The Chinese Conundrum – part I

Intro to Chinese food 

There is a vast difference between actual Chinese Food, and the imitation Chinese served all across the world. Largely, the difference lies in the ingredients and the manner of preparation. The imitation Chinese uses ingredients common to the cuisine it’s situated in; actual Chinese food goes for healthier choices such as vegetables, rice, and soy, along with small portions of meats such as chicken, beef or fish. 

The manner of preparation also greatly matters: considering that this imitation Chinese food is sold everywhere, from the cheapest of roadside ‘dhabhas’, to restaurants like ours, regarded widely as the best restaurant in Dehradun – since it is sold everywhere, quality greatly differs. And while we might remain quite conscious of health concerns such as calories and cholesterol, a lot of vendors are not, and that really gives Chinese food bad press

Still, as long as you remain conscious of what you are eating, and where you are eating it, you can not only greatly enjoy what Chinese, or even faux-Chinese, cuisine has to offer, but also keep your waistline in check. However, to be vigilant, you need to first understand what to be vigilant against: hence, spelled out for smarter eating, here are some do’s and don’ts of Chinese cuisine: 

Firstly, the don’ts: 

·   A lot of Chinese food is made cheaply and quickly, using deep frying, rather than the healthier method of steaming. So, learn to avoid the items that have crispy in them, because those are likely to be deep fried. Good alternatives to deep frying include stir-fried or steamed – not only do these ensure few calories and much lower cholesterol, they also taste pretty good. 

·    Certain items on the menu are just, simply, bad for you. For example, egg rolls are deep-fried and completely filled with saturated fats. A simple experiment: wrap an egg roll in paper napkin and see the fat drench it. If you value your heart, this is not something you’d want to eat. 

·    A lot of faux-Chinese joints have a huge problem of variety: sweet and sour often simply means covering the meal in question with a sickeningly sweet sauce, before deep frying it. Avoid! 

In the next post, we’ll finish the list of don’t and begin with the best practices that the finest multicuisine restaurant takes very seriously!