Unfortunately Chinese food is associated with unhealthy food. Rightfully so you're thinking. That couldn't be further from the truth. Traditional Chinese food is mostly steamed and very lightly stir fried, very little oil is used to prepare dishes. Food served in a Chinese restaurant / takeaway differs greatly to the food prepared within a Chinese home. The basics remain the same but the proportions of the ingredients used can differ greatly. The tools used such as a wok and dim sum pots are the same.



Chinese food served in restaurants and takeaways are flavours created to tantalise your taste buds, they are manufactured to give us what we want right now. The average person is not a food critic, they want the flavour to shout at them and stop them in their tracks. This is case with many restaurant and takeaway foods, not just Chinese restaurant / takeaway food, Indian restaurant / takeaway foods are another prime example of this. People don't have time to sit their and think about the delicate flavours of the foods that they are eating. To fulfil this need some Chinese restaurants / takeaways even use [MSG] monosodium glutamate which is a flavour enhancer to help you reach your destination of immediate taste bud satisfaction.

Restaurant and takeaway foods are not a true representation of traditional Chinese food. Traditional Chinese food tends to have more delicate flavours; the proportion of spices tends to be much less. Why? to allow the true taste of each ingredient to come show itself properly. Some spices can be overpowering and change the way other ingredients appear to taste on our tongue. It is the delicate flavours that traditional Chinese food tries to explore and how each unique taste of fruit, vegetable, meat or fish compliments the next.

So the next time your pop out for a takeaway, speak to the waiter and ask for a dish that is a true representation of traditional Chinese food, something there mother would prepare for them at home and request that no MSG is used, trust me, its not necessary in Chinese food, the ingredients provide you with wonderful flavours and they don't need any enhancement. Then sit and take the time to enjoy the difference between what you eat and what you're used to eating from a Chinese restaurant / takeaway. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

One of the first things that you may notice is that the food should not be as greasy, the flavours will be more delicate, your tongue may have to work just a little harder to explore the taste, but your tongue will enjoy it much more. The food will be a great deal healthier as well. Consider this, why is the average Chinese person much thinner than the average white American. It is the food, there is not other explanation, we all do the same jobs, we eat more or less the same quantity in relation to your body weight and yet Chinese people are thinner, it is our diets that differ the most. Chinese people at home don't eat the same food you eat at the takeaway / restaurant. If you started eating traditional Chinese food at home, then you wouldn't gain weight, most likely you'll end up loosing weight instead. Chinese food is rich in vitamins and minerals because there are an array of different fruits, vegetables, meats and fish all combined together and the ingredients are cooked lighter. This helps to lock in the flavours and the essential vitamin and minerals they contain.

To show you how to enjoy true Chinese food, I've prepared a Chinese recipe book. For those of you who really aren't that adventurous and like the taste of Chinese food just the way it is and are not blessed with a great metabolism and can eat anything you want and never have to worry about your weight, you won't be disappointed. All your favourite dishes are there ready for you to prepare at home, so you can save a hell of a lot of money by preparing your own tasty Chinese food within the comfort of your own home. Everything from chicken chow mien to egg foo yung is included. You'll be able to impress your family and friends with your culinary skills at the same time.

For those of you who are a little more adventurous, I have provided you with instructions on how to make each dish more authentic. To prepare the dish with less oil and fewer unhealthy ingredients, allowing the true taste of each ingredient to tantalise your taste buds.

I look forward to hearing your views,

Love Chinese food, and keep loving it without the fear of gaining weight!!

To view some of my free sample recipes visit my website:

(www.chinese-foodrecipes.com)