Scholars believe that Chinese cooking as we know it today dates to the Shang Dynasty, which lasted from 1500 to 1000 B.C. During this period China emerged as a well-organized agricultural society, which used complex writing, the calendar, and made splendid bronze sculptures. In later dynasties, China expanded and cuisine began to acquire distinctive northern and southern characteristics. Eventually, various styles of Chinese cooking came to be recognized. Beijing, Sichuan or Szechwan, and Cantonese are among the best known in the United States....

Common ingredients: fish, beef, pork, chicken, rice, soybeans, corn, coconuts, pineapples, melons, spices Popular dishes: lechon (roast pork); sinegang (fish stew); pancit (noodles with meat and vegetables); fresh or fried lumpia (egg rolls); halo halo (milkshake with beans, gelatin, milk, shaved ice, fresh fruit, and ice cream); lecheflan (custard); dinaguan (soup); adobo (chicken and pork stew); misua (angel hair noodle soup); coconut cake; Philippine fruit salad, mechado (Philippine beef stew)...

Common ingredients: pork, seafood, yams, pandanus nuts (in the mountains); sweet potatoes, vegetables, coconuts, sago (from the sago palm), spices Popular dishes: pork grilled over hot stones; boiled shrimp; grilled fish with pepper and onion More Information: