, which resulted in the all of the cultures/regions of Chinese being squeezed into a small island. It has features of all of the cuisines and features dishes with rices and noodles. The food is more "tapa-esque" as opposed to family style where the dishes are complete meal within itself. Meats and seafood are used but not usually the primary ingredients. Most Taiwanese food develop from a lunch cart/night market culture and meant to be eaten quickly. Most of Taiwanese food are meant to be snacked on rather than a sit down meal.
There is also Hong Kong style cafe food which combines Chinese food with Western (English) cuisine. HK style cafes serve milk teas and coffee and serve both traditional Chinese food as well as things like sandwiches and pork chops.
