Combining Food and Medicine in the same section may seem strange, though in China it is difficult to separate the wellness of the body from what goes into it. Ultimately it is the 'Chi' or vital energy forces that run through the body that are key to a healthy and balanced life and this is supported by a very sensible approach that it is better to stay healthy than to get sick and need medicines. Traditional Chinese Medicine encourages keeping an even temper, eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly - really no different to what our grandmothers told us! Where the variation lies is in the approach. Chinese cooking emphasizes the Taoist yin and yang of a dish's ingredients and the dishes that comprise a meal so that there is balance and harmony in what is being eaten and in the effects it will have on the body. The belief in the 5 elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water (or translated into flavours: sour, bitter, sweet, sharp and salty and which have effects on internal energy forces and internal organs) guide cooks in preparing a balanced and nutritious meal. Chinese medicine takes the art of preparing meals one stage further and when the body does break down generally looks to repair the internal energy flows as well as using herbs to address the imbalances in the body and which are causing the symptoms of illness. Traditional exercise regimes (commonly referred to as Chi Gong and Kung Fu although with many variations) are other means of keeping the body and mind in harmony. Chinese Cuisine Clearly, there's rather more to Chinese cooking that what is available in the neighbourhood Chinese restaurant or takeaway! The proper preparation of Chinese food takes years of practice and as in the west, recipes that are handed down from generation to generation can be closely guarded secrets. Due to migration patterns from Southern China to the UK and Europe, Chinese food is normally associated with that from the southern provinces or Cantonese cooking, though it has been dramatically altered to take into account foreign tastes and product availability. Chinese cuisine always uses the freshest of meats and vegetables and which are cooked in endless ways so as to create a meal that is in perfect balance. The two key components of all meals are 'Fan', meaning starchy food and including rice, wheat or millet is the staple of every meal and is then balanced with 'Cai', which are the meats and vegetables. China has over 50 different cooking methods, with 6 ways of stir-frying alone (the secret to stir-frying is the intensity of the heat, so that flavours are quickly sealed). Different foods are also believed to either heat or cool the body and accordingly, to the Chinese, the concept of balance or Yin and Yang is essential in creating a good meal. The Yin and Yang of dishes follow no strict rules, instead it is left to the cook's intuition though any dish should always emphasize and expertly combine the Colour, Aroma, Flavour, Shape and Texture of the ingredients. Chinese food emphasizes freshness and any visit to a local market confirms this; poultry and fish are often sold whilst still alive and market stalls which are so loaded with vegetables, fruits and seasonings in the morning will generally be empty by later in the day. Chinese food is often very simply cooked though the flavours, which come from the multitude of seasonings, can be so diverse - there are dozens of different types of chilli sauces, of soy sauces, of pastes and powders and each has its own unique role in the kitchen store cupboard. Master chef's talk about the essentials of any Chinese kitchen and which, truth be told, are not dissimilar to what we have in the west - they are just used in different combinations. The essentials are: Fuel, Rice, Oil, Salt, Vinegar, Soy, Sugar, Spices and Tea. Noticeable is the lack of dairy products, which are very rare in the Chinese diet and mainly as a result of land being used for more intensive cultivation as opposed to for grazing. There are four main styles of cooking that prevail in China and which are delineated by geography. Over time the various styles have merged though you will notice the distinct differences between cooking styles as you travel round the country. Reasons for the merging of the styles are firstly; the building of the Grand Canal, a system of waterways that connected Beijing with provinces as far as way as Guangxi (where Guilin is located and today a 3 hour flight south) allowed fresh produce to be transported northwards and to a degree caused a merging of cooking styles. Secondly; Chinese regional foods have also been influenced by invading forces and traders. In the north as a result of the Mongol invasion lamb and hot pots were introduced while in the west, Xian's cooking styles were influenced by travellers from along the Silk route bringing in new spices and religious diets. Food is of great importance to the Chinese and don't be surprised if a shopkeeper or guide asks if you have eaten yet. The cooking styles are: Northern: Peking or Shandong cooking struggles with the harsher climate and topography and the result is warming hotpots, dumplings, Beggar's Chicken (a whole chicken covered with lotus leaves and clay and then slowly baked) and the famous Peking Duck. Northern Food has much stronger flavours, partly to compensate for the poorer quality of ingredients, and garlic, spring onions, vinegar, soy and salty bean pastes are common seasonings as are preserved vegetables. Northern China doesn't support rice crops and accordingly wheaten noodles, steamed dumplings, spring rolls, bread and pancakes are more typical. Vegetables are also limited with the exception of the ubiquitous cabbage and turnip that you will find can be cooked in a quite remarkable number