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Chinese cuisine

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Overview

Chinese cuisine comprises cuisines originating from China, that varies with the country's large population and geographic diversity, as well as from Chinese people from other parts of the world. Due to the Chinese diaspora and the historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has profoundly influenced other cuisines in Asia and beyond, with modifications made to cater to local palates. Chinese food staples like rice, soy sauce, noodles, tea, chili oil, and tofu, and utensils such as chopsticks and the wok, can now be found worldwide.

The world's earliest eating establishments recognizable as restaurants in the modern sense first emerged in the Song dynasty China during the 11th and 12th centuries. Street food became an integral aspect of Chinese food culture in the 7th century during the Tang dynasty, and the street food culture of much of Southeast Asia was established by workers imported from China during the late 19th century.

The preferences for seasoning and cooking techniques in Chinese provinces depend on differences in social class, religion, historical background, and ethnic groups. Geographic features including mountains, rivers, forests, and deserts also have a strong effect on the locally available ingredients, considering that the climate of China varies from tropical in the south to subarctic in the northeast. Imperial royal and noble preferences also play a role in the change of Chinese cuisine. Because of imperial expansion, immigration, and trading, ingredients and cooking techniques from other cultures have been integrated into Chinese cuisines over time and Chinese culinary influences have spread worldwide.

There are numerous regional, religious, and ethnic styles of Chinese cuisine found within China and abroad. Chinese cuisine is highly diverse and most frequently categorised into provincial divisions, although these province-level classifications consist of many more styles within themselves. During the Qing dynasty, the most praised Four Great Traditions in Chinese cuisine were Chuan, Lu, Yue, and Huaiyang, representing cuisines of West, North, South, and East China, respectively.

For example, in Northern China, the dry, temperate climate makes it suitable for the cultivation of wheat, millet and other grains. As such, noodles, porridge and bread are dietary staples.

In 1980, a modern grouping from Chinese journalist Wang Shaoquan's article published in the People's Daily newspaper identified the Eight Cuisines of China as Anhui (徽菜; Huīcài), Guangdong (粵菜; Yuècài), Fujian (閩菜; Mǐncài), Hunan (湘菜; Xiāngcài), Jiangsu (蘇菜; Sūcài), Shandong (魯菜; Lǔcài), Sichuan (川菜; Chuāncài), and Zhejiang (浙菜; Zhècài).

Chinese cuisine is deeply intertwined with traditional Chinese medicine, such as in the practise of Chinese food therapy. Color, scent and taste are the three traditional aspects used to describe Chinese food, as well as the meaning, appearance, and nutrition of the food. Cooking should be appraised with respect to the ingredients used, knife work, cooking time, and seasoning.

Wikivoyage guide · 23 sections

▸Introduction260 chars

The origins of Chinese cuisine can be traced back millennia. Chinese cuisine is extremely diverse with wide regional variations, and it is not uncommon for even Chinese people themselves to find the cuisine from another region to be completely foreign to them.

▸Understand1,873 chars

Through Imperial China, Chinese culture has influenced lands such as today's Mongolia and Vietnam. Chinese cuisine has for a long time been renowned in other Asian nations such as Korea and Japan.

In modern times, the Chinese diaspora has spread Chinese cuisine to farther-flung parts of the world. That said, much of this has been adapted to local conditions, so you will often find dishes in overseas Chinese communities that cannot be found in China, or have been heavily modified from their original Chinese versions. Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore in particular are excellent places to sample such cuisine due to the long history of the Chinese communities there and the deliciousness of traditional local ingredients and cooking methods. Conversely, returning overseas Chinese have also had an impact on the culinary scene of the motherland, perhaps most palpably in Guangdong, Fujian and Hainan.

Many cities in Western countries have a Chinatown district, and even smaller towns often have a few Chinese restaurants. These places have always had mainly Cantonese food, but other styles have become more common.

Chinese cuisine can range from simple but hearty street food to over the top fine dining using only the most exclusive ingredients, with prices to match. Hong Kong is generally regarded to be the world's main centre of Chinese fine dining, though Singapore and Taipei are no slouches either, and the mainland Chinese cities of Shanghai and Beijing are also slowly but surely catching up.

Meal times in China are on the early side as countries go – closer to U.S. meal times than European ones. Breakfast is typically between 07:00 and 09:00, and often includes things like noodles, steamed buns, congee, fried pastries, soymilk, vegetables, or dumplings. The peak time for lunch is 12:00–13:00, and dinner is often somewhere around 17:30–19:30.

Facts

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WBP almanac

External sources

Wikivoyage Wikipedia

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From Wikipedia5,656 words

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Regional rainbows beyond the textbook

Travelers who trace the map of Chinese gastronomy discover that provincial borders are porous; a Sichuan street stall in Chengdu might source spices from Yunnan, while a noodle bowl in Xi'an can carry a whisper of Shaanxi's ancient wheat fields. The real flavour lies in these cross‑regional exchanges: street vendors in Guangzhou, for instance, adapt northern wheat‑based dishes to the southern palate, swapping steaming buns for delicate rice rolls. Awareness of these subtle swaps helps diners appreciate how migration, trade routes and even seasonal labour flows stitch together what outsiders perceive as discrete culinary families.

