Chinese cuisine is known and especially praised for the attention it pays to every aspect of food

"from its palatableness to its texture

and from its fragrance to its colourfulness; until

as in other works of art

proportion and balance are instilled in every dish". Within its huge variety-including gastronomic traditions originating from various regions of China

as well as from Chinese people living in other countries

in fact

such a cuisine strongly emphasises the aesthetic dimension of food

in relation to both its preparation and consumption. This acquires further importance if we consider the extensive spread of Chinese food around the world and its consequent hybridisation with other food spheres

including Western gastronomic traditions. This paper explores the aesthetic values associated with Chinese culinary arts by making reference to existing literature on Chinese food cultures and analysing some relevant case studies

especially in relation to the collective imaginary of Chinese cuisine between the East and the West. In the conclusion

a more general reflection concerning the philosophical and semiotic discussion on taste and its judgement is provided.