User:Odreysrnds/Chinese Islamic cuisine

Overview

Cuisine of Chinese Muslims (Chinese: 淸眞菜; pinyin: Qīngzhēn cài; lit. 'pure cuisine', Dungan: Чыңжән цаы or Chinese: 回族菜; pinyin: Huízú cài; lit. 'Hui people's cuisine', Dungan: Ҳуэйзў цаы) is the cuisine of the Hui (ethnic Chinese Muslims) and other Muslims living in China such as Bonan, Dongxiang, Salar and Uyghurs as well as Dungans of Central Asia.

A halal bakery in Tuanjie St, the main street of Linxia City

While it does have distinctive dishes like clear-broth beef noodle soup and chuanr, Chinese Islamic cuisine typically consists of variations on regionally popular foods that are typical of Han Chinese cuisine, in particular to eliminate pork ingredients and alcohol. Additionally, it borrows ingredients from Middle Eastern, Turkic, and South Asian cuisines, notably the heavy use of mutton and spices. Finally, typical of “northern” Chinese food, Chinese Islamic cuisine almost exclusively uses wheat noodles as the staple, to the near complete exclusion of rice. While these variations are typically minor for each dish, they together add up to create a very distinctive cuisine.

“Chinese Islamic Cuisine” and Halal Food

While 清真菜 is often translated as Chinese ’Ḥalāl’ Halal cuisine, there are clear distinctions between the two categories of food. Qīngzhēn cài literally means “pure and true food”, because the food prepared by Muslims is belived to be clean according to the rules of the Quran, i.e following Islamic dietary laws. Currently, however, the name “清真菜” has come to represent the style of Chinese food associated with Chinese Muslim ethnic foodstyle characteristics, such as more diverse use of spices, ingredients, and cooking styles, rather than upholding strict accordance with international Halal standards. [31][28][30]

Halal regulation in China has not been sanctioned under the national government and regional regulations are not uniformly enforced. This had led to common conflation of Chinese Muslim ethic food with internationally standardized Halal food. Currently, the Halal seal in Chinese restaurants does not represent governmental approval of Halal status or adherence to international Halal food regulation standards, but instead is a symbol associated with Chinese Muslim food styles, Muslim owned restaurants, and sometimes a branding tactic that aims to attract Muslim customers. In layman's terms, while 清真菜 is often prepared by Chinese Muslims for Chinese Muslims, there is no structure for institutional accountability that certifies and oversees the production of Halal food products in China. [31]

History

Due to the large Muslim population in Western China, many Chinese restaurants cater to or are run by Muslims. Northern Chinese Islamic cuisine originated in China proper. It is heavily influenced by Beijing cuisine, with nearly all cooking methods identical and differs only in material due to religious restrictions. As a result, northern Islamic cuisine is often included in home Beijing cuisine though seldom in east coast restaurants.[33]

During the Yuan dynasty, halal and kosher methods of slaughtering animals and preparing food was banned and forbidden by the Mongol emperors, starting with Genghis Khan who banned Muslims and Jews from slaughtering their animals their own way and made them follow the Mongol method.[33]

^{Acculturation of Chinese food and Halal Food then happened due to the influence of muslim dietary culture that been practiced by the merchants and missionaries during the silk road. Arab and Persian merchants have been managing their halal food restaurants for so many centuries and opened up in different regions in China. The open-mindedness of the Chinese to try new foreign food also help the acculturation to be spread all over China.}

During the Han Dynasty on the early 7th century, the ancient silk road played a big role as the gateway of Halal Food in China. Around 1400 years ago Han China decided to expand the silk road to the northwestern persia and middle east. In this case, the silk road was not only used for commercial trade but also cultural and religious exchange. Muslim merchants and missionaries kept practicing muslim and halal food when they were in China, and many of those settled and married with Chinese Local. Later, they had children and according to Islamic tenets, children from a Muslim fathers had to be raised as Muslim as well. In China’s eastern region, Xi’an City in Shaanxi Province was the ancient capital city and became the hub for trade and one of the biggest muslim city in China.[33]

