The foreigners who come to learn Chinese in China may have heard about the Chinese saying that it is not a perfect banquet without the wine. As a matter of fact, it is also not perfect if there is no soup in the banquet. It is disappointing if there is no soup in a meal with substantial foods. Therefore, the soup culture was gradually formed.
The soup is always the most important part in the feast. No matter how sumptuous the feast is, the soup is essential. The westerners who study Chinese in China may have heard about the famous French Chef Louis ever said that the soup is the most delicate dish on the table, which also reflects the soup culture.
And when you come to study Mandarin in China, you may also hear Chinese people say that you can eat without meat but you can’t eat without soup. It is obviously that Chinese people also attach much importance to the soup. The soup is inevitable in China no matter it is state banquet or family feast, no matter it is four dishes, six dishes or eight dishes. Those who study Chinese in China should know that the four dishes with one soup or the eight dishes with one soup have become popular in China in the soup culture.
The soup culture in China has a very long history. As early as more than 2,700 years ago, there were more than ten soups appeared in the recipes. According to the textual research by the historians, the earliest history of drinking soup was not in China. However, the foreigners who learn Chinese in China should know that the most ancient recipes with soup were found in China.
When you go to school to study Chinese in China, teachers would tell you some stories about the soup in ancient China. There was a soup named “a golden moon hang above the sea” which also named “he dan soup” and still used in today’s life. In the Tang and Song dynasties, it became more popular to drink soup in the folk. Until now, the soup culture is completely formed and there are a variety of soups to meet people’s needs.
As the soup becoming popular, the choosing of the soup raw materials has become an important part of soup culture. The raw materials for making soup are come widely. The foreigners who study Mandarin in China all know that most of the foods can be cooked into delicious soup. What’s more, you can make the soup you like according to your favor. Most people think that it is very simple to make soup. But it is not that simple as a matter of fact. Specifically speaking, it is never been easy to make a delicious soup. If you learn Chinese in China, you may hear that the food is easy to cook but the soup takes much attention, which is also the experience of the ancient chefs. You will never make a tasty soup if you have no exquisite techniques.
Generally speaking, the best raw material for making soup is from the animals which can be made into fresh soup with strong flavor. During the process when you study Chinese in China, you may have noticed that the most popular material for making soup in China is the hen, which should be as weigh as more than 1.5 kilogram after being killed and the older the better.
Sources:
Keatchinese