Dining etiquette on the move

Beyond the well‑known chop‑stick etiquette, local dining customs vary considerably. In many coastal eateries, it is common to sample every dish collectively, signalling respect for the chef's effort; in contrast, inland families often serve each other from the centre of the table, a practice that can feel invasive to unaccustomed visitors. Understanding when to lift the bowl to the mouth versus placing it back on the saucer, or whether to finish every morsel, can influence how warmly locals receive you. Small gestures—such as tapping the table lightly with chopsticks after a toast in northern provinces—signal gratitude without breaking the flow of conversation.

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▸Regional cuisines8,640 chars

Chinese cuisine varies widely depending on what part of the country you're in. The "Four Great Cuisines" (四大菜系) are Sichuan (Chuan), Shandong (Lu), Guangdong (Cantonese/Yue), and Jiangsu (Huaiyang) cuisine, and other regions have their styles as well, with notably different culinary traditions in ethnic minority areas such as Tibet and Xinjiang.

It's not hard to sample some of the regional cuisines in China even if you're far from their regions of origin—Sichuanese málà (麻辣) tingly-spicy food can be found all over, for instance, as can signs advertising Lanzhou noodles (兰州拉面, Lánzhōu lāmiàn). Similarly, although Peking duck (北京烤鸭) is ostensibly a local speciality of Beijing, it is also widely available in many Cantonese restaurants.

Beijing (京菜 Jīng Cài): home-style noodles and baozi (包子 bread buns), Peking Duck (北京烤鸭 Běijīng Kǎoyā), fried sauce noodles (炸酱面 zhájiàngmiàn), cabbage dishes, great pickles. Can be delicious and satisfying.

Imperial (宫廷菜 Gōngtíng Cài): the food of the late Qing court, made famous by the Empress Dowager Cixi, can be sampled at high-end specialized restaurants in Beijing. The cuisine combines elements of Manchu frontier food such as venison with unique exotica such as camel's paw, shark's fin and bird's nest.

Cantonese / Guangzhou / Hong Kong (广东菜 Guǎngdōng Cài, 粤菜 Yuè Cài): the style most Western visitors are already familiar with (albeit in localized form). Not too spicy, the emphasis is on freshly cooked ingredients and seafood. That being said, authentic Cantonese cuisine is also among the most adventurous in China in terms of variety of ingredients as the Cantonese are famous, even among the Chinese, for their extremely wide definition of what is considered edible.

Dim Sum (点心 diǎnxīn in Mandarin, dímsām in Cantonese), small snacks usually eaten for breakfast or lunch, are a highlight.

Roasted meats (烧味 shāowèi in Mandarin, sīuméi in Cantonese) are also popular in Cantonese cuisine, which includes some dishes popular in Chinatowns in the West such as roast duck (烧鸭 shāoyā in Mandarin, sīu'aap in Cantonese), soy sauce chicken (豉油鸡 chǐyóujī in Mandarin, sihyàuhgāi in Cantonese), barbecued pork (叉烧 chāshāo in Mandarin, chāsīu in Cantonese) and crispy-skin pork belly (烧肉 shāoròu in Mandarin, sīuyuhk in Cantonese).

Cured meats (腊味 làwèi in Mandarin, laahpméi in Cantonese) are another specialty of Cantonese cuisine, and includes Chinese sausages (腊肠 làcháng in Mandarin, laahpchéung in Cantonese), liver sausages (膶肠 rùncháng in Mandarin, yéunchéung in Cantonese) and preserved duck (腊鸭 làyā in Mandarin, laahp'aap in Cantonese). A common way of eating these is in the form of cured meat claypot rice (腊味煲仔饭 làwèi bāozǎi fàn in Mandarin, laahpméi bōujái faahn in Cantonese).

Congee (粥 zhōu in Mandarin, jūk in Cantonese) is also popular in Cantonese cuisine. The Cantonese style of congee involves the rice being boiled until the grains are no longer visible, and has other ingredients such as meats, seafood or offal cooked with the rice in order flavour the congee.

Huaiyang (淮揚菜 Huáiyáng Cài): The cuisine of Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, considered to be a good mix of northern and southern Chinese cooking styles. The most famous dish is xiaolongbao (小笼包 Xiǎolóngbāo), often called "soup dumplings" in the West. Other signature dishes include braised pork belly (红烧肉 hóng shāo ròu), sweet and sour pork ribs (糖醋排骨 táng cù pái gǔ) and wontons (馄饨 húntun). Sugar is often added to fried dishes, giving them a sweet flavor. Though Shanghainese cuisine is often considered to be the representative of this style, the cuisines of nearby cities such as Hangzhou, Suzhou, Wuxi and Nanjing have their own unique dishes and flavours and are certainly worth a try too.

Sichuan (川菜 Chuān Cài): Famously hot and spicy. A popular saying is that it is so spicy your mouth will go numb. However, not all dishes are made with live chilis. The numbing sensation actually comes from the Sichuan peppercorn (花椒 huājiāo). It is widely available outside Sichuan and also native to Chongqing. If you want really authentic Sichuanese food outside Sichuan or Chongqing, look for small eateries sporting the characters for Sichuan cuisine in neighborhoods with lots of migrant workers. These tend to be much cheaper and often better than the ubiquitous up-market Sichuan restaurants.

