It’s late, you’ve just gotten off work and you’re tired and hungry; you just want something cheap, hassle-free and filling. As someone who has been in this situation several times myself, I can say with confidence that it’s hard to go wrong with Chinese food. Many take-out places are open late and have a wide variety of familiar (and sometimes not-so-familiar) dishes that are tasty and happily get the job done. Out of all the times I’ve ordered that entree and soup special, though, I’ve never really taken the time to consider the real depth and variety of dishes that Chinese food has to offer.
Today’s infographic from the Huffington Post gives us a mini tour of the different types and styles of Chinese cuisine that we have all come to love. I personally love to get a plate of Kung Pao chicken with some hot and sour soup, but I never knew that those two dishes likely originated in different regions of China. Kung Pao chicken, with its spicy flavor and ample use of dried peppers and peanuts is an example of Szechuan Chinese cuisine, which is characterized by chili, Szechuan peppercorn, garlic, ginger and peanuts. The hot and sour soup, on the other hand, would likely be considered a Fujian dish as Fujian is a bit lighter and is generally characterized by soups that are sweet, spicy and sometimes sour.
For more info on your favorite types of Chinese food have a look at the graphic below. [Via]