Among all the [subject] alien peoples only the Hui-hui say “we do not eat Mongol food”. [Cinggis Qa’an replied:] “By the aid of heaven we have pacified you; you are our slaves. Yet you do not eat our food or drink. How can this be right?” He thereupon made them eat. “If you slaughter sheep, you will be considered guilty of a crime.” He issued a regulation to that effect ... [In 1279/1280 under Qubilai] all the Muslims say: “if someone else slaughters [the animal] we do not eat”. Because the poor people are upset by this, from now on, Musuluman [Muslim] Huihui and Zhuhu [Jewish] Huihui, no matter who kills [the animal] will eat [it] and must cease slaughtering sheep themselves, and cease the rite of circumcision.[33]

Traditionally, there is a distinction between Northern and Southern Chinese Islamic cuisine despite both using lamb and mutton. Northern Chinese Islamic cuisine relies heavily on beef, but rarely ducks, geese, shrimp or seafood, while southern Islamic cuisine is the reverse. The reason for this difference is due to availability of the ingredients. Oxen have been long used for farming and Chinese governments have frequently strictly prohibited the slaughter of oxen for food. However, due to the geographic proximity of the northern part of China to minority-dominated regions that were not subjected to such restrictions, beef could be easily purchased and transported to Northern China. At the same time, ducks, geese and shrimp are rare in comparison to Southern China due to the arid climate of Northern China.[33]

Another difference is that lamb and mutton dishes are more commonly available than in other Chinese restaurants, due to the greater prevalence of these meats in the cuisine of Western Chinese regions. (Refer to image 1.)

A Chinese Islamic restaurant (Chinese: 淸眞菜館; pinyin: qīngzhēn càiguǎn) can be similar to a Mandarin restaurant with the exception that there is no pork on the menu and the dishes are primarily noodle/soup based.[33]

In most major eastern cities in China, there are very limited Islamic/Halal restaurants, which are typically run by migrants from Western China (e.g., Uyghurs). They primarily offer inexpensive noodle soups only. These restaurants are typically decorated with Islamic motifs such as pictures of Islamic rugs and Arabic writing.[33]

Most Chinese regard Hui halal food as cleaner than food made by non-Muslims so their restaurants are popular in China. Hui who migrated to Northeast China (Manchuria) after the Chuang Guandong opened many new inns and restaurants to cater to travelers, which were regarded as clean.[33]

A 1903 started franchise which serves Muslim food is Dong Lai Shun in Hankou.

400 meters have to be kept as a distance from each restaurant serving beef noodles to another of its type if they belong to Hui Muslims, since Hui have a pact between each other in Ningxia, Gansu and Shaanxi.[33]

Other Muslim ethnic minorities like the Bonan, Dongxiang, Salar and Tibetan Muslims have their own cuisines as well. Dongxiang people operate their own restaurants serving their cuisine.[33]

Many cafeterias (canteens) at Chinese universities have separate sections or dining areas for Muslim students (Hui or Western Chinese minorities), typically labeled "qingzhen." Student ID cards sometimes indicate whether a student is Muslim and will allow access to these dining areas or will allow access on special occasions such as the Eid feast following Ramadan.[33]

Chinese Muslims to the World

Many Chinese Hui Muslims who moved from Yunnan to Burma (Myanmar) are known as Panthays operate restaurants and stalls serving Chinese Islamic cuisine such as noodles. Chinese Hui Muslims from Yunnan who moved to Thailand are known as Chin Haw and they also own restaurants and stalls serving Chinese Islamic food.

History in Taiwan

The Hui who migrated to Taiwan operate Qingzhen restaurants and stalls serving Chinese Islamic cuisine in Taipei and other big cities.

In Central Asia, Dungan people, descendants of Hui, operate restaurants serving Chinese Islamic cuisine which is respectively referred to as Dungan cuisine there. They cater to Chinese businessmen. Chopsticks are used by Dungans. The cuisine of the Dungan resembles northwestern Chinese cuisine.