Hunan (湖南菜 Húnán Cài, 湘菜 Xiāng Cài): the cuisine of the Xiangjiang region, Dongting Lake and western Hunan Province. Similar, in some ways, to Sichuanese cuisine, it can actually be "spicier" in the Western sense.

Teochew / Chiuchow / Chaozhou (潮州菜 Cháozhōu Cài): originating from the Chaoshan area in eastern Guangdong, a unique style which nonetheless will be familiar to most Southeast Asian and Hong Kong Chinese. Famous dishes include braised duck (卤鸭 Lǔyā), yam paste dessert (芋泥 Yùní) and fishballs (鱼丸 Yúwán).

Rice porridge (粥 zhōu in Mandarin, 糜 muê5 in Teochew) is a comfort dish in Teochew cuisine. Unlike the Cantonese version, the Teochew version leaves the rice grains intact. Teochew porridge is usually served plain with other savory dishes on the side, though Teochew fish porridge often has the rice cooked in a fish broth and boiled with slices of fish in it.

Hakka / Kejia (客家菜 Kèjiā Cài): the cuisine of the Hakka people, spread around various parts of southern China. Has a focus on preserved meat and vegetables. Famous dishes include stuffed tofu (酿豆腐 niàng dòufǔ, stuffed with meat of course), stuffed bitter melon (酿苦瓜 niàng kǔguā, also stuffed with meat), pickled mustard greens pork (梅菜扣肉 méicài kòuròu), braised pork with taro (芋头扣肉 yùtóu kòuròu), chicken baked in salt (盐焗鸡 yánjújī) and ground tea (擂茶 léi chá).

Fujian (福建菜 Fújiàn Cài, 闽菜 Mǐn Cài): uses ingredients mostly from coastal and estuarial waterways. Fujian cuisine can be split into at least three distinct cuisines: South Fujian cuisine, Fuzhou cuisine, and West Fujian cuisine.

Rice porridge (粥 zhōu in Mandarin, 糜 bê in Minnan) is a popular dish in Southern Fujian. It is similar to the Teochew version, but is usually cooked with slices of sweet potato. It is also very popular in Taiwan, where it a staple breakfast dish.

Guizhou (贵州菜 Guìzhōu Cài, 黔菜 Qián Cài): combines elements of Sichuan and Xiang cuisine, making liberal use of spicy, peppery and sour flavors. The peculiar zhergen (折耳根 Zhē'ěrgēn), a regional root vegetable, adds an unmistakable sour-peppery flavor to many dishes. Minority dishes such as Sour Fish Hot Pot (酸汤鱼 Suān Tāng Yú) are widely enjoyed.

Zhejiang (浙菜 Zhè Cài): includes the foods of Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Shaoxing. A delicately seasoned, light-tasting mix of seafood and vegetables often served in soup. Sometimes lightly sweetened or sometimes sweet and sour, Zhejiang dishes frequently involve cooked meats and vegetables in combination.

Hainan (琼菜 Qióng Cài): famous among the Chinese, but still relatively unknown to foreigners, characterized by the heavy use of seafood and coconuts. The signature specialties are the "Four Famous Dishes of Hainan" (海南四大名菜 Hǎinán Sì Dà Míngcài): Wenchang chicken (文昌鸡 Wénchāng jī), Dongshan goat (东山羊 Dōngshān yáng), Jiaji duck (加积鸭 Jiājī yā) and Hele crab (和乐蟹 Hélè xiè). Wenchang chicken would eventually give rise to Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore and Malaysia, khao man kai (ข้าวมันไก่) in Thailand, and Cơm gà Hải Nam in Vietnam.

Northeast China (东北 Dōngběi) has its own style of food. It emphasizes wheat over rice and, like the Northwest, includes various breads and noodle dishes plus kebabs (串 chuàn; note how the character looks like a kebab!). The area is particularly famous for jiǎozi (饺子), a type of dumpling similar to ravioli or perogies which was later adopted by the Japanese as gyoza. Many cities further south have jiaozi restaurants, and many of those are run by Dongbei people.

The cuisines of Hong Kong and Macau are essentially Cantonese cuisine, albeit with British and Portuguese influences respectively, while the cuisine of Taiwan is similar to that of South Fujian, albeit with Japanese influences, as well as influences from other parts of China that are a result of recipes brought over by the Nationalists who fled the mainland in 1949. That said, as many famous chefs fled mainland China for Hong Kong and Taiwan in the wake of the communist revolution, high-quality cuisine from different parts of China is available in those areas as well. Hong Kong cuisine also exhibits noticeable Indian influences as a result of Indian immigrants brought over by the British during the colonial period, and curry is a common condiment, though the spice level is usually dialed down to suit the Cantonese palate.

▸Ingredients5,849 chars

Meat, especially pork, is ubiquitous. Poultry such as duck and chicken are also popular, and there's no shortage of beef. Lamb and goat are popular with Muslims and in general in western China. If you know where to go, you can also sample more unusual meats like snake or dog.

