Shandong Cuisine Characteristics

Shandong Province (山东 shan1 dong1) is located on the northeast coast of China. Shandong shares its geographical borders with Hebei, Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui provinces.

Capital: Jinan

Other major cities: Qingdao, Weihai, Yantai, Weifang, Zaozhuang

Geographical conditions:

Shandong has a temperate climate. With a coastal line in the east and fertile lands in the west.

Main styles within Shandong cuisine (山东菜 shan1 dong1 cai4 or 鲁菜 lu3 cai4):

Jinan. This style encompasses dishes from Fushan, Qingdao, Yantai and surrounding regions. It is characterized by seafood cooking, with light tastes.
Jiaodong. This style encompasses dishes from Jinan, dezhou, Tai'an and surrounding regions. It is famed for its soup and utilizing soups in its dishes.

Local popular ingredients:

• Staggering array of seafood
• Small grains
• Corn
• Vinegar
• Yellow River Carp

Popular cooking methods:

• Quick – frying, stir- frying, braising, and deep – fat frying.

Cooking focus on:

• Presentation