Several Hui restaurants serving Chinese Islamic cuisine exist in Los Angeles. San Francisco, despite its huge number of Chinese restaurants, appears to have only one whose cuisine would qualify as halal.

Regulation Efforts& Setbacks

Current halal food regulations in China are regional, as no national halal food regulations or standards have been set. There have been previous efforts in setting a national halal food standard. In the early 2000s, the need for a national halal standard was proposed. In 2015, it came into the political spotlight. In the April 2016 National religious Conference (全国宗教会议), a decision was made that there would not be a central regulation standard, but that a single regulatory agency would oversee regional certification [32]. This decision was made for several reasons. Muslims are protected under their minzu (民族) status, and Islamic religion is seen as a cultural Identity instead of a religious one [32]. Government officials opposed Integrating religion Into state affairs also concerned about the radicalization of Muslim minority groups [32]. Popular Chinese opinion also supported the government decision, as many non-muslim Chinese conflated Halal regulation with Halal mandates (sharia law) and thought the effects would be much more widespread than proposed [32].

While 97.3% of regions in China serve Chinese Islamic cuisine, most of them lack certification standards [28]. However, several local halal food regulations exist. The current Tianjin local halal food regulation was last edited in 2004 [9]. In 2009, the first local halal food standard in Ningxia Hui People's Autonomous Region came into being [28]. In places where a regional halal food regulation does not exist, muslims identify halal food providers through local contacts such as the local Imams and muslim locals who have access to reliable halal food sources, and they largely depend on providers' honesty. These halal food sources have not always been reliable [38]. There have been cases where a restaurant previously run by a muslim was sold to a non muslim but halal certification labels were not removed, and food providers displaying mosque patterns on menus and name cards although what they sell are not halal [29]. There is still much space for additional efforts to standardize halal certifications in China for an improved accessibility of certified halal food.

Establishing a nation-wide regulation has positive political and economical implications. It helps in the Uyghur and Hui issues [31] by officially recognizing the religious needs of Chinese Muslims. Recent years there have been an increasing number of food providers that applied to be "halal certified" such as 旺旺, etc. While they aim for more customers and revenue, this also expanded the domestic halal market and provided convenience for the vast Chinese Muslim population.

Tianjin Halal Regulations

The current version of the Tianjin Halal regulation was put forth by the Committee of Religious Affairs of Tianjin Municipal [37].

Specifies in detail the slaughter requirements. These include that the people who are allowed to slaughter the animals should be Imams or trained muslims. The animal being slaughtered needs to have its throat facing Mecca. The Quran needs to be read before slaughtering and the animal should not be slaughtered in pain.

The regulation also specifies in detail that the raw materials need to be halal. It describes in detail what is haram, or not halal, including pork and a number of other animals such as dogs. It emphasizes that halal food and procedures need to be kept away from non-halal ones, and that the packaging should not contain texts that are not halal. Halal certification labels are not allowed to be forged or yielded to other uncertified organizations.

The regulations require enough muslim representation in a halal food business. This includes that the owner or person in charge needs to be from a muslim ethnic group and that the total proportion of muslim employees needs to exceed a threshold (10% for food producers, 15% for food traders, and 20% for catering services) [36].

It indicates that any halal food providers who fail to comply with the regulations will be issued a warning by the local religious authorities. If the issues are not resolved in time, it is “advised that they be fined by the local business authorities”, and that “judiciary penalties will be imposed for crimes”. However, the specific warnings and measures, and the time granted are not yet specified.

Regulations for Halal Food Export

There is interest and demand for Chinese halal food in the international market. Xi'an International Halal Expo was held in 2017, and international religious leaders participated [30]. The city of Xi'an is a center for the Hui population and there were efforts to develop Xi’an as a hub for international halal food trade. The Halal Expo marks China's chance to engage more into the international halal food market. China’s international halal food trade has positive impacts on strengthening MENA ties, increasing global influence, and benefiting from and promoting the Belt and Road Initiative [30][31]. Therefore, halal export regulations and systematic control measures to certify halal food are of crucial importance.