Ham — While European and American hams may be better known internationally, China is also a traditional ham-producing nation, with some of its premium hams having histories that date back centuries or even millennia. Chinese hams are typically dry-cured, and often feature as a soup base, or as an ingredient in a variety of dishes. China's most celebrated ham is Jinhua ham (金華火腿 jīn huá huǒ tuǐ) from the city of Jinhua in Zhejiang province. Besides Jinhua ham, Rugao ham (如皋火腿 rú gāo huǒ tuǐ) from the Rugao in Jiangsu province, and Xuanwei ham (宣威火腿 xuān wēi huǒ tuǐ) from Xuanwei in Yunnan province round up China's "Three Great Hams". Other famous hams include Anfu ham (安福火腿 ān fú huǒ tuǐ) from Anfu in Jiangxi province, which had been featured at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in 1915, and Nuodeng ham (诺邓火腿 nuò dèng huǒ tuǐ) from Nuodeng in Yunnan province, which is a specialty of the Bai ethnic minority.

Rice is the archetypical staple food, especially in southern China.

Noodles are also an important staple, with wheat noodles (面, miàn) more common in northern China and rice noodles (粉, fěn) more common in the south.

Vegetables are usually steamed, pickled, stir-fried or boiled. They're rarely eaten raw. Many have multiple names and are translated and mistranslated in various different ways, causing lots of confusion when you try to make sense of a menu. Some favorites include eggplant, pea shoots, lotus root, daikon and bamboo shoots. Gourds include calabash, bitter melon, pumpkin, cucumber, sponge gourd, and winter melon. Leafy vegetables are varied, but many are more or less unfamiliar to English-speakers and may be translated as some kind of cabbage, lettuce, spinach, or greens. Thus you'll find Chinese cabbage, long-leaf lettuce, water spinach, and sweet potato greens, to name a few.

Mushrooms – lots of different kinds, from rubbery black "wood ear" to chewy white "golden needle mushrooms".

Tofu in China isn't just a substitute for vegetarians, but instead simply another kind of food, often served mixed with vegetables, meat, or eggs. It comes in lots of different forms, many of which will be totally unrecognizable if you're just used to the rectangular white blocks that are available internationally.

Soy sauce (酱油 jiàngyóu) is commonly used in Chinese cuisine, both as a dipping condiment and as a seasoning. There are many different grades of soy sauce, though it is most commonly divided into dark and light soy sauce. Oyster sauce (蚝油 háo yóu) is another commonly-used sauce, especially in Cantonese cuisine, though unlike soy sauce it is rarely used as a dipping condiment and used almost exclusively as a cooking ingredient. In coastal Fujian and the Chaoshan region of Guangdong, fish sauce (鱼露 yúlù) is common.

Certain Chinese dishes contain ingredients some people may prefer to avoid, such as dog, cat, snake or endangered species. However, it is very unlikely that you will order these dishes by mistake. Dog and snake are usually served in specialty restaurants which do not hide their ingredients. Obviously, products made from endangered ingredients will have astronomical prices and would not be listed on the regular menu anyway. The cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai have banned the eating of cat and dog meat, and this ban is planned to be extended nationwide. Also per the view of traditional Chinese medicine, eating too much dog, cat or snake is said to result in adverse effects, and thus they are not eaten frequently by Chinese.

Broadly speaking, rice is the main staple in the south, while wheat, mostly in the form of noodles, is the main staple in the north. These staples are ever-present, and you may find that you don't spend a single day in China without eating rice, noodles, or both.

Bread is hardly ubiquitous by comparison with European countries, but there is a lot of good flatbread in northern China, and bāozi (包子) (Cantonese: bao)—steamed buns stuffed with sweet or savory filling—are integral to Cantonese dim sum and popular elsewhere in the country as well. Buns without fillings are known as mántou (馒头/饅頭), and are a popular breakfast dish in northern China; these can be served either steamed or deep fried. Tibetan and Uyghur cuisines heavily feature flatbread that is similar to those in northern India and the Middle East.

Except in some ethnic minority areas like Yunnan, Tibet, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, dairy products are not common in traditional Chinese cuisine. With globalization, dairy products are being incorporated into a few foods in the rest of the country, so you might see baozi stuffed with custard, for instance, but these remain exceptions. Dairy products also feature somewhat more commonly in the cuisines of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan than those of mainland China due to stronger Western influences.

One reason dairy products are not common is that a majority of Chinese adults are lactose intolerant; they lack an enzyme required to digest lactose (milk sugar), so it gets digested by intestinal bacteria instead, producing gas. A large dose of dairy products can therefore cause considerable pain and a lot of embarrassment. This condition occurs in less than 10% of northern Europeans, but over 90% of the population in parts of Africa. China is somewhere in between, and there is regional and ethnic variation in the rates. Yoghurt is quite common in China; it does not produce the problem since the bacteria in it have already broken down the lactose. In general yoghurt is easier to find than milk, and cheese is an expensive luxury item.

