A vast country where relatively little of the land is arable. Add to that equation world's largest population and the effects of drought and flood on food crops - little wonder the Chinese have learned to make use of everything edible. Boasting one of the oldest cuisines in the world, it must also surely be one of the most diverse. Within its borders are numerous provinces with distinctive climates, produce and cooking styles.

Although no two authorities seem to be in agreement as to which are most important, the diversity is well represented by just five: Canton, Fukien, Honan, Peking (Shantung) and Szechwan. The Cantonese style is characterised by its light, digestible foods which use less fat (e.g. stir-fried dishes, steamed dumplings and dim sum). The Fukien school is famous for its clear soups, seafood dishes and subtle flavours. Honan is spicy, sweet and sour. Peking is famed for delicacy of flavour. And Szechwan food is hot and spicy.

Pivotal to the philosophy of Chinese cooking is an understanding of how the flavours and textures of foods need to be taken into consideration to achieve a perfectly balanced dish. The primary characteristics of flavour are expressed, enigmatically, in almost indefinable terms. I turn to the excellent translations in Chinese Gastronomy, by Hsiang Ju Lin and Tsuifeng Lin:

Hsien: sweet, natural flavour. The word is used to describe the taste of fresh fish, prawns, bamboo and fatty pork. Its quality may be imbued to a dish through judicious use of seasonings, particularly sugar.

Hsiang: characteristic flavour, natural aroma. Used to describe foods that tantalise not only the tastebuds but the olfactory sense as well. Into this category fall roasted meats, chicken fat, mushrooms and onions cooking. The carrier of hsiang is oil.

Nung: rich, heady, concentrated. The 'contrived' appeal of complex, aromatic foods such as a well-reduced stock based on a number of meats and the salty-sweet spiciness of glazed duck. Nung can also imply a dish is overly rich.

Yu-er-pu-ni: tasting of fat without oiliness. A most desirable attribute. This should be the taste of properly prepared belly pork, fish roe and caviar. In addition, there are terms describing texture that give us added insight into the heights of skill to which Chinese cooks aspire. A classic essay on Chinese gastronomy differentiates between crunchy, smooth, elastic, chewy, soft, resilient, spongy, melting, grainy, unctuous, fibrous and gelatinous. Tell me these people aren't serious about their food!

All these qualities are naturally occurring - in certain foods. The challenge comes in creating these qualities in foods that do not naturally possess them.

'Schools' of Regional Cooking

Peking (Northern) School: This is the largest region, comprising many provinces. Although there are some exceptions, the climate is extreme and very harsh. Grains (wheat, millet, soy beans, sorghum, corn) and peanuts replace rice crops, and vegetables are rather limited. Breads and noodles replace rice in the diet, but here noodles are eaten as a seasoned dish, rather than in soup. The influence of Mongolia in the north can be seen in the predominance of lamb, cooked and eaten in a variety of ways including sliced and barbecued on a spit. The flavours of leeks and raw garlic come from Shantung. Nonetheless, the dish that most of the world identifies with Peking cooking is Peking Duck. See PEKING DUCK.

Cantonese (Southern) School: Kwantung and Fukien provinces. A sub-tropical zone that experiences a distinct rainy season and tropical cyclones, its rice crops yield twice a year. Besides rice, which is eaten every day, corn, sweet potato, taro and wheat are grown. Chicken, pigs and fish are farmed. Leafy green vegetables are plentiful and there are tropical as well as temperate fruits, including lychees. In coastal areas there is a wealth of fish, crustacea and shellfish. This rich diversity of produce has helped the cuisine become one of the most eclectic and imaginative of all. This is probably due, in part at least, to the arrival of chefs from Peking's imperial household who fled the overthrow of the Ming Dynasty in 1644. They journeyed south, passing through a great many regions and collecting many excellent recipes. This is considered by many to be the 'haute cuisine' of China. Of all the regions in China, this is the one renowned for consummate stir-fried dishes. Fukien province is also famous for its tea.

This was the cuisine taken overseas by the earliest Chinese migrants to Europe and America. Its earmarks are dim sum, sweet and sour dishes and exotic delicacies (dog, frog's legs, snake, snails, fried sparrows and turtle). Unfortunately, this is the style of cooking that has been most popularised and, as a result, most abased by third-rate Chinese restaurants who try to second-guess what Western palates expect of Chinese cuisine.

Shangai (Eastern) School: Taking in a large section of the eastern seaboard (on which China's biggest city, Shanghai, is situated) and extending as far inland as central China (Hupei province). It includes some of China's most fertile land, so fruit and vegetables grow in variety and abundance. The logical place to find the best of China's vegetarian cuisine. In addition, fish and shellfish play a major part in the diet with the abundance of the ocean at its door and the rice and wheat which grow in the fertile delta of the Yangtze. Highly decorative yet delicately seasoned food (garlic is used sparingly), if a little on the sweet side. The flavours of fresh ingredients shine through. Most popular cooking techniques are blanching, steaming, stir-frying and red-cooking. In spite of these seemingly healthy methods, a fondness for oil gives the food a reputation for being rather rich. Specialities of the area include the unique flavour of the specially cured chinhua or jinhua ham; rich, dark chinkiang vinegar; shao hsing rice wine; and some of the best soy sauce in China. Some regional specialities include delicate fish from the West Lake with sweet and sour sauce, lion's head meatballs, crisp stir-fried shrimp, and eel cooked in oil.

Szechwan (Western) School: Comprising the provinces of Yunnan and Hunan as well, Szechwan exerts the greatest influence. Fresh and dried chillies are used with abandon, but the complexity of flavour is owed to other ingredients: sugar, salt and vinegar. Also renowned for its unique spice, Szechwan pepper. Its effect on the tongue is literally tingling - more anaesthetising than hot. The climate is suitable for year-round cultivation and the region produces rice, wheat, corn, bamboo, mushrooms, citrus fruit and, of course, Szechwan pepper. A feature of its cuisine are dishes requiring more than one cookery technique: smoked duck (which is marinated, smoked, steamed and deep fried); twice-cooked pork; hot, sour soup; and one of my family's favourites, spicy Szechwan eggplant (deep fried, then braised), fragrant with garlic and tangy with soy, sugar and vinegar.