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Fitness & Health

11th Aug 2017

5 things that will change the way you think about Chinese food

JOE

Brought to you by Eatzen.

Fancy a Chinese?

In the 60-plus years that Chinese restaurants have been operating in Ireland, Chinese food has become one of the country’s most popular cuisines.

You could say it’s a long-running love affair. Most of us can’t remember our partner’s mobile number but we can effortlessly quote the menu numbers of all our favourite dishes in the local Chinese restaurant.

Yet how much do you know about what’s essentially our second cuisine?

1. It has five key flavours

Sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy may sound like an alternative Spice Girls line-up but it’s actually the five key flavours in Chinese food. According to Chinese tradition, food can be divided into these five key favours that must be balanced properly to achieve the optimum taste and health.

It’s a bit more advanced than the five key flavours that underpin traditional Irish food – spuds, meat, vegetables, gravy and spuds.

2. The Chinese invented ice cream

Chinese food ice cream

As if discovering tea wasn’t a big enough deal (we can never properly thank you, China), the Chinese are also credited with inventing ice cream back in the seventh century.

So while Europe tore itself apart after the fall of the Roman Empire, the Chinese were tucking into ice cream. Now that’s what we call civilisation.

Prior to that, unhappy teenagers presumably had to make do with standing at the open door of a fridge that didn’t exist, looking for a dessert that hadn’t been invented.

3. Yin and yang

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that a meal should be a balance between yin (cool, moist and expanding) and yang (warm, dry and contracting). The best way to stay healthy and find equilibrium is to combine these different types of food in equal measure.

That doesn’t mean that a diet of cold beer and hot nuts is the secret to eternal life, just in case you’re wondering.

4. Eat until you’re full

Chinese food full

The traditional way of eating in China is to eat until you’re full. That’s because Chinese meals usually combine fibre-rich veg, carbohydrate and protein. Traditional meals avoid empty calories of sugary, nutrient-free food.

Western food often has a dangerous combo of high sugar, high fat and refined carbs so your body doesn’t know it’s full until it’s too late. And then the self-loathing begins…

5. Chinese food is considered to be one the healthiest in the world

Authentic Chinese cuisine does not require the use of milk-fat ingredients such as cream or butter. Chinese cooking uses fresh fish (lots of it), meat and of course, a variety of weird and wonderful vegetables – the fresher the better. They use less oil, meat, and spices than other Asian cuisines and they frown on the use of MSGs. Overall, authentic Chinese gives you a low-calorie count without sacrificing flavour. Take your Chinese dining to the next level, it’s a win-win.

Eatzen, meaning “healthy eating,” has been operating in Ashbourne since 2004. With influences from China, Thailand and Japan, they combine a fresh, healthy approach to Asian fine dining with the richness of a classic imperial kitchen. The team of highly trained chefs use fresh ingredients to create authentic and MSG-free Asian dishes for you to enjoy in the relaxed atmosphere of their elegant restaurant.

For more information, check out their website

Brought to you by Eatzen.