▸Dishes3,174 chars

You'll find all kinds of meat, vegetable, tofu, and noodle dishes in China. Here are a few well-known, distinctive dishes:

Buddha jumps over the wall (佛跳墙, fótiàoqiáng) – an expensive Fuzhounese soup made from shark fin (鱼翅, yúchì), abalone and many other non-vegetarian premium ingredients. According to legend, the smell was so good that a Buddhist monk forgot his vegetarian vows and leaped over the temple wall to have some. Typically needs to be ordered a few days in advance due to the long preparation time.

Guōbāoròu (锅包肉) – sweet and sour battered pork from Northeast China.

Chicken feet (鸡爪, jī zhuǎ) – cooked lots of different ways, many in China consider them the tastiest part of the chicken. Known as phoenix claws (凤爪 fuhng jáau in Cantonese, fèng zhuǎ in Mandarin) in Cantonese-speaking areas, where it is a popular dim sum dish and most commonly made with black bean sauce.

Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐, mápó dòufu) – a Sichuanese tofu and ground pork dish that is very spicy and has classic Sichuan málà tingly/numbing spiciness.

Peking duck (北京烤鸭, běijīng kǎoyā) – roast duck, the most famous dish characteristic of Beijing.

Stinky tofu (臭豆腐, chòu dòufu) – just what it sounds like. Several different regions have different types, though the most famous is Changsha-style, made in rectangular blocks that are blackened on the outside. Other prominent styles of the dish include Shaoxing-style and Nanjing-style. It is also a very popular street dish in Taiwan, where it is available in various different styles. It is available at night markets in Hong Kong, too.

Stuffed tofu (酿豆腐, niàng dòufu in Mandarin, ngiong4 têu4 fu4 in Hakka) – a Hakka dish, fried tofu stuffed with meat, known as yong tau foo in Southeast Asia, albeit often heavily modified from the original.

Xiǎolóngbāo (小笼包) – small soup-filled dumplings from Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Sweet and sour pork (咕噜肉 gūlūròu in Mandarin, gūlōuyuhk in Cantonese) – a Cantonese dish, invented to suit the palates of the Europeans and Americans based in Guangdong during the 19th century. One of the most popular Chinese dishes in English-speaking countries.

Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish (松鼠鳜鱼 sōngshǔ guìyú) - a fried fish dish from Jiangsu, Crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside, it gets its name both from its elaborate appearance and for the squealing sound it makes when covered in hot sweet-and-sour sauce.

Hot and sour soup (酸辣汤 suānlà tāng) – a thick, starchy soup that is made spicy with red peppers and sour with vinegar. A specialty of Sichuan cuisine.

Oyster omelette (海蛎煎 hǎilì jiān or 蚝煎 háo jiān) — a dish made of eggs, fresh oysters and sweet potato starch, originating in South Fujian and Chaoshan, albeit with different variations. Perhaps the most famous variant of this internationally is the Taiwanese version that is ubiquitous in night markets on the island. Other variations can also be found in areas with large diaspora communities from the aforementioned regions, such as Singapore, Penang and Bangkok. Known as 蚵仔煎 (ô-á-chiān) in Minnan-speaking areas (including Taiwan, where the Mandarin name is nearly unknown), and 蠔烙 (o5 luah4) in Teochew-speaking areas.

▸Noodles3,242 chars

Noodles originated in China: the earliest written record of them dates to some 2,000 years ago, and archaeological evidence has been reported of noodle consumption 4,000 years ago at Lajia in eastern Qinghai. Chinese has no single word for noodles, instead dividing them into miàn (面), made from wheat, and fěn (粉), made from rice or sometimes other starches. Noodles vary by region, with a variety of ingredients, widths, methods of preparation, and toppings, but are typically served with some kind of meat and/or vegetables. They may be served with soup or dry (with just a sauce).

Sauces and flavorings used with noodles include Sichuanese tingly-spicy (麻辣, málà) sauce, sesame sauce (麻酱, májiàng), soy sauce (酱油 jiàngyóu), vinegar (醋, cù), and many others.

Biangbiang noodles (𰻝𰻝面, biángbiáng miàn) – thick, wide, chewy, hand-made noodles from Shaanxi, whose name is written with a character so complicated and little-used that it's not listed in dictionaries and can't be entered on most computers (see here to see a larger version). You might also see them listed as 油泼面 (yóupō miàn) on menus that couldn't print the character correctly.

Chongqing noodles (重庆小面, Chóngqìng xiǎo miàn) – tingly-spicy noodles usually served with soup, probably the most famous dish from Chongqing along with hot pot.

Dāndān miàn (担担面) – Sichuanese tingly-spicy thin noodles, served "dry" or with soup.

Fried noodles (炒面, chǎo miàn, and 炒粉 chǎo fěn or 河粉 héfěn) – known to Chinese-restaurant-goers in other countries as "chow mein" and "chow fun" after their Cantonese pronunciations, these stir-fried noodles vary by region. They're not always as oily and heavy as the stuff you'll find at many overseas Chinese restaurants. Not to be confused with chǎo fàn (炒饭), which is fried rice.

Hot dry noodles (热干面, règānmiàn), a simple dish of noodles with sauce, "dry" in the sense of being served without soup. A specialty of Wuhan, Hubei.

