Shandong Cuisine or Lu Cuisine — Icons of Northern Chinese Food Culture

Shandong Cuisine or Lu Cuisine is the culinary art that originated from Qilu Culture in today's Shandong Province, characterized by a harmonious blend of salty and fresh tastes.

It is the most historical (with a history of more than 2,500 years) and original culinary tradition in China, remaining unaltered by influences from other culinary schools.

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Shandong (Lu) Cuisine is representative of northern Chinese dishes, having served as the dominant cuisine for royal families over the past 700 years in China's history.

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Lu Cuisine, in particular, is renowned for its complexity, encompassing 91 cooking methods. It imposes strict requirements on cooking materials, primarily sourced from fresh local produce.

Additionally, a key ingredient is the time-consuming soup stock, often requiring hours or days of stewing and filtering.

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Presently, many northern Chinese individuals adhere to the cooking methods of Lu Cuisine.

However, the most authentic and exquisite dishes are reserved for high-end occasions due to the expensive materials, time-consuming preparation, and intricate cooking methods.

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Lu Cuisine has also established the fundamental etiquette of Chinese food culture, emphasizing balance, refinement, and delicacy.

It imposes strict guidelines for decorating and presenting dishes on important occasions such as weddings or birthdays. The serving order, dish arrangement, seating order, and dress code are all meticulously defined.