The common saying “no meal is complete without rice” has different applications in Guangzhou and Beijing. In southern China, it means rice is served at the beginning of the meal and accompanies most dishes. In northern China, rice is a starch filler that comes at the end of the meal, along with a choice of noodles.
Where would Chinese cuisine be without pork and fish? The price of pork significantly influences consumer inflation levels. Our understanding of the role these two protein sources play in Chinese cuisine is correct, but it is not the entire story.
It is a little like the idea that the staple diet of the Chinese is rice. This is true in southern China, but not in northern China, where the staple is noodles. Southern China is a rice-based cuisine, while northern China has a wheat-based cuisine.
