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.
The chicken is the main material. On this basis, we often add some more other materials such as lean pork, ham, duck and bones and so on. The materials should be diced into large pieces. Before you cook, you should add the cold water but not hot water, more importantly, the water should be added enough for once. Therefore, if you make soup yourself when you study Mandarin in China, you shouldn’t add more water during the process of cooking.
When the soup is boiling, you should remove the foam on the surface of the soup. In the following step, you can add some ingredients such as shallot, ginger and cooking wine and so on. Those who learn Chinese in China should attention that the salt should be added at last, keeping the freshness of the soup. Besides, the fire is also important, the soup will be affected whether it is too strong or slow.
With a long history, making soup has become a kind of culture. it is important in Chinese people’s daily life. In order to make the delicious soup, the choosing of the soup materials is also important.