The current regulations for halal food export is overseen by the China Islamic Association [38]. The process includes an online application followed by on-site evaluation of the food production process conducted by local Islamic associations. The evaluation report will be sent to the China Islamic Association, who will review the report and decide whether or not the result complies with religious rules in Islam. A halal certificate will be granted to the food provider if they pass the review. The food provider will then pay the certification fee and receive a physical copy of the certificate [38].

However, the international recognition of China’s halal food export standards is still limited. The Thai Department of Export Promotion claims that "China's halal food producers are small-scale entrepreneurs whose products have little value added and lack branding and technology to push their goods to international standards" to encourage Thai private sector halal producers to market their products in China.[13]

Famous Dishes

Lamian

Main article: Lamian

Lamian (simplified Chinese: 拉面; traditional Chinese: 拉麪; pinyin: lāmiàn, Dungan: Ламян) is a Chinese dish of hand-made noodles, usually served in a beef or mutton-flavored soup (湯麪, даңмян, tāngmiàn), but sometimes stir-fried (炒麪, Чаомян, chǎomiàn) and served with a tomato-based sauce. Literally, 拉, ла (lā) means to pull or stretch, while 麪, мян (miàn) means noodle. The hand-making process involves taking a lump of dough and repeatedly stretching it to produce a single very long noodle. Lamian can also be made in 12 mainstream forms, ranging from the narrowest (毛细）to the widest （二宽). However, the default form of Lamian in local restaurants  is called 细面, which takes only 7 repetitions of stretching.[31]

Words that begin with L are not native to Turkic — läghmän is a loanword as stated by Uyghur linguist Abdlikim: It is of Chinese derivation and not originally Uyghur.

Beef noodle soup

Main article: Beef noodle soup

Beef noodle soup is a noodle soup dish composed of stewed beef, beef broth, vegetables， wheat noodles,and various spices including star anises.Preferably, the beef used in the soup is mainly briskets. It exists in various forms throughout East and Southeast Asia. It was created by the Hui people during the Qing dynasty of China.[34]

In the west, this food may be served in a small portion as a soup. In China, a large bowl of it is often taken as a whole meal with or without any side dish.

Chuanr

Main article: Chuan (food)

Chuanr (Chinese: 串儿, Dungan: Чўанр, Pinyin: chuànr (shortened from "chuan er"), "kebab"), originating in the Xinjiang(新疆) province of China and in recent years has been disseminated throughout the rest of that country, most notably in Beijing. It is a product of the Chinese Islamic cuisine of the Uyghur (维吾尔) people and other Chinese Muslims. Yang rou chuan or lamb kebabs, is particularly popular. A traditional Yang Rou chuan or lamb kebabs primarily uses the leg of the lamb as it is mixed with fat and muscle, which renders the taste better.[34]

Suan cai

Main article: Suan cai

Suan cai is a traditional fermented vegetable dish, similar to Korean kimchi and German sauerkraut, used in a variety of ways. It consists of pickled Chinese cabbage. Suan cai is a unique form of pao cai due to the material used and the method of production. Although suan cai is not exclusive to Chinese Islamic cuisine, it is used in Chinese Islamic cuisine to top off noodle soups, especially beef noodle soup.[35]

Nang

Nang (Chinese: 馕, Dungan: Нәң) is a type of round unleavened bread, topped with sesame. It is similar to South and Central Asia naan.It is made with a mix of whole and white wheat flour and baked in a tandoor oven, where the dough would be placed on the interior of the tandoor.[35]

Zhua Fan

Zhua Fan (Chinese: 抓饭) is a type of spiced rice mixed with beef or mutton. Onions, carrots and dried fruits are also commonly seen in this dish.[35]

Rou Jia Mo

Rou Jia Mo (Chinese: 肉夹馍) is a round bun sandwiched with chopped beef, often mixed with peppers or other vegetables.[35]

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