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Shandong cuisine is commonly known as Lu Cai in Chinese because present-day Shandong Province belonged partly to the Lu State during the Spring and Autumn Period nearly 3000 years ago.

As one of the oldest types of cuisine in the world, Lu Cai is at the fount of northern Chinese cooking, having been followed and developed by the imperial court chefs.

Shandong has a 3000-kilometer-long coastline with the Yellow River running through it, with most of the province's lands plains and low-lying land. Because of its warm, temperate climate, Shandong possesses many raw materials for cooking and can afford to place more emphasis on freshness of the ingredients used. Seafood is an important part of Shandong cuisine.

Like chefs from other culinary schools, the Lu chefs specialise in their own areas, whether it be taste, texture, color, and so on. They tend to use heavy sauces and seasonings to create uncomplicated dishes with simple ingredients that avoid mixing too many flavors. Some might consider Shandong dishes quite salty due to the use of seasonings like soy sauce and dark vinegar. But as food expert Sun Qixin explains, the Lu dishes in fact are savory rather than salty.

"The Lu chefs aren't after a salty taste in their cooking. Shandong cuisine is distinctive for its freshness; and the ingredients are processed carefully in a way that diners can get the true taste of the ingredients. Lu chefs use a lot of sauce paste because they want the dish to look brightly colored and fresh. So it's savory and fresh rather than salty."

The chefs believe the best way to cook to highlight freshness and original flavors of ingredients is to stew flavor-packed soup with natural materials. Soup is one of the most important elements of the Lu cuisine, whether it's a clear, rich broth, hearty, creamy chowder, or one of the many other soups made from milk or cream. All, nevertheless, deliciously tasty.

Shandong native and food connoisseur, Li Changshun, explains.

"A typical Shandong dish must be served with soup. There are different kinds of soup in Shandong cuisine �C from a clear "consomm��," to a thick, creamy variety. The clear soups are light and fresh, serving as a flavor enhancer to bring out the taste of the ingredients. And the milky soup is creamy and mellow, which is often used to add flavors and aromas to dishes made of vegetables. "

There are more than thirty cooking techniques in Shandong cuisine, such as Bao, a quick frying technique; Liu, quick frying with starch pastes over the ingredient; stewing, and roasting.

Seafood is almost a staple food in this cuisine, with the province's plentiful marine recourses. One of the most famous dishes is "sweet and sour carp"; which for an authentic dish must be made with carp fish from the Yellow River.

Incisions are made into a whole grass carp before it is breaded and deep-fried, ensuring that the meat is tender with a crispy crust in each and every bite of fish. A sweet and sour sauce made of vinegar and sugar is poured on top, and various ingredients including ginger, chili peppers, white sesame seeds and soy beans can be placed on top of the fish for garnish. The resulting dish emulates a whole fresh fish having been caught jumping out of the river with the red-orange hue of the sweet, tangy sauce.

Another famous Shandong dish is "Braised Sea Cucumbers with Scallions��. Wang Peng's restaurant is popular among Shandong food lovers for its "Braised Sea Cucumbers with Scallions".

"Braised Sea Cucumbers with Scallions is a classic Shandong food. The sea cucumbers are fresh and savory, soft and smooth, while the scallions are green and fibrous with a little bit of bite to enhance the flavor. The main flavors in this dish come from the green onions, ginger and sugar that are made into a sauce. The sea cucumbers are braised in the sauce with the addition of soy sauce and Shaoxing wine, creating a delicious dish with the smooth, creamy texture of sea cucumbers."

Lu Cai isn't just about flavour: it's also well known for its strict table manners and dining etiquette as the province is home to Confucius. Not surprising, for Confucius' home province.

According to the great thinker, eating a meal involved a lot more than the act of eating. While "the foremost function of eating was physical and mental cultivation," it also served various social purposes, one being the "strengthening of kinship and friendship." It is important to note that these rules of etiquette were not to be blindly followed and repeated but understood as an integral aspect of society. For example, seating arrangements were clearly outlined as they reflected hierarchy and status. Wang Peng again.

"The left, or eastward side, is considered most honorable, the seat facing the door most venerable of all. Just as where an individual sits is an indication of their place in the hierarchy, the order in which the guests at a social dinner, or a family dinner, will eat is also an indication of their status. The younger family members or subordinates cannot eat until their superiors raise their chopsticks, and they also have to stop eating when they do so. "

Dining etiquette even goes beyond actions and seating arrangements, as there are also rules concerning the serving and eating of food. Serving etiquette pays attention to the exact location and angle a dish should be placed in and how the server should hold and place a dish on the table.

The cuisine has one other claim to fame. More than any other Chinese culinary traditions, Lu Cai is known for its tendency to use steamed breads rather than rice as its staple food.