"Don't eat to live, live to eat" is an all-time favourite Chinese saying. For the Chinese, food is more than a passion, it is an obsession and good eating is believed to be essential to good living.

There is an expression in Chinese "Chi fan le mei you?" which literally means "Have you eaten yet?". It is used universally as a greeting, just as one would ask in English, "How are you"? China being a vast country with great variations in climate, agriculture tradition and available foodstuffs, it is no wonder that there are actually many variations in culinary style within China. The division of China by regional styles of cooking is based on a historical evolution dating from the 12th century. Nowadays, the culinary division of China most often recognized distinguishes four great cooking styles.

The best and most traditional ingredients of Chinese cooking flow over the Chinese border into Hong Kong and China is Hong Kong's chief food supplier. Many food critics and gourmets now consider Hong Kong to be the greatest centre of Chinese cookery in the world. The identification of tastes plays a particularly important role in the appreciation of Chinese cuisine, and it is quite often one or several dominant flavours which give a regional cuisine its character. We take you on a remarkable gastronomic tour all the way from Canton in the South to Beijing in the North and from Shanghai in the East to Sichuan in the wild West over the next few paragraphs.

Cantonese Cuisine

Cantonese cooking is regarded by many as the haute cuisine of China. The Cantonese are especially interested in exotic delicacies such as dog, snake, frogs' legs and turtle. Cantonese cooking in the South is colorful and sophisticated, based on abundant fresh vegetables, fish and seafood. Stir-frying was perfected here, and Canton is the home of dim sum, which literally means "to please the heart" and this describes the Cantonese approach to food. The Cantonese prefer their food slightly undercooked so that the natural flavours and colours are preserved and for this reason stir-frying and steaming are two of the most popular methods of cooking. They also avoid the heavy use of chilies, spices and heavy oils and concentrate instead on achieving a subtle, yet harmonious blend of colours, textures, aromas and flavours.

At Summer Palace in Island Shangri-La, be greeted by a large carved screen with a mythical scene of golden phoenix soaring in the clouds with the grandeur of Chinese heritage and a touch of modernity. Contrasting with the traditional Chinese décor are the Viennese teardrop chandeliers with an oriental accent of brass adornment and jade rings. The refurbished Summer Palace continues to present the best of Cantonese specialties. The signature dishes include roast honey pork with goose liver; pan-fried egg with bird's nest and; roasted Yunan ham with deep-fried custard.

Beijing Cuisine

The Imperial Court of China was based in Beijing and its influence on the culinary style of the area is still reflected in some of its more complicated and spectacular dishes such as the celebrated Peking duck. Of all the elaborate banquet dishes in Chinese cuisine, this is the most glorious. Its subtlety and sophistication offer a distinct contrast to other more strongly-flavoured dishes which characterize northern cooking, depending heavily as it does on garlic, spring onions, leeks, sesame seeds, oil and sweet bean sauce. A distinguishing feature of its cuisine is the use of grains, rather than rice, as the staple food, particularly wheat, corn and millet, which the northerners eat in the form of bread, noodles, dumplings and pancakes. Noodle-making is a special skill of northern chefs with hand-pulled noodles being a star attraction in many restaurants. The cuisine of north China is also marked by Mongolian influence with the da bin lou (hotpot, fire kettle or steamboat) as a favourite.

Reminiscent of and named after Beijing's historic, but fast disappearing courtyard alleyways, Hutong creates a traditional hutong atmosphere on the 28th floor of the gleaming new, glass-and-steel skyscraper in Tsim Sha Tsui. The sense of adventure and sheer creativity continues in chef-cum-interior designer Calvin Yeung's contemporary northern Chinese cuisine inspired by the culinary styles of Peking and Shandong province. Signature dishes at this 200-seater restaurant include baby bamboo (razor) clams marinated in rice wine, garlic, chili and soya; young asparagus shoots dipped in spicy sesame crust; and crispy lamb loin.

Shanghainese Cuisine

The port of Shanghai has a unique style, influenced by the West as well as many parts of China. Eastern cooks prefer light and delicate seasonings to maximize the natural flavours of their fresh ingredients. The preferred cooking techniques are stir-frying, steaming, red-cooking (slow simmering in dark soy sauce) and blanching. Soy sauce from this area is reputed to be the best in China. The region is also famous for some special ingredients: notably black vinegar, which is used both for cooking and as a dipping sauce; Shaoxing rice wine; and Zhejiang ham, which is rather like raw smoked bacon. Sugar is widely used in the cooking of meat and vegetables, as is a great deal of oil, earning this area a reputation for rich food. Exquisite presentations and complex sauces, often sweetened with sugar and seasoned with dark soy sauce are the hallmarks of Shanghainese cooking as well as slow-simmered soups and stews of pork and poultry.

Sample this delicious style of cooking at Ye Shanghai (which means "Shanghai Nights") which is a departure from the typical, it celebrates the elegance of Shanghai in its greatest years, when it was known as the Paris of the East. Ye Shanghai serves contemporary interpretations of authentic dishes from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, the three regions from which the great dishes now celebrate as "Shanghainese" cuisine. Signature dishes at this extraordinary Chinese dining spot includes tofu bavarian; sea cucumber with mild chili sauce; and sautéed minced chicken with pine nuts served with sesame pastry pockets.

Sichuan Cuisine

In Sichuan, which is considered to be the land of aromatics, spices are liked, particularly the hotter and more pungent ones, such as hot chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, onions and garlic. There are more than 200 kinds of chilies, from foot-long giants to pea-sized miniatures. How much heat they give a dish depends on the type you use, whether it's fresh, dried, whole or crushed, and how you prepare it. Outsiders used to suggest that such ingredients were used to mask the taste of food which had deteriorated in the area's muggy heat. However, regional chefs stand by their cuisine and their command of the art of seasoning. Dishes from this area are usually artful combinations of many flavours and can be hot, sour, sweet and salty all at once.

To try this cuisine, our top recommendation will be Lumiere, Sichuan bistro + bar literally sizzles with the heat and spice of traditional Sichuan cuisine in an unconventional way. While the main dishes is guaranteed to be the best authentic Sichuan cuisine, the salads, side dishes and desserts take inspiration from new Latin culinary styles, where the fiery flavours and flare complement the Sichuan style perfectly Some signature dishes include seared Chilean sea bass in ancient Sichuan style; braised supreme hot and sour shark's fin soup; and seared jumbo crab claws.

Hong Kong has captured the beauty and elegance of Chinese cooking with its diversity of restaurants. Visitors and residents alike should experiment with the different types of Chinese cuisines which are all unique and special in their own ways. Try to master the art of using chopsticks as this completes the experience of eating at a Chinese restaurant.

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