Introduction   A taste of Africa: South London   British food: Borough Market   Chinese delicacies: Chinatown in Soho   Indian curry: all over the city   Latin American flavours: South London   Lebanese treats: Edgware Road   Spanish cuisine: West London		Chinatown's delicacies By Raymond Li, editor BBCChinese.com In most of the major cities of the UK – London, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh – there are Chinatowns. London has a big one in Soho. The first generation of Chinese in London were the Cantonese-speaking people, from Hong Kong and southern China, who arrived during the 1880s. Since then, there have been many waves of immigrants who have settled in various pockets of London, including Soho. China's food traditions In China, there are eight main cuisines – Shandong, Cantonese (Guangdong), Szechuan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan, Fujian and Anhui. Chefs in China usually specialise in one culinary tradition or another, as they are really very distinctive. Peking cuisine for example is very marked in colour and taste. The cooks use a lot of soy sauce. Cantonese food is relatively light and delicate. Szechuan, on the other hand, is very spicy. In the north of China, food is mainly flour-based. Noodles and dumplings are very common. The southern cuisine uses rice as their main food. Most restaurants in Soho's Chinatown claim that they serve food that belongs to the Peking, Szechuan and Cantonese traditions. In fact, many Chinese restaurants in London combine the three cuisines to appeal to the English palate. Having said that, most of the restaurants in Soho's Chinatown offer mainly Cantonese dishes with a few elements of the Peking and Szechuan cuisines. Recommended dishes One of Soho's most famous dishes is the Crispy Aromatic Duck which evolved from Peking Duck. In China, it is grilled and baked over charcoal. In London it is deep fried, which makes it easier to eat – the meat can be shredded with a fork and there are no bones. It's served with pancakes, Hoisin sauce, spring onions and sliced cucumber. Another dish, Sweet and Sour Pork, is also originally Pekinese, not Cantonese. It's well-liked. Dim sum Dim sum is part of the Cantonese tradition. It is incredibly popular in London - by Londoners and tourists. It is the equivalent of British afternoon tea but in the morning. Dim sums are small steamed or fried savoury dishes. During the weekends, many Cantonese families and friends like to meet up at the restaurants where they can enjoy Chinese tea and dim sums. It's a weekly social gathering – friends and families eat and talk until noon. In Soho, however, restaurants open at 11:30am or so. The schedule is also adapted to the English. Being adventurous with dim sum For those who want to be adventurous with dim sums, they should try salmon fish head in black bean sauce or chicken feet – very tasty but it could be a challenging experience for some. For the less-adventurous, cheung fun, a rice flour roll, stuffed with prawn, roast pork or vegetables. Then there's congee, boiled rice that can have preserved egg and lean meat or pork. According to the Chinese medical practitioners it's very good for your body. In fact, the Cantonese always emphasize the medicinal value of food. Address: Chinatown in Soho, London W1 and WC2. Tube: Leicester Square. Related links: BBC Chinese BBC LDN site: Chinese London BBC LDN site: History of Chinese London

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