Traditionally, most Chinese family meals feature four dishes and a soup, which is drunk throughout the meal and between mouthfuls of the other dishes.

Flavors should be based on the yin and yang concept of contrasts. For example, a typical meal might include deep-fried chicken (which is succulent), steamed fish (light), sweet and sour pork (rich and soft) and some water chestnuts (crisp). Dishes are shared, and the ideal menu would feature one dish per person, normally of chicken, fish, pork and a vegetable, generally accompanied by rice or noodles.

Starters are not usually a part of the traditional Chinese meal. If you do want a starter, select something light such as the Hot and Sour Soup. It lends itself to considerable variations, although the basic seasoning remains much the same. It can be left as a light, spicy vegetable-based soup, or you can add some pieces of chicken, pork or seafood to make it heartier.

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Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is glutamic acid, or concentrated salt, used by Chinese cooks to boost the flavor of a dish rather as we use ordinary salt. It is not expensive and keeps indefinitely.

If used well, MSG can do much to improve the flavor of a dish, but it is true that some chefs add too much. In quantity, MSG can cause extreme thirst and other reactions like swollen neck glands, flushes and throbbing headaches. Using salt instead, along with sugar or vinegar is enough to bring out most flavors in food.

Alternatively, use a tablespoon or two of sesame oil or oyster sauce. These are complete seasonings in that they combine salt and flavoring with the richness of the base product. If you add one or both of these, there is no need to use salt, stock cubes or indeed, MSG.

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