Chinese Cuisine Craftsman cheat sheet

Eight great cuisines and their signatures: Sichuan (málà, chili bean paste, peppercorn), Cantonese (fresh, steamed, light soy), Shandong (braised, scallion, wheat), Jiangsu (sweet, delicate, river fish), Zhejiang (fresh, bamboo, vinegar), Fujian (umami, red rice wine, soup), Hunan (dry chili, cured, sour), Anhui (mountain ingredients, braise).

Five basic tastes (酸甜苦辣咸) plus the Chinese emphasis on 鲜 (xiān, umami) and 麻 (numbing) as distinct sensations; balance is judged on the plate, not per ingredient.

Sichuan málà = 麻 from Sichuan peppercorn (hydroxy-alpha-sanshool, ~50 Hz tingling) + 辣 from chili; yuxiang, guaiwei, and jiali are compound flavor profiles, not single tastes.

Soy sauce split: 生抽 (light, salty, for seasoning) vs 老抽 (dark, caramel, for color); 黄酒/绍兴酒 (Shaoxing) deglazes and removes fishiness via alcohol evaporation.

Aromatics triad 葱姜蒜 (scallion, ginger, garlic) plus 花椒 and star anise form the base of most stir-fry and braise; ginger juice and scallion water substitute for alcohol in halal or child menus.

Doubanjiang (郫县豆瓣) must be fried in oil at low heat until red oil (红油) releases before adding other ingredients; raw doubanjiang tastes flat and salty.

Rice vs wheat divide: south of the Qinling-Huaihe line rice and rice noodles dominate; north favors 面 (wheat noodles), 馒头, and dumplings.

Dried goods (香菇, 干贝, 虾米, 木耳) are rehydrated in cool water, and the soaking liquid is strained and used as stock - it carries most of the umami.

Chinese cleaver (菜刀) is a single tool for slicing, mincing, smashing, and scooping; the spine and heel do heavy work, the thin front edge does fine slicing.

Cut names map to dimensions: 片 (slice), 丝 (shred, ~2–3 mm), 丁 (dice), 块 (chunk), 末 (mince), 条 (strip); uniform size ensures even heat penetration in a wok.

Against-the-grain slicing shortens muscle fibers; for beef, slice across the grain and cut 3–4 cm wide strips to reduce chewiness.

斜刀 (oblique cut) increases surface area for marinade absorption; 花刀 (scoring) on squid, kidney, and fish allows even cooking and decorative curl.

Mise en place rule: all ingredients cut, sauces mixed, and starch slurry (水淀粉) ready before the wok is heated - stir-fry allows no time for prep once oil smokes.

Blanching (焯水) removes blood, off-flavors, and excess fat; cold-water rinse after blanching keeps vegetables crisp and sets color.

Velveting (上浆): coat protein with salt, egg white, and cornstarch, then blanch in 120–140 °C oil or water to seal moisture before final stir-fry.

Knife hygiene: separate boards for raw meat and ready-to-eat items; sanitize cleaver and board between proteins and vegetables to prevent cross-contamination.

Wok hei (镬气) requires high heat (200–260 °C surface), dry surface, small batches, and constant motion; overcrowding drops temperature and steams instead of searing.

Stir-fry sequence: heat wok → add oil → aromatics 10–20 s → protein → vegetables → sauce → starch slurry → finish with sesame oil or vinegar off heat.

Red braise (红烧) uses soy, sugar, and aromatics; sugar caramelizes first for color, then liquid is added and simmered 40–90 min; white braise (白烧) omits dark soy.

Steaming: gentle rolling steam, not violent boil; fish 8–10 min per 500 g, whole chicken 25–35 min; keep lid sealed to retain pressure and aroma.

Double-boil (炖/隔水炖) cooks a sealed jar in simmering water at ~90–95 °C, preserving clear broth and delicate ingredients such as bird's nest or herbal soups.

Oil temperature stages: 三四成热 (~90–120 °C) for velveting, 五六成热 (~150–180 °C) for frying, 七八成热 (~200–240 °C) for quick searing and 爆炒.

Roast (烤) and red-cook (卤) rely on Maillard browning and collagen conversion; tough cuts need 70–80 °C internal for 1–3 h to gelatinize collagen.

Smoking and tea-smoking (樟茶) use dry heat with tea leaves, sugar, and rice; keep smoke light and vent the kitchen, as smoke contains PAHs.

HACCP seven principles: hazard analysis, determine CCPs, set critical limits, monitor, corrective actions, verification, record keeping.

Danger zone 5–60 °C; keep hot food ≥60 °C and cold food ≤5 °C; cooling from 60 °C to 5 °C within 2 hours (or 6 hours total per some codes) to limit Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens.

Reheating must reach 74 °C core; leftovers reheated only once; rice held at room temperature is a high-risk vehicle for Bacillus cereus.

Raw seafood and shellfish are CCPs: source from approved suppliers, keep live shellfish at 0–5 °C, and cook to 63 °C or serve only after validated freezing for parasites.

Cross-contamination controls: color-coded boards, separate raw/cooked zones, handwashing 20 s, and no bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food.

Allergen management: the eight common allergens plus sesame and sulfites must be declared; separate scoops and fryers prevent cross-contact in shared kitchens.

Pest and waste control: grease traps cleaned weekly, waste covered and removed daily, and dry storage at ≤25 °C with 15 cm floor clearance.

Personal hygiene: no jewelry or nail polish, hair restrained, illness reporting, and exclusion of staff with vomiting or diarrhea for 48 hours after symptoms stop.

Chinese dietary pagoda: grains 250–400 g/day, vegetables 300–500 g, fruit 200–350 g, protein 120–200 g, oil 25–30 g, salt <6 g per day.