of ways! Also on many northern menus are chicken and fresh water fish. The Mongol influence introduced hotpots and lamb. Cooking styles include steaming, roasting, baking and very quick frying. This last method became popular as a result of limited fuel supplies. Meals are warming and filling, thus suited to the colder northern winter climate. Beijing's role as China's Imperial capital has led to a sumptuous culinary legacy through its Imperial food, dishes that use ordinary ingredients but which are luxuriously and cleverly combined. Eastern or Shanghainese dishes reflect the fertile agricultural lands of the Yangtze River Delta and are delightfully fresh. The gentler climate also allows a multitude of crops to be grown though with the area having chillier winters one benefits from some hearty stewed dishes, which make for a pleasant change. Common ingredients in the east are rice wine, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic and some sugar so as to balance out the acidity of the other seasonings. Generally the flavours of meat dishes are stronger whilst seafood and vegetables are treated more simply. Eastern dishes are often slowly braised so as to create rich and smooth meat and fish dishes that are bursting with flavour. This technique uses a lot of rich dark soy sauce, sugar and spices, which creates some memorable dishes. The region is blessed with rivers, a long coastline and fertile soil and thus the variety of ingredients is huge. Fresh ingredients are always available and there is an emphasis on poultry, pork, seafood and fresh vegetables with steaming and stir-frying being common cooking techniques. This area is known for producing China's leading soy sauces and rice wines as well as excellent green tea. Siu Long Bao (steamed dumplings with a pork and soup filling), Mandarin fish soup with mushrooms and ham, small prawns stir fried with green tea leaves, braised pork knuckles, hot and sour soup and steamed fishes are only some of the culinary wonders waiting to be tried in the East. Western or Sichuan cooking is flavoured with vibrant chillies and spices. Chilli bean paste made from soy beans, dried red chilli, garlic and spices is a standard ingredient that is used as the basis of many dishes whilst the Sichuan pepper, ginger, sesame oil, preserved vegetables, fish sauces and vinegars are all commonly used ingredients. Sichuan dishes have been influenced over the years by the spices and cooking techniques brought by traders and Indian Buddhist missionaries and this historic Buddhist influence in Sichuan explains why vegetarian dishes feature so prominently on local menus. Stewed bean curd with minced beef, chicken and ham soup, oxtail and stir fried meats with fiery chillies are common Sichuan dishes Fresh ingredients, thanks to fertile lands fed by the Yangtze River, are available all year with vegetables, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and bean curds being common ingredients along with pork and poultry. Cooking techniques emphasize marinating and pickling and include stir and quick frying. Sichuan meals are akin to simple home cooking. Southern or Cantonese cooking benefits from the area's sub-tropical climate and makes use of the abundant natural ingredients from the fertile farmlands, numerous rivers and good arable land and is often seen as the most refined and delicate school of Chinese cuisine. The Cantonese people's desire for simple delicate cooking means that seasonings are kept to a minimum and often no more than ginger, garlic, spring onions, soy sauce and chicken stock will be used whilst stronger flavourings such as chilli and bean pastes will be served as dipping sauces. Cooking techniques generally emphasize steaming or quick stir-frying whilst meats such as pork, chicken and duck are often deliciously roasted. The Cantonese not only remark on the flavour of the dishes but also their texture and freshness. Cantonese cooking also uses some rather exotic ingredients with dog, cat, snake, monkey and lizard all appearing on menus though laws in Hong Kong prevent all of these (with the exception of snake) being sold in the city. Favourite Cantonese dishes include Char Siu (BBQ'd pork), sweet and sour deep-fried pork, steamed fishes, drunken prawns (prawns marinated alive in rice wine and then dropped into boiling stock), salt baked chicken and simple green vegetables. Yum Cha, literally meaning 'to drink tea' is popular throughout China though has its origins in the south. In the tea houses and restaurants all over the country the morning ritual of tea is accompanied by small dumplings and small fried or steamed parcels of dim sum stuffed with fresh seafood, meat and vegetables. Today Dim Sum is often eaten as a lunchtime meal and on Sundays, whole extended families will sit down around tables tucking into these tasty dishes. Hong Kong is a great place to sample Dim Sum and don't leave without experiencing it at least once. Chinese drink less alcohol than their western counterparts and tea is the most common meal time drink. Beer and more recently wine have made their way into local drinking habits and both local beer (lager) and local wines are good. Tsingtao is probably the most recognised Chinese beer brand. The red wines produced by Dynasty and Great Wall (particularly the reds) are quite drinkable. You will also comes across Chinese style wines, which can be an acquired taste!! Bottled water is always available. Chinese Tea Served at most meals, served in shops, served on busses or basically served everywhere, tea is part of daily life in China. Tea originated here and its use initially as a medicine, food and as sacrificial offerings can be traced back 4,000 years. Tea was used in the 4th century to cure the Emperor's headache, by the Taoists in the 8th century