Modern Chinese cuisine is believed to have originated by the Han culture and dynasty. As the Han expanded from the upland stretches of the Yellow River, they were exposed to many different ingredients and indigenous cooking ideas from many different geographical areas. Thus from its beginning, Chine cuisine was extremely varied and diverse. It is often said that Chinese Cuisine is the hardest to generalize, simply because Chinese food varies depending on region and influences.
It was during the Ming dynasty that the broad category of Chinese cuisine, as we know today, began to take shape. The Ming developed the stir-fry, a very common means of food preparation, as well as boiling, steaming, roasting, and deep frying. Although the first chopsticks were used by the Han, it was the Ming dynasty which popularized them for both eating and serving.
Chinese cuisine emphasizes three main points for every dish: appearance, smell, and taste. To illustrate the important of appearance in high Chinese Cuisine, animals and spiritual creatures are often sculpted out of food(typically out of vegetables). Furthermore, in Chinese philosophy, it is common belief that "Gentleman use eating as a way to attain happiness."