Cooking Seasoning Secrets

Author: Lei Dong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The author, through years of culinary study and work, has diligently honed his skills, respected his mentors, and meticulously researched culinary theory. Guided by the principles of "Excellence comes from diligence, decline from indulgence; character is formed through thought, destroyed by following blindly" and "Travel ten thousand miles, read ten thousand books," he has received guidance from dozens of national-level culinary masters, renowned chefs, and skilled cooks in various regions across China, such as Sichuan, Shandong, Guangdong, and Hainan. Abroad, he has been personally instructed by senior foreign Western chefs. As a "red case" (hot-side) national-level chef, he has continuously learned from the strengths of others, mastering the practical techniques of various regional and flavored dishes. Based on years of culinary experience, he has summarized the theory of 40 "flavor profiles" to help different culinary schools innovate in the taste of their dishes. Due to the long-standing "conservative" habits in the culinary world, masters often fail to fully impart their knowledge in flavoring and seasoning ratios, making it difficult for the next generation of chefs to learn efficiently, thus hindering the inheritance and development of culinary culture. Through years of practice and summary, the author has categorized and summarized seasoning methods from various regions, achieving standardization and serialization in dish flavors. "Seasoning," as an "art," has reached a higher level. This book summarizes some patterns of Chinese and Western seasoning, hoping to assist chefs in inheriting and developing culinary traditions across regions.
The example dishes for each flavor profile in this book follow the principle of "clean, lightweight, quick, and efficient" in selecting cooking utensils, using the Taiwan-style gas convection stove from Guangdong, China, and the Cantonese single-bottom wok. The advantages of the stove lie in its convenient water supply, easy flame adjustment, cleanliness, and pollution-free operation. The advantages of the wok are its lightweight, rapid heating, and large capacity. In terms of cooking methods, simple and easily masterable techniques are chosen, such as "quick blanching" (known as "shuichu" in the south, "chushui" in the north) and "scalding" (known as "laoyou" in the south, "huoyou" in the north). For the visual aspect of the dish's "form," the standard of "bright sauce and glossy sauce" from Guangdong is adopted, compared to the "juicy and glossy oil" from Shandong and Sichuan, which reduces oil usage for better health benefits. Of course, in seasoning, each region should also apply its own specialized cooking methods and flavor standards to adapt to local climate, soil, and taste preferences.