In the splendid picture of Chinese cuisine, the four-character idiom not only outlines the color, flavor, and shape of the dishes, but also gives them unique cultural connotations, allowing us to appreciate the breadth and depth of the language while our taste buds are blooming.
The color is like emerald, emerald green
Emerald white jade describes dishes as emerald green and as clear as jade. For example, the jade cabbage in Sichuan cuisine is carved into the shape of jade cabbage with a crystal-clear color, elegant and pleasant.
Fresh and fragrant, with endless aftertaste
The fresh and fragrant aroma depicts the aroma of the dishes, which is mouth-watering. For example, the sweet and sour pork tenderloin in home-cooked dishes, the fried tenderloin is coated in a sweet and sour sweet and sour sauce.
Spicy and hot, you can’t stop eating
Spicy and hot, spicy and exciting, which makes you want to stop eating. Like the boiled beef in Sichuan cuisine, the thin slices of beef are tumbling in the spicy and spicy soup, which is spicy and smooth, making you enjoy it.
Sour and sweet, appetizing and strengthening the spleen
Sour and sweet describes dishes with moderate sweetness and sour, appetizing and strengthening the spleen. For example, the sweet and sour pork in Cantonese cuisine is fried pork wrapped in sweet and sour sauce. It is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It is sweet and sour and appetizing.
Crispy, fragrant and tender, melts in your mouth
Crispy and fragrant, it describes a dish that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, melting in your mouth. For example, the fried noodles in Beijing snacks are golden and crispy noodles mixed with fragrant and mellow fried sauce. The texture is layered, and the crispy and tender noodles are perfectly combined.
Light and refreshing, good for health and longevity
Light and refreshing describes dishes with light taste, good for health and longevity. For example, the winter melon and old duck soup in Guangdong soup uses winter melon and old duck as raw materials. It is light, delicious and nourishing.
Mellow and rich aroma, long aftertaste
Mellow and rich aroma describes a dish with a mellow taste and long aftertaste. Such as the squirrel mandarin fish in Jiangsu cuisine. The fried mandarin fish is topped with sweet and sour sauce. It has a beautiful appearance, is crispy and delicious, sweet but not greasy, and is endlessly memorable.
Delicious and tender, with a fresh and fragrant taste
Delicious and tender describes dishes that are full of umami and the meat is fresh and tender. For example, the steamed fish in Cantonese cuisine is steamed with fresh fish, which retains the deliciousness and tenderness of the fish to the greatest extent, and the taste is fresh and tender.
Ruanwaoxiangtian is sweet but not greasy
Ruanduoxiangtian describes dishes that are soft, waxy and delicious, sweet but not greasy. For example, the bean paste buns in Beijing snacks are fermented dough wrapped with sweet bean paste filling. After steaming, they are soft, glutinous and sweet, with moderate sweetness and endless aftertaste.
Beautiful color, aroma, and mouth-watering flavor
Beautiful color, aroma, and taste describe dishes that are all mouth-watering in color, aroma, and taste. For example, the famous Huaiyang dishes include lion head and meatballs made from selected pork. They are beautiful in appearance, ruddy in color, delicious in soup, fat but not greasy, and are full of praise.