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Chinese
Cuisine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_cuisine
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Vegetarianism
is not uncommon or unusual in China, though, as is the case
in the West, it is only practiced by a relatively small proportion
of the population. Most Chinese vegetarians are Buddhists, following
the Buddhist teachings about minimizing suffering. Chinese vegetarian
dishes often contain large varieties of vegetables (e.g. bai
cai, shiitake mushroom, sprouts, corn) and some imitation meat.
Such imitation meat is created mostly with soy protein and/or
wheat gluten to imitate the texture, taste, and appearance of
duck, chicken, or pork. Imitation seafood items, made from other
vegetable substances such as konjac, are also available.
Contemporary health trends
the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates
for 2001–2003, 12% of the population of the People’s
Republic of China was undernourished. The number of undernourished
people in the country has fallen from 386.6 million in 1969–1971
to 150.0 million in 2001–2003.
Undernourishment is a problem mainly in
the central and western part of the country, while "unbalanced
nutrition" is a problem in developed coastal and urban
areas. Decades of food shortages and rationing ended in the
1980s. A study in 2004 showed that fat intake among urban dwellers
had grown to 38.4 percent, beyond the 30 per cent limit set
by the World Health Organization. Excessive consumption of fats
and animal protein has made chronic diseases more prevalent.
As of 2008, 22.8 percent of the population were obese and 18.8
percent had high blood pressure. The number of diabetes cases
in China is the highest in the world. In 1959, the incidence
of high blood pressure was only 5.9 percent.
A typical Chinese peasant before industrialization
would have eaten meat rarely and most meals would have consisted
of rice accompanied with green vegetables, with protein coming
from foods like peanuts. Fats and sugar were luxuries not eaten
on a regular basis by most of the population. With increasing
wealth, Chinese diets have become richer with more meats, fats,
and sugar being consumed.
Health advocates put some of the blame
on the increased popularity of Western foods, especially fast
food, and other culinary products and habits. Many Western,
especially American, fast food chains have appeared in China,
and are highly successful economically. These include McDonald's
and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).
An extensive epidemiological study called
the China Project is being conducted to observe the relationship
of disease patterns to diet, particularly the move from the
traditional Chinese diet to one which incorporates more rich
Western-style foods. Controversially, Professor T. Colin Campbell
has implicated the increased consumption of animal protein in
particular as having a strong correlation with cancer, diabetes,
heart disease, and other diseases that, while common in Western
countries, were considered rare in China. He suggests that even
a small increase in the consumption of animal protein can dramatically
raise the risk of the aforementioned diseases.
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