Chinese food holds a popular place among the entire population of the world.
	  You can find a Chinese restaurant in every major city and in many smaller
	  areas of the world as well. Why is Chinese food so popular? Is Chinese food
	  healthy? What is the history of Chinese food?

	The History of Chinese Food - The history of Chinese food is an interesting
	  one. Unlike many cultures the Chinese believe that the preparation of food
	  is an art and not simply a craft. The art of cooking Chinese food can include
	  dishes and food preparation techniques which are difficult to develop and
	  may require the expertise of a chef with lots of experience. One such
	  technique is noodle pulling (scroll down to the bottom of the page to learn
	  more about this technique). Noodle pulling requires skill and lots of practice
	  and results in a delicious noodle dish. This article will refer to noodle pulling
	  later on, but for now, let's go back to the history of Chinese food.

	Chinese food and the way it is prepared is very much influenced by the two
	  major philosophies, which influence the entire Chinese culture. These
	  dominant philosophies are Confucianism and Taoism. Both have these
	  philosophies have influenced the way that the Chinese people cook and
	  the way that they enjoy their food.

	Confucianism and Chinese Cuisine - Confucius was the man behind the
	  Confucianism beliefs. Among many other standards Confucius established
	  standards for proper table etiquette and for the appearance and taste of
	  Chinese food. One of the standards set by Confucius (you might have
	  noticed this at an authentic Chinese restaurant) is that food must be cut
	  into small bite size pieces before serving the dish. This is a custom that is
	  definitely unique to the Chinese culture.

	Knives at the dinner table are also considered to be a sign of very poor taste
	  by those who embrace Confucianism beliefs. The standards of quality and
	  taste that Confucius recommended required the perfect blend of ingredients,
	  herbs and condiments--a blend which would result in the perfect combination
	  of flavor. Confucius also emphasized the importance of the texture and color
	  of a dish, and taught that food must be prepared and eaten with harmony.
	  Interestingly enough, Confucius was also of the opinion that an excellent
	  cook must first make an excellent matchmaker.

	Taoism and Chinese Cuisine - Those who follow the Taoism beliefs focus on
	  the health benefits of particular foods vs. the presentation of the same.
	  Taoists search for foods that will increase their health and longevity. They
	  search for foods that have healing powers. Many times these benefits were
	  often referred to as 'life giving powers'. For instance, the Chinese found
	  that ginger, which can be considered to be a garnish or a condiment was
	  found to be a remedy for upset stomachs or a remedy for colds.

	Is Chinese Food Healthy? - Chinese food, when authentic is probably the
	  healthiest food in the world. Some restaurants, which are not authentic,
	  prepare their menu with highly saturated fats or with meats that contain
	  unhealthy amounts of animal fat. These Chinese restaurants are not
	  recommended and they are both neither authentic nor healthy.

	Good Chinese food however, is prepared and cooked with poly-unsaturated
	  oils. Authentic Chinese food does not require the use of milk-fat ingredients
	  such as cream, butter or cheese. Meat is used, but not in abundance, which
	  makes it easy for those who love authentic Chinese food to avoid high levels
	  of animal fat. Many believe that authentic Chinese food is really the ideal diet.