Knife-cut noodles (刀削面, dāoxiāo miàn) – from Shanxi, not thin but not exactly wide either, served with a range of sauces. "The more you chew them, the tastier they get."

Lánzhōu lāmiàn (兰州拉面, Lánzhōu lāmiàn), fresh Lanzhou-style hand-pulled noodles. This industry is heavily dominated by members of the Hui (回族) ethnic group—look for a tiny restaurant with staff in Muslim dress, white fez-like hats on the men and head scarves on the women. If you're looking for halal food outside a Muslim-majority area, these restaurants are a good bet—many have signs advertising "halal" (清真, qīngzhēn) in Chinese or Arabic.

Liángpí (凉皮), flat noodles served cold, originating in Shaanxi.

Lo mein (拌面, bàn miàn) – thin, dry noodles with sauce.

Longevity noodles (长寿面, chángshòu miàn) are a traditional birthday dish, the long noodles symbolizing a long life.

Luósīfěn (螺蛳粉) – noodles with river snail soup from Guangxi.

Over-the-bridge noodles (过桥米线, guò qiáo mǐxiàn) – rice noodle soup from Yunnan.

Wonton noodles (云吞面 yún tūn miàn) – a Cantonese dish, consisting of thin egg noodles served in soup with pork dumplings. In Hong Kong, the dumplings usually have shrimp instead of pork filling. Different variations of the dish exist among the Cantonese diaspora in Southeast Asia, albeit often heavily modified from the original.

▸Snacks5,453 chars

Various types of Chinese food provide quick, cheap, tasty, light meals. Street food and snacks sold from portable vendors and hole-in-the-wall shops can be found throughout China's cities, especially good for breakfast or a snack. Wangfujing district's Snack Street in Beijing is a notable, if touristy, area for street food. In Cantonese-speaking areas, street food vendors are called gai bin dong; such ventures can grow into a substantial business with the stalls only barely "mobile" in the traditional street food sense. In addition to little street vendors, some of these items can be found on the menu at restaurants, or at the counter in convenience stores like 7-Eleven. Various quick eats available nationwide include:

Bāozi (包子) – steamed buns stuffed with sweet or savory filling such as vegetables, meat, sweet red bean paste, custard, or black sesame seeds

Barbecued meat skewers (串 chuàn) from street vendors. Easy to spot since even the character looks like a kebab! Fiery Uyghur-style lamb kebabs (羊肉串 yángròu chuàn) from Xinjiang are particularly renowned.

Congee (粥 zhōu or 稀饭 xīfàn) – rice porridge. The Cantonese, Teochew and Minnan people in particular have elevated this seemingly simple dish into an art form. Each of them have their own distinctive and highly-celebrated styles.

Fish balls (鱼丸 yúwán) – fish paste moulded into the shape of a ball, popular in much of coastal Guangdong and Fujian, as well as in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Two cities in particular are famous among ethnic Chinese worldwide for their versions of this dish; Shantou-style fish balls are typically plain with no fillings, while Fuzhou-style fish balls are typically filled with minced pork.

Jiānbǐng (煎饼), an egg pancake wrapped around a cracker with sauce and, optionally, chili sauce.

Jiǎozi (饺子), which Chinese translate as "dumplings", boiled, steamed or fried ravioli-like items with a variety of fillings, a staple in much of northern China. These are found throughout Asia: momos, mandu, gyoza and jiaozi are all basically variations of the same thing, while some European cuisines also have similar dishes, such as pelmeni in Russia, varenyky in Ukraine, pirohy in Slovakia and pierogi in Poland. An essential Chinese New Year dish in most northern Chinese families.

Làtiáo (辣条) - A relatively new and popular Chinese snack consists of strips made with wheat flour (especially wheat gluten), flavored with chili pepper. It is chewy, spicy, and tangy.

Mántou (馒头) – plain steamed buns, often served and eaten with condensed milk.

Mooncakes (月饼 yuèbǐng) – traditionally eaten during the Mid Autumn Festival, usually falling some time in September or October. These are usually available only during the weeks leading up to the festival, when many restaurants and bakeries would sell them, though some traditional bakeries may sell them year-round. These come in a wide variety of regional styles that are vastly different from each other; by far the most popular internationally is the Cantonese style, which traditionally has a lotus seed paste filling with one or more salted duck's egg yolk with a chewy crust.

Tofu pudding (豆花, dòuhuā; or 豆腐花, dòufuhuā) – in southern China, this soft pudding is usually sweet and can be served with toppings such as red beans or syrup. In northern China, it's savory, made with soy sauce, and is often called dòufunǎo (豆腐脑), literally "tofu brains". In Taiwan it's sweet and has a lot of liquid, making it as much a drink as a food.

Wonton – a type of Chinese dumpling, similar to jiaozi but typically with thinner skin, less filling and wrapped into a triangular shape. They go by different names in different part of China, with 馄饨 (húntun) being the most common Chinese name overall, 云吞 (yúntūn) in Cantonese-speaking areas, 抄手 (chāoshǒu) in Sichuan, and 扁肉 (biǎnròu) or 扁食 (biǎnshi) in much of Fujian province.

