Dairy In Chinese Food Is Dairy In Chinese food considered dairy in China? Dairy in China is mostly plant-based, so is it true that they don’t consume dairy products at all?
China is a huge nation with many ethnicities, including the Hui minority group. Although they are predominantly Muslim, they still eat cheeses like Parmesan and Camembert and drink milk.
For some of the other Chinese ethnicities, like the Zhuang and Miao, dairy products are eaten daily. They may have been accustomed to drinking milk before being considered an ethnic group.
Dairy is considered part of a typical day’s cuisine in China because many traditional dishes are based on soy sauce. Soy sauce is made from fermented soybeans and has a very distinctive taste—or rather multiple tastes—due to a couple of different natural ingredients.
What is no dairy in Chinese food?
While many would assume that soy sauce is dairy in Chinese food, it isn’t. Soy sauce is an example of a fermented food product.
Fermentation occurs when natural bacteria or yeast are introduced to a food source. As they feed on the food, they produce enzymes that help to break down additional nutrients. Eventually, this process results in a liquid that can be consumed and enjoyed.
Today, soy sauce is typically made from soybeans but was originally developed from millet or wheat during the Zhou Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago.
Why would people avoid dairy in China?
While many people can’t or don’t consume dairy in China, lactose intolerance is not the big reason. It boils down to food safety, and some people believe that their body isn’t able to digest a lot of animal products.
Food safety has been a major issue for the Chinese government. They have banned and gone after farmers who produce milk in unhygienic conditions after 2008.
6 Best Dairy In Chinese Food Ideas
1. Pizza Dairy in Chinese Food
Nothing is better than pizza when it comes to dairy in Chinese food. It’s a versatile food that can be altered depending on the ingredients you’d like to add, the crust, and even how the pizza is cooked. So, there is no way to go wrong with a pizza.
2. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
It’s funny to think about how many different types of grilled cheese you can come up with. You can use different kinds of bread and cheese.
Maybe you’d like a little bit of pasta with another bite, or you’d like to mix things up with a hearty sandwich instead. It doesn’t matter what type of grilled cheese you decide to make because they all taste amazing.
3. Mac and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese are one of those dishes you can’t forget about. It’s the kind of food you almost always eat when served to you because it usually tastes amazing.
The best part about dairy in Chinese food is that it doesn’t matter whether you choose to make the macaroni from scratch or use a box mix because either way, it will taste delicious!
4. Pizza Pockets
Like pizza, pizza pockets are made with various ingredients, depending on what you’d prefer. Instead of a pizza crust, you’ll use part of a baguette or even some round dough. Then you can fill the inside of your bread piece with whatever toppings you want!
5. Apple Pie
Nothing says fall like apple pie, and eating it reminds a person how good the weather is when it comes to dairy in Chinese food. The best thing about apple pie is that you can make it with various types of apples. You even make it with pumpkin, but if you want to
6. Ice Cream
Ice cream is something that goes hand-in-hand with pretty much every season. It’s the kind of food that’s made to enjoy, yet it can also be enjoyed year-round. Whether you use an ice cream maker or make it churning in an ice cream machine, making a delicious dairy in Chinese food doesn’t take a lot of effort.
What are the history of soy sauce and its relationship with dairy?
Millet is the primary ingredient for making soy sauce in China. To make it, people soak the grains in water and then pound them, squeezing out all of their liquid. After soaking, the millet was ground using stones or other implements similar to a mortar and pestle.
People used to use a variety of millets throughout ancient China—such as wheat and barley—for making food.
Who are some ethnicities who consume milk and cheese in China each day?
The Miao and Zhuang are two of the biggest ethnic groups in China. They consume dairy every day and are accustomed to doing so. The Zhuang consider cheese an important part of their diet.
Another example is the Tibetan people who live in areas like China’s Qinghai Province. Since they are Buddhists, many have turned to Buddhist cuisine that does not include dairy products.
How is dairy consumed in other ethnicities in China?
There are vegetarians and vegan people who live in China as well. Since they don’t consume dairy, they don’t eat meat either. Instead, they have a vegetarian diet that involves plenty of vegetables and grains like rice, wheat, millet, etc.
Additionally, there are lactose intolerant people who can’t consume dairy either. The Chinese government has taken steps to ensure that cows do not drink water from contaminated sources or drink anything made with animal products.
Conclusion
As you can see, the Chinese culture loves the dairy in Chinese food. They may not consume it like the rest of the world, but they enjoy it just as much as any other culture!
If you’re thinking about trying some of these recipes I have listed, I highly suggest that you check out your local market to see if they have any Asian ingredients. If not, try a different market or even Amazon for some of your ingredients.
