NORTHERN SCHOOL

In the north, traditionally wheat or millet are eaten rather than  rice. The most famous Chinese dish of ail, Peking duck, is served with typi- cal northern ingredients: wheat pancakes, spring onions and fermented bean paste. There is a heavy reliance on freshwater fish and chicken in the north; cabbage is ubiquitous and seems to fill any available space on trains, buses and lorries in the winter.

Not surprisingly, the influence of the Mongols is felt most strongly in the north, and two of the region's most famous culinary exports - Mongolian barbecue and Mongolian hotpot - are adaptations from Mongol field kitchens. Animals that were hunted on horseback could be dismembered and cooked with wild vegetables and onions using soldiers' iron shields on top of hot coals as primitive barbecues. Alternatively, each soldier could use their helmet as a pot, filling it with water, meat, condiments and vegetables to taste. Mutton is now the main ingredient in Mongolian hotpot.

Roasting was once considered rather barbaric in other parts of China, and is still more common in the north. The main methods of cooking in the northern style, though, are steaming, baking and 'explode-frying'(dropping items into a wok of hot oil and having them sizzle or 'explode', like deep-frying). This way, the food cooks very quickly. The last of these is the most common, historically because of the scarcity of fuel and, more recently, due to the introduction of the peanut, which thrives in the north and produces an abundance of oil. Although northern-style food has a reputation for being unsophisticated and bland, it has the benefit of being  filling and therefore well suited to the cold climate.

EASTERN SCHOOL

The eastern region - blessed with the bounty of the Yangzi River and its tributaries, a subtropical climate, fertile soil and a coastline - has long been a mecca for gastronomes. The Southern Song capital of Hangzhou, on the banks of West Lake with its abundant fish, including the highly esteemed silver carp, is the birthplace of the restaurant industry. At least one restaurant, the Louwailou Caiguan (p313), has been around since1848. Suzhou (p243) is equally famous for its cuisine, which has been eulogised by generations of poets.

A vast variety of ingredients and condiments is available, which has led to a wide diversity of cuisine within the region. Explode-frying is used here, too, but not as much as the form of frying known as archetypally Chinese throughout the world: stir-frying in a wok. Another eastern style of cooking that has been exported to the rest of the  world (from Fujian via Taiwan) is the red-stew, in which meat is simmered slowly in dark soy sauce, sugar and spices. Indeed, many Fujian dishes rely on a heavy, meaty stock for their distinctive flavour. Nonetheless, it is in this region that Chinese vegetarian cuisine reached its apex, partly thanks to the availability of fresh ingredients and partly to the specialisation of generations of chefs. As might be expected, seasoning is light to allow the natural flavours of the fresh ingredients to be fully appreciated.

WESTERN SCHOOL

The Western School is renowned most for its use of the red chilli, introduced by Spanish traders in the early Qing dynasty. While northern foods evolved to provide lasting satisfaction in a cold climate, Sichuan dishes tend to dry out the body through perspiration, which helps it adjust to the intense humidity.

Pork, poultry, legumes and soya beans are the most commonly used items, supplemented by a variety of wild condiments and mountain products, such as mushrooms and other fungi, as well as bamboo shoots. Seasonings are heavy: the red chilli is often used in conjunction with Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, ginger and onions. Meat, particularly in Hunan, is marinated, pickled or otherwise processed before cooking, which is generally by stir- or explode-frying.

The cuisine of the Western School has a reputation of being down-to- earth, rather like the inhabitants of the region. Mao Zedong hailed from Hunan and remained fond of the hot foods from his native province throughout his life. However, it was due to the Nationalists in the civil war that Sichuan cuisine gained international recognition. Fleeing the Japanese in 1937, the Nationalist government took refuge in Chongqing until the end of the war in Asia. On its return to Nanjing and Shanghai, thousands of Sichuan chefs were brought along. Most of them continued on to Taiwan when the Nationalist government was forced to flee once more, and from there spread out across the globe.

SOUTHERN SCHOOL

The food from this region is easily the most common form of Chinese food found in the Western world since most overseas Chinese have their roots in the Guangdong region. The humid climate and heavy rainfall mean that rice has been a staple here since the Chinese first came to the region in the Han era (206 BC-AD 220). As does the Eastern School, the Southern benefits from a cornucopia of ingredients to choose from, yet in the south the choice is even more exotic. Stir-frying is by far the most favoured method of cooking, closely followed by steaming. Dim sum, now a worldwide Sunday institution, originated in this region; to go yam cha (Cantonese for 'drink tea') still provides most overseas Chinese communities with the opportunity to get together at the weekend.

Not only are the ingredients more varied than elsewhere in China, methods of preparation also reach their peak of sophistication in the south, where the appearance and texture of foods are prized alongside their freshness. Such refinement is a far cry from the austere cuisine of the north and the earthy fare of the west. Consequently, the southerners gourmandising and exotic tastes - for dogs, cats, raccoons, monkeys, lizards and rats - have earned them a long-established reputation around China.