Wōwōtóu (窝窝头) – cone-shaped steamed cornbread, popular in northern China

Yóutiáo (油条) – literally "oily strip", known as "deep-fried ghost" (油炸鬼) in Cantonese-speaking areas, a sort of long, fluffy, oily pastry. Youtiao with soy milk is the quintessential Taiwanese breakfast, while youtiao is a common condiment for congee in Cantonese cuisine. Legends said that the youtiao is a commoner's protest of a collaborator who framed a patriotic general to death during the Southern Song Dynasty.

Zhágāo (炸糕) – a little sweet fried pastry

Zòngzi (粽子) – large sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, traditionally eaten on the Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival) in May or June. On the Dragon Boat Festival, you may be able to find them for sale at shops that sell other kinds of dumplings and steamed buns, and it's possible you'll even see them at other times of year. The stuffing can be savory (咸的 xián de) with meat or eggs, or sweet (甜的 tián de). The savory ones are more popular in southern China, sweet in the north, while the Chaoshan region has a unique style combining sweet and savory fillings. While they come in a wide variety of regional styles, the most famous place to get the savory pork version is the city of Jiaxing in Zhejiang, which holds a zongzi-making competition every year around the Dragon Boat Festival.

You can also find various items, usually sweet, from the ubiquitous bakeries (面包店, miànbāodiàn). A great variety of sweets and sweet foods found in China are often sold as snacks, rather than as a post-meal dessert course in restaurants as in the West.

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Dragon fruit (火龙果, huǒlóngguǒ) is a strange-looking fruit if you're unfamiliar with it, with pink skin, pink or green soft spikes poking out, white or red flesh, and black seeds. The kind with red flesh is sweeter and more expensive, but the white kind is more refreshing.

Jujube (枣, zǎo), sometimes called the "Chinese date", presumably due to its size and shape, but its taste and texture are more like an apple. There are several different types, and you can buy them fresh or dried. Often used to make various Cantonese soups.

Kiwifruit (猕猴桃, míhóutáo, or sometimes 奇异果, qíyìguǒ), although popularly associated with New Zealand in global culinary culture, is actually native to China, where you can find many different varieties, small and large, with flesh ranging in color from dark green to orange. Many people have never tasted a truly ripe kiwi—if you're used to tart kiwis that you have to cut with a knife, do yourself a favor and try one that's fresh, ripe, and in season.

Longan (龙眼, lóngyǎn, literally "dragon eye") is similar to the better-known lychee (below), but smaller, with a slightly lighter flavor and a smoother, pale yellow or brown peel. It's harvested in Southern China slightly later in the year than lychees, but can be found for sale at other times of year as well.

Lychee (荔枝, lìzhī) is a wonderfully sweet, juicy fruit with a somewhat perfumy taste, and at its best when its peel is red. It is harvested in the late spring and early summer in areas of Southern China such as Guangdong Province.

Mangosteen (山竹, shānzhú), a dark purple fruit the size of a small apple. To eat it, squeeze it from the bottom until the thick peel cracks, then open it and eat the sweet white flesh.

Plum (梅子, méizi; 李子, lǐzi) – Chinese plums are typically smaller, harder, and tarter than plums you would find in North America. They're popular fresh or dried.

Yángméi (杨梅) is a kind of plum, purple with a fine knobby surface. It's sweet and has a texture that's hard to describe, sort of like a grainy strawberry or raspberry.

Pomelo (柚子, yòuzi) – sometimes called "Chinese grapefruit", but actually the grapefruit is a cross between this large citrus fruit and the orange. Its flesh is sweeter but less juicy than a grapefruit, which means you can eat it with your hands and don't need a knife or spoon. Harvested in autumn, a pomelo is too big for one person to eat, so share it with your companions.

Wampee (黄皮, huángpí), another fruit similar to the longan and lychee, but grape-shaped and slightly tart.

Watermelon (西瓜, xīguā) is very commonly available in the summertime. Chinese watermelons tend to be spherical, rather than elongated in one dimension.

In China, tomatoes and avocados are considered fruits. Avocados are uncommon, but tomatoes are frequently eaten as snacks, ingredients in desserts, or stir-fried with scrambled eggs.

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Tea (茶, chá) can of course be found at restaurants and at dedicated tea houses. In addition to the more traditional "neat" tea without milk or sugar, bubble tea with milk and tapioca balls (served hot or cold) is popular, and you can find bottled sweet iced tea in stores and vending machines.

China is the birthplace of tea culture, and at the risk of stating the obvious, there's a lot of tea (茶 chá) in China. Green tea (绿茶 lǜchá) is served up for free in some restaurants (depending on region) or for a small fee. Some common types served are:

gunpowder tea (珠茶 zhūchá): a green tea so-named not after the taste but after the appearance of the bunched-up leaves used to brew it (the Chinese name "pearl tea" is rather more poetic)

jasmine tea (茉莉花茶 mòlihuachá): green tea scented with jasmine flowers

oolong (烏龍 wūlóng): a half-fermented mountain tea.

