Written by Clementine |
Chinese people believe that each place has its own way to nurture the inhabitants. In broad and extensive China, the differences of living or eating habits between north and south are quite conspicuous, many of which are usually seen as funny jokes making people laugh out loud.
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- South vs North: Climate, Crops & Diet Foundations
- Contrasting Staple Foods
- Regional Flavor Preferences and Controversies
- Culinary Techniques
- FAQs about Diet Differences
- Exploring China’s Diet Culture with China Xian Tour
South vs North: Climate, Crops & Diet Foundations
China’s vast land spans many climatic zones. The northern region sees a cooler and drier climate, so it provides a more friendly environment for the growth of wheat and other hardy grains. The south is warmer and wetter, and that’s why it has developed better rice cultivation. Over centuries, these ecological conditions have also gradually shaped people’s preference of staple foods.
Contrasting Staple Foods
North: Wheat, South: Rice
First and foremost, the staple food of two parts are totally different. In general, southern people eat rice very regularly, but northern people prefer noodles or other food made of flour. Both sides can not even imagine how the life might be if they themselves eat rice or noodles reversely everyday. That’s unbearable.
The “Chi Fan” Misunderstanding
When southerners say “Chi Fan(eat)”, they mean eating rice almost. While northerners say “Chi Fan(eat)”, they may refer to any of the three meals a day or anything that they want to eat. So if you ask a southerner, “-What do you want for lunch? -Fan.” Do not get angry by misunderstanding that the guy treats your question perfunctorily. Instead, he is truly going to eat rice(usually with vegetables or meet) as lunch.
Regional Flavor Preferences and Controversies
Hot Pot Sauces: Peanut Paste vs. Sesame Oil
As is known to all, hot pot is seen as a label of Chinese food. There’s finally no controversy about the affection for hot pot nationally. However, things of divergence still exist, and that is hot pot sauce used as disputing weapon. The soul of eating hot pot for northerner is peanut paste, usually added with other seasonings like oyster sauce, vinegar, fermented bean curd and so on. For southerner, sesame oil and mashed garlic are the best match with hot pot.
Flavor Profile: Heavy vs. Light/Sweet
Besides, people in north prefer food with heavy flavor, while people in south tend to accept the food with light or sweet flavor. For example, southerners eat Tofu Jelly with sugar, but in north, people eat it with sauce, coriander and a little bit pickled vegetables.
The Zongzi Debate: Sweet vs. Savory Fillings
What is strange is that Chinese always talk about how people eat Zongzi, which appears to be that northern Zongzi has filling with red jujube and tastes sweet. On the contrary, southern Zongzi is added with salty meat. How interesting the diet culture is!
Breakfast Contrast
In northern China, a typical breakfast usually start from steamed buns (mantou), dumplings (jiaozi), or noodles, and sometimes people will also pair them with savory broth.While in parts of southern China, rice porridge (congee), rice noodle rolls, or lighter rice-based dishes are more popular.
Noodle Variations
Though noodles are said to be more strongly associated with the north, southern regions also embrace a rich noodle culture. Here, people not just eat noodles made of wheat, they have also developed rice noodles, rice vermicelli or hybrid styles, for example Guilin rice noodles (桂林米粉), they are staples in many southern cities.
In the north, noodles are often made from wheat, with thicker, chewier textures and robust flavors. In the south, noodle dishes tend to be more delicate, with lighter broths and flavoring.
Culinary Techniques
Northern Soup Vs Southern Soup
There is also a fundamental difference between soups in the south and north. Northerners simmer the soup until the meat and vegetables are cooked, then eat the meat, drink out the soup.
While southern soup must be stewed with soft fire for a long time, or even a whole afternoon. When all the essence of the soup comes out, the soup will be drunk with meat left.
Wok Cooking vs Braising & Steaming
In the north, cooking often emphasizes stir-frying and boiling, people would more prefer methods that are quick and can preserve bold flavors. In contrast, people in the south would use more techniques like steaming, braising, and slow stewing, as they can draw out subtle flavors of the ingredients
Utensil Use & Serving Styles
In the north, meals would be served in large portions, being shared in dishes around a circular table, and they would often taste heavier. In the south, people prefer to present the dishes in a more delicate way. So they emphasize a meal should include multiple small dishes with refined plating.
FAQs about Diet Differences
Why is wheat the traditional staple in the North, and rice in the South?
Because of geography and climate. The north has cooler and drier conditions suitable for wheat, while the south’s warmer, wetter environment is ideal for rice cultivation.
Do Northerners never eat rice, and Southerners never eat noodles?
Not at all. Chinese people, no matter which area they are living in, will have both rice and noodle as their staple food.
What does a Northerner mean when they say “Chi Fan” (吃饭)?
Basically it would mean ”eat”or “have a meal”, regardless of whether rice or wheat-based food is involved.
Are there major differences in vegetable consumption or preservation techniques?
Yes. In the north, winter months will be more harsh and cold, so that people would have more pickled and preserved vegetables (for storage), while in the south the abundance of fresh produce year-round allows them to have more fresh greens, stir-fried or lightly cooked.
Exploring China’s Diet Culture with China Xian Tour
Things about eating habits are much more than the aforementioned. If you take a China tour including Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and those cities in Northern and Southern China, you will definitely feel and experience the interesting eating differences.
To better enjoy this unique food culture, join a well-designed China Xian Tour itinerary can be a perfect choice. Our guides can take you to experience various local specialties, and during the process, you’ll also get to touch the souls of different cities. With us taking care of everything along the journey, you can fully immerse yourself in the ultimate charm of this vast land.