Plate composition rule: half vegetables, one quarter protein, one quarter grains; steam, blanch, and stir-fry retain more water-soluble vitamins than long boiling.

Sodium reduction: replace part of soy sauce with low-sodium soy, use vinegar and aromatics for flavor, and rinse pickled and cured ingredients before cooking.

Gluten-free substitution: rice, millet, sorghum, and sweet potato starch replace wheat; soy sauce contains wheat unless specified as gluten-free.

Vegetarian umami: shiitake, kombu, tomato, and fermented bean paste replace meat stock; combine rice and beans for complete amino acid profile.

Menu planning balances texture (脆, 嫩, 酥), color, temperature, and cooking method - avoid two deep-fried or two braised dishes in one set menu.

Portion costing: standard yield tests (e.g., 1 kg raw beef yields ~700 g cooked) set true portion cost; track trim, shrinkage, and waste percentage.

Dietary accommodations: halal (no pork, no alcohol), Buddhist vegetarian (no 五辛: garlic, scallion, onion, chives, leek), and low-purine menus for gout.

Food cost percentage = (beginning inventory + purchases − ending inventory) ÷ food sales × 100; target 28–35% for Chinese restaurants.

Menu engineering matrix: stars (high profit, high popularity), plowhorses (low profit, high popularity), puzzles (high profit, low popularity), dogs (low both); reposition or re-engineer dogs.

Standard recipe card lists ingredients, exact gram weights, yield, portion count, and cost; without it, food cost cannot be controlled.

Menu pricing: price = portion cost ÷ target food cost percentage; round to psychological price points and check against competitor and perceived value.

Kitchen brigade (厨房分工): 头灶 (head wok), 砧板 (cutting board), 打荷 (garnish/plating), 上什 (steamer), 烧腊 (roast), 点心 (dim sum), 水台 (seafood prep).

Inventory turns: high-turn perishables ordered 2–3 times weekly; FIFO rotation with date labels; par levels set at 1.5× average daily usage.

Labor cost target 25–30% of revenue; schedule by covers forecast and prep-heavy vs service-heavy shifts; cross-train for absence coverage.

Menu design hierarchy: signature dishes placed top-right of the page, 6–8 items per category, and descriptions naming origin and cooking method to justify price.

Mapo tofu standard: silken tofu in 2 cm cubes, blanched in salted water; fry doubanjiang and douchi until red oil; add stock, tofu, and three rounds of starch slurry for glossy cling.

Kung pao chicken: dice chicken 1.5 cm, marinate in soy, wine, and starch; fry dried chilies and peppercorn in cool oil first to avoid bitterness; finish with sweet-sour sauce.

Sweet and sour pork: double-fry at 160 °C then 190 °C for crispness; sauce = sugar, vinegar, ketchup, and starch, tossed off heat to keep coating crisp.

Peking duck: air-dry 12–24 h, blanch and glaze with maltose, roast at 200–220 °C until skin is lacquered; carve skin first, then meat, serve with pancakes and scallion.

Steamed fish: score the fish, place on scallion and ginger, steam 8–10 min per 500 g, pour off the cloudy liquid, top with hot oil and seasoned soy.

Plating: odd numbers (3 or 5) read better than even; leave 1/3 of the plate empty; sauce under or beside protein, never flooding the rim.

Garnish must be edible and relevant: scallion curls, chili threads, toasted sesame, and micro herbs; avoid inedible plastic or raw flour decorations.

Consistency standard: weigh seasoning, use a standard ladle, and taste at each stage; a dish must look, smell, and taste identical across cooks and shifts.

Honest labeling: do not substitute cheaper species (e.g., tilapia for grouper, farmed for wild) or misstate origin; menu claims must match the invoice and the plate.

Food-safety ethics override speed: never serve food past its safe holding time, and never mask spoilage with heavy spice or sauce.

Sustainable seafood: avoid endangered species (shark fin, bluefin tuna, wild eel); use MSC/ASC-certified or abundant alternatives and state substitutions openly.

Waste reduction hierarchy: prevent, reuse, recycle, recover; use trim for stock, stems for pickles, and bones for broth; track waste weekly.

Heritage protection: document family recipes, regional techniques, and dialect names; credit the source community when commercializing a traditional dish.

Energy and water: induction wok ranges cut energy use, and low-flow pre-rinse spray valves reduce water; schedule heavy prep in off-peak hours.

Fair labor: pay legal wages, limit consecutive shifts, provide safety training, and prohibit harassment; ethical sourcing includes people, not just ingredients.

Intangible cultural heritage: Chinese cuisine techniques such as 兰州拉面, 北京烤鸭, and 扬州炒饭 are recognized heritage skills; teaching them carries a duty of accuracy.

Innovation rule: change one variable at a time (texture, temperature, or presentation) while keeping the recognizable flavor profile of the source dish.

Modern techniques that fit Chinese flavors: sous-vide for precise doneness (e.g., char siu at 62 °C), spherification of vinegar pearls, and liquid nitrogen for instant freezing.

Fusion pitfalls: avoid stacking incompatible umami (fermented bean paste plus aged cheese) and avoid losing wok hei by over-plating or chilling before service.

Plant-forward Chinese: use king oyster mushroom as scallop substitute, tofu skin as duck wrap, and fermented black bean as anchovy replacement in sauces.

Presentation innovation: deconstruct but preserve eating logic - diners must be able to combine components in one bite as the original dish intended.

Menu storytelling: name the region, technique, and seasonal ingredient; avoid invented 'ancient' claims that cannot be verified.

R&D process: benchmark against the classic, prototype three versions, run blind tastings with staff, cost each version, and only then add to the menu.

Fermentation and aging are modern tools with ancient roots: koji, sourdough, and aged doubanjiang can deepen flavor while reducing salt and additives.