However, specialist tea houses serve a vast variety of brews, ranging from the pale, delicate white tea (白茶 báichá) to the powerful fermented and aged pu'er tea (普洱茶 pǔ'ěrchá). Tea brewing is an art in China, and there are numerous ancient treatises dedicated to perfecting this art form. For the most serious connoisseurs, even the choice of teapot and water source are important aspects of preparing the perfect brew, with different types of teapots being paired with different types of tea. Traditionally, Chinese people consider spring water to be the best type of water for brewing tea, and there are even specific springs that are paired with specific types of tea.

For those who want a unique cultural experience, South Fujian, Chaoshan and Taiwan are home to an elaborate tea ceremony known as the Gongfu tea ceremony (工夫茶 gōngfuchá). Unlike the better-known Japanese tea ceremony, which emphasises etiquette, the Chinese Gongfu tea ceremony places an emphasis on bringing out the best flavour of the tea. Another unique tea tradition is the long spout teapot performance, originating in Sichuan and Chongqing Municipality, where a copper teapot with a very long spout is used to pour tea using moves inspired by traditional Chinese martial arts in order to entertain guests, and the tea is drunk from a type of bowl with a lid known as a gàiwǎn (盖碗).

The price of tea in China is about the same as anywhere else, as it turns out. Like wine and other indulgences, a product that is any of well-known, high-quality or rare can be rather costly and one that is two or three of those can be amazingly expensive. As with wines, the cheapest stuff should usually be avoided and the high-priced products left to buyers who either are experts themselves or have expert advice, but there are many good choices in the middle price ranges.

Tea shops typically sell by the jin (斤 jīn, 500g, a little over an imperial pound); prices start around ¥50 a jin and there are many quite nice teas in the ¥100-300 range. Most shops will also have more expensive teas; prices up to ¥2,000 a jin are fairly common. The record price for top grade tea sold at auction was ¥9,000 per gram; that was for a rare da hong pao from Mount Wuyi from a few bushes on a cliff, difficult to harvest and once reserved for the Emperor.

Various areas of China have famous teas, but the same type of tea will come in many different grades, much as there are many different burgundies at different costs. Hangzhou, near Shanghai, is famed for its "Dragon Well" (龙井 lóngjǐng) green tea. Fujian and Taiwan have the most famous oolong teas (乌龙茶 wūlóngchá), "Dark Red Robe" (大红袍 dàhóngpáo) from Mount Wuyi, "Iron Goddess of Mercy" (铁观音 tiěguānyīn) from Anxi, and "High Mountain Oolong" (高山烏龍 gāoshān wūlóng) from Taiwan. Pu'er in Yunnan has the most famous fully fermented tea, pǔ'ěrchá (普洱茶). This comes compressed into hard cakes, originally a packing method for transport by horse caravan to Burma and Tibet. The cakes are embossed with patterns; some people hang them up as wall decorations.

Most tea shops will be more than happy to let you sit down and try different varieties of tea. Tenfu Tea is a national chain with over 1,000 locations, and in Beijing "Wu Yu Tai" is the one some locals say they favor.

Black tea, the type of tea most common in the West, is known in China as "red tea" (紅茶 hóngchá). While almost all Western teas are black teas, the converse isn't true, with many Chinese teas also falling into the "black tea" category.

Chinese teas are drunk without sugar or milk. However, in almost all cities you will find abundant Hong Kong style "milk tea" (奶茶 nǎichá), and maybe Tibetan "butter tea". Taiwanese bubble tea (珍珠奶茶 zhēnzhū nǎichá) is also popular; the "bubbles" are balls of tapioca and milk or fruit are often mixed in. The popularity of milk tea in China has dramatically taken off in the post-COVID era, and many local milk tea chains have popped up across the country. The most common chain is 蜜雪冰城 (mì xuě bīng chéng) which has shops in the smallest towns and at tourist sites like the great wall. Other chains include 喜茶 (xǐ chá, known for fruit teas), Chagee 霸王茶姬 (bàwáng chájì, high caffeine milk tea with no bubbles or fruit), 百道茶 (pandatea, again fruit), and CoCo都可 (best for traditional style tapioca pearls).

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Coffee (咖啡 kāfēi) has long been hard to find outside Hainan, where it had been introduced by returning overseas Hainanese, many of whom had long operated coffee shops in Southeast Asia, in the 1950s. International chains like Starbucks have a presence in major Chinese cities, but are too expensive for the average Chinese. That said, China has been experiencing a massive coffee boom among the youth since the end of COVID, with several local chains having sprung up to give the international chains a run for their money.

Several chains of coffee shops have branches in many cities, including Starbucks (星巴克), UBC Coffee (上岛咖啡), Ming Tien Coffee Language and SPR. The most popular coffee shop chain in China is local brand Luckin Coffee (瑞幸咖啡), which has more branches than Starbucks nationwide. All offer coffee, tea, and both Chinese and Western food, generally with good air conditioning, wireless Internet, and nice décor. In most locations they are priced at ¥15-40 or so a cup, but beware of airport locations which sometimes charge around ¥70.

There are many small independent coffee shops or local chains. These may also be high priced, but often they are somewhat cheaper than the big chains. Quality varies from excellent to abysmal.

For cheap coffee just to stave off withdrawal symptoms, there are several options. Go to a Western fast food chain (KