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    Organic Food of China

    Written by: ifeng.com
    Posted on: September 21, 2017 | | 中文

    Countless jars of Soy Sauce along the Chishui River in Xianshi (source: China Daily)

    In today's fast-paced life, it is a luxury to come across vegetables which have been fully nourished by the sun and rain. But beyond vegetables, one rarely tastes the original flavors of any food. Therefore, it is understandable that traditional organic food has an increasing appeal for people. Let’s introduce you to some organic Chinese food items, which have a long history of being made through traditional methods and continue to be made to this day.

    Soy Sauce in Xianshi

    Organic Food of China - Fermenting Soy Beans

    Fermenting Soy Beans (source: China Daily)

    Soy sauce is an indispensable seasoning in Chinese cooking. Organic soy sauce oozes from the sauce billet fermented for years, so it is as precious as oil. Different from the soy sauce generated through a few hours of chemical reactions, organic soy sauce contains the essence of the natural changes which occur in a proper place and weather. It usually takes at least three to five years or even longer for organic soy sauce to form.

    The organic soy sauce of Xianshi City of Sichuan Province is particularly known, for being a precious cultural heritage, and considered a living fossil of China's traditional way of making soy sauce. The pure air and sufficient sunshine in Xianshi City provides active natural bacteria, which gives the soy sauce its rich flavor.

    Rice Wine in Shaoxing

    Organic Food of China - Workers churn up parboiled rice for brewing Shaoxing rice wine

    Workers churn up parboiled rice for brewing Shaoxing rice wine (source: Chinese Time School)

    As one of the three ancient wines in the world, rice wine originated from China and is unique to the country. The method of brewing Shaoxing rice wine in particular was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.

       Piles of pottery jars can be seen everywhere in Shaoxing City, among which some jars have been used for dozens of years, and therefore emit the fragrance of wine. A certain level of fermentation has to be achieved, and determining this is a crucial step, which can only be measured by the old masters. 

    Organic Food of China - A worker, surrounded by piles of jars, carries some more for brewing Shaoxing rice wine

    A worker, surrounded by piles of jars, carries some more for brewing Shaoxing rice wine (source: Xinhua)

       Winter in south China is wet, cold and long. The low temperature here provides enough time for natural fermentation, and makes the essence of grains gradually turn into rice wine. You need to wait for more than a hundred days to taste a bottle of such wine. Sipping it slowly, one can almost taste the winter in which it was made. 

    Traditional Chinese Brown Sugar

    Organic Food of China - A senior master oversees the boiling of sugarcane juice

    A senior master oversees the boiling of sugarcane juice (source: World of Chinese)

    Traditional Chinese brown sugar has the appearance of chocolate, but is more modest in nature.

    The ancient skill of making such sugar has a history of hundreds of years. The complex process of making brown sugar through traditional methods, involves a number of steps. The freshly collected sugarcanes are ground five times, filtered thrice, floated twice and precipitated once. The texture mainly depends on the boiling process.  About ten to twelve hours later, the brown sugar juice is poured into molds and cooled into different shapes. ?

    Xinjiang Cheese

    Organic Food of China - On the heights of the Chinese Altai Mountains, a Kazakh woman makes cheese out of cow milk

    On the heights of the Chinese Altai Mountains, a Kazakh woman makes cheese out of cow milk (source: Reza Deghati)

    Traditional cheese is a kind of snack for Kazakhs and Mongolians in Xinjiang. It was originally the product of redundant milk, but eventually became a delicacy. The richly flavored organic cheese is made from high-quality milk.

    There is a long journey undertaken by the liquid milk before it turns to solid cheese. The specific time period of production changes with the climate and temperature. The organic cheese is quite different from the mass-produced variety. Various weather conditions and bacteria affect the production under natural circumstances, so only high-quality fresh milk can guarantee the rich fragrance of traditional cheese.

    Translated by Zhou Xiaoling


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021