说起中餐，人们都知道中餐烹饪以其“色、香、味、形”俱全而著称于世。中国悠久的历史、广袤的疆土、好客的习俗，这些都孕育了中餐烹饪的独特艺术。中餐烹饪讲究原料的选配、食物的质地、佐料的调制、切菜的刀工、适时的烹调，以及装盘艺术。最负盛名的中餐菜系有南方的粤菜、北方的鲁菜、东部的淮扬菜和西部的川菜，素有“南淡北咸，东甜西辣”之特点。

In terms of Chinese food, it is popularly recognized that Chinese cuisine¹ is world-famous for its perfect combination of “color, aroma², taste and appearance”. China’s unique culinary art owes itself to the country’s long history, vast territory and hospitable³ tradition. Chinese cuisine gives emphasis to the selection of raw materials, the texture⁴ of food, the blending of seasonings⁵ slicing techniques, the perfect timing⁶ of cooking and the art of laying out the food on the plate, among the best-known schools of Chinese culinary tradition are the Cantonese cuisine of the south, the Shandong cuisine of the north, the Huai-Yang cuisine of the east and the Sichuan cuisine of the west. These four major varieties of Chinese food have been traditionally noted⁷ as “the light flavor of the south, the salty flavor of the north, the sweet flavor of the east and the spicy-hot flavor of the west”.