Chinese Cuisine Craftsman flashcards

35 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Málà

The signature Sichuan sensation combining 麻 (numbing) from Sichuan peppercorn and 辣 (spicy heat) from chili, used in hotpot, mapo tofu, and kung pao dishes.

Light vs dark soy

生抽 (light soy) is salty and used for seasoning; 老抽 (dark soy) is thicker, caramel-colored, and used mainly to give braised dishes their deep color.

Doubanjiang red oil

Pixian chili bean paste must be fried gently in oil until the red oil separates; this step develops aroma and removes the raw, flat bean taste.

Shaoxing wine role

Aged rice wine added during stir-fry or braising; its alcohol evaporates and carries away fishy and gamey odors while adding gentle sweetness and aroma.

Qinling-Huaihe line

The geographic divide separating China's rice-eating south from its wheat-eating north, shaping staple foods, noodle culture, and dumpling traditions.

Chinese cleaver grip

Hold the handle with the index finger and thumb pinching the blade's heel for control; the broad blade also scoops and smashes ingredients.

Shredding standard

丝 (shreds) are cut about 2–3 mm thick and 5–6 cm long so they cook evenly within seconds in a hot wok.

Velveting

Coating sliced protein with salt, egg white, and cornstarch, then briefly blanching in oil or water to seal in moisture before the final stir-fry.

Scoring (花刀)

Cutting a shallow crosshatch into squid, kidney, or fish so it curls on contact with heat, cooks evenly, and holds sauce.

Mise en place rule

All ingredients cut, sauces mixed, and starch slurry prepared before the wok is heated, because stir-frying leaves no time for preparation once cooking starts.

Wok hei

The smoky, seared aroma created by high heat, dry wok surface, small batches, and constant tossing; overcrowding traps steam and destroys it.

Red braise (红烧)

A method using caramelized sugar, soy sauce, and aromatics with slow simmering to give dishes a glossy red-brown color and deep savory flavor.

Double-boil (隔水炖)

A sealed jar of ingredients cooked in simmering water at about 90–95 °C, producing clear broth and preserving delicate textures and aromas.

Oil temperature stages

Chinese cooks judge oil by 成: 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 searing.

Blanching (焯水)

Briefly boiling ingredients, often with ginger and wine, to remove blood, off-flavors, and excess fat before the main cooking step.

HACCP seven principles

Hazard analysis, critical control points, critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, verification, and record keeping form the food-safety management framework.

Danger zone

The 5–60 °C range where bacteria multiply fastest; hot food must be held above 60 °C and cold food below 5 °C.

Bacillus cereus risk

Cooked rice left at room temperature can grow toxin-producing Bacillus cereus; cool quickly and refrigerate, and never hold rice warm for hours.

Cross-contamination control

Use separate color-coded boards and cleavers for raw meat and ready-to-eat food, and sanitize surfaces between tasks to prevent pathogen transfer.

Chinese dietary pagoda

Daily guidance recommending 250–400 g grains, 300–500 g vegetables, 200–350 g fruit, 120–200 g protein, and under 6 g salt.

Sodium reduction tactics

Lower salt by using vinegar, aromatics, and chili for flavor, rinsing cured and pickled items, and replacing part of the soy sauce with low-sodium versions.

Buddhist vegetarian rules

Many Buddhist vegetarian menus exclude the five pungent vegetables (garlic, scallion, onion, chives, leek) along with all meat and fish.

Food cost percentage

Calculated as (opening inventory + purchases − closing inventory) ÷ food sales × 100; restaurants typically target 28–35 percent.

Menu engineering matrix

Classifies dishes by profitability and popularity as stars, plowhorses, puzzles, and dogs, guiding which items to promote, reprice, or remove.

Standard recipe card

A document listing exact ingredients, gram weights, method, yield, portion count, and cost, enabling consistent food cost and quality control.

Kitchen brigade roles

Chinese kitchen stations include 头灶 (head wok), 砧板 (cutting), 打荷 (plating), 上什 (steaming), 烧腊 (roast), and 点心 (dim sum).

Mapo tofu finish

Silken tofu cubes simmered with fried doubanjiang and douchi, thickened with three rounds of starch slurry for glossy sauce clinging to each cube.

Double-fry technique

Frying sweet and sour pork first at about 160 °C to cook through, then at 190 °C to crisp the coating before tossing in sauce off the heat.

Peking duck skin

Air-drying and maltose glazing before roasting at 200–220 °C produce a lacquered, crisp skin carved and served separately from the meat.

Plating odd numbers

Arranging three or five components reads more naturally than even numbers; leave about one-third of the plate empty for visual balance.

Honest menu labeling

Menu claims about species, origin, and method must match what is purchased and served; substituting cheaper fish or misstating origin is an ethical breach.

Sustainable seafood choice

Avoid endangered items such as shark fin and bluefin tuna; choose certified or abundant species and disclose substitutions openly to guests.

Waste reduction hierarchy

Prevent waste first, then reuse trim for stock or pickles, recycle where possible, and recover energy; track waste weekly to find savings.

Single-variable innovation

Modern Chinese dishes should change one element at a time - texture, temperature, or plating - while keeping the source dish's recognizable flavor profile.

Plant-forward substitutions

King oyster mushroom replaces scallop, tofu skin replaces duck wrap, and fermented black bean replaces anchovy to create convincing vegetarian Chinese dishes.