CULINARIA CENTRAL PLAINS CHINA

The culinary delights of the "Central Plains" provinces of China, with an emphasis on Henan cuisines (豫菜).
[知味中原]

The "Central Plains", consist mainly of the province of Henan, although also incorporating areas and bits from Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong provinces. This is the cradle of Chinese civilisation as the very first Chinese dynasties of 'Xia' and 'Shang', appeared here, almost 5000 years ago.

Unfortunately, the food is not one of the main culinary veins. It is mainly dominated by a preference for noodles, and in Luoyang, the ancient capital of 9 dynasties, a concoction of tangy and peppery soups, in a culinary collection of 24 called the "Water Banquet".

Today, this is the heartland of China's industries. Still very much the heart that pumps Chinese existence in the world. But the heart of Chinese cuisines, like the waters of history, had slipped past this region and flowed elsewhere.