as an essential component in the 'elixir of immortality whilst its importance in Chinese culture was probably best summed up by a 16th century herbalist, "it clears the voice, gives brilliance to the eyes, invigorates the constitution, improves the mental faculties, opens up the avenues of the body, promotes digestion, removes flatulence and regulates the body temperature". As well as a drink tea is today used for cooking and the results are fantastic - freshwater prawns cooked with green tea leaves in Hangzhou and tea smoked duck in Sichuan are just two mouth-watering examples. There are over 250 varieties of tea though they fall into three principal categories; Green, Oolong and Black. Green Teas are unfermented and after picking are dried in a hot wok (to prevent the fermentation process), then normally rolled so that when water is added it uncurls, releasing its flavour. Oolong Teas are semi-fermented and as a result have a feel and flavour half way between Green and the fermented Black Teas, where the leaves have been allowed to wilt before being bruised (rolled) and dried. Some very special teas can cost an absolute fortune and tea connoisseurs from around the world relish teas as others collect vintage wines or old cognacs. Restaurants used in the Itinerary Chinese cooking is at its best in restaurants that cook the style of dishes for which that region is known. Unfortunately some of the restaurants that we have to use for lunches during our tours are not of the 5* variety and will serve a mix of dishes that they believe appeal to western tastes. The best advice is not to overeat at lunch and find, during your trip, a couple of good restaurants for dinner so that you can really taste and experience what Chinese cooking has to offer. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Healing Practices TCM can be traced as far back as the Stone Age when the earliest form of acupuncture was already in use - sharpened bone fragments were used instead of needles! The earliest written work on TCM came in about BC 200 - 'The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine' discussed the theory and philosophy of TCM as well as the therapeutic benefits of acupuncture, herbs, diet and exercise. TCM has evolved considerably though the early texts remain important today. TCM is grounded not in biochemistry or pathology but in the concepts of the balance and harmony of: The body's yin and yang, The 5 elements - wood, fire, earth, metal and water, The 6 pathogenic factors - cold, wind, dryness, heat, dampness and fire, and The 7 emotions - joy, anger, anxiety, obsession, sadness, horror and fear. Excesses or deficiencies in the body cause illness and have an effect on the body's vital energy flows called 'Chi', which need to flow unhindered around the body and along the 12 major energy channels or meridians. The Chi inside our bodies is created from the combination of the food we eat and digest via our stomach and spleen and the air we breathe into our lungs. It's the source of all body activity and key to protecting us from illness. When the Chi becomes blocked or is deficient it results in our body's inability to maintain defence against illnesses. TCM practitioners take a very close look at the body before making any remedy suggestions and the diagnosis is based on the following: Looking - complexion, eyes, tongue, nails, hair, skin, stature, Hearing/Smelling - sound of voice/breath, smell of breath, Touching - pulses, and Questioning - focusing on bodily movements and emotional/physical lifestyle issues. After diagnosis a treatment regime will be organized which will generally include herbal remedies and/or acupuncture. It should be stressed that the diagnosis will be quite different to a western diagnosis. For example if the western diagnosis were an ulcer, the TCM diagnosis would be something like 'damp heat affecting the spleen' or 'deficient yin of the stomach'. Acupuncture involves needles being inserted into various points on the body, which are interconnected by the energy channels or meridians so as to disperse any Chi blockages and to bring the patient's Chi levels back into harmony. Research studies have still not conclusively established why acupuncture is so successful in treating certain conditions. Herbal Medicines have been concocted after thousands of years of research from formulae made from roots, stems, bark, leaves, seeds and flowers as well as some minerals and animal parts. Normally medicines are taken in soup form though increasingly pill and powder remedies are being developed. What is believed to be so effective about herbal medicine is not the individual components of the prescription but instead the combination of numerous herbs and the combined effects of their sub-components. Chi Gong The primary goal of Chi Gong (similar to Tai Chi) is to activate the body's Chi and to increase the circulation of these vital flows of energy around the body and through the internal organs. Chi Gong is tremendously popular and every morning throughout China you will see people doing their morning exercise, slowly moving their bodies so as to harness and circulate the vital energy flows. It can be wonderfully relaxing as well as invigorating and the exercises focus on breathing, posture, movement, relaxation and concentration. The Martial Arts China is undisputedly the home of martial arts, whether it be kung-fu, judo, karate or taekwondo and all originated as fighting techniques to be used between individuals. Each is slightly different though the common theme is the dedication and concentration that is required and most have their foundations in the Taoist, Confucianist and Buddhist schools and monasteries that abounded in China. Watch the recent award winning film - Crouching Tiger - Hidden Dragon.