What Is a Chinese Staple?
A staple is a basic or necessary food. People who live in China are sometimes limited in what they can grow or eat because of the country's dense population. Still, the Chinese have created one of the most creative cuisines in the world with their staple foods. Does this Spark an idea?
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Rice
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For thousands of years, the Chinese have cultivated rice crops. Rice is eaten in the form of rice cakes or balls, dumplings, noodles and porridge, and is often served with a pork, chicken, seafood or a vegetable dish.
Vegetables
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Vegetables play a key role in the typical Chinese diet, and include bok choy, Napa cabbage, bean sprouts, lotus root, snow peas, kohlrabi, okra, ginger root and eggplant. Vegetables are served in soups, noodle dishes and with various meats.
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Tofu
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Tofu, also known bean curd, appears in many Chinese dishes. This soft cheese-like substance is made by curdling soy milk with a coagulant such as calcium sulfate, lemon juice or vinegar.
Seafood
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Because of China's proximity to the ocean as well as its many rivers, lakes and streams, the typical Chinese diet includes many fish and shellfish items such as catfish, carp, prawns and crab.
Poultry Products
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Chicken is served in many Chinese homes and restaurants, as is duck, goose, pigeon and quail. Noodle and rice dishes are often topped with a cooked egg. "Century eggs" are made by soaking eggs in a clay-and-salt mixture for several weeks or months.
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- Photo Credit prawns image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
