Poultry and Eggs

Of the different species of poultry chicken is the most valued in China. It is more expensive there than pork and has a prestige seldom conferred on it in other cuisines. In China a chicken is never a nameless bird. It is known by its place of origin, such as a province or city; by its outstanding weight, such as the 9-kilogram chicken; or by a special feature, such as the black-boned chicken. One always buys it alive, by age and type needed for a particular method of cooking. Loved by all Chinese and deemed a nourishing tonic for one’s vigor, chicken is done more ways in Chinese cooking than in any other cuisine. Since chickens here are plentiful and amazingly reasonable, all the more reason to present an extensive sampling of the way Chinese cooking methods and seasonings enhance the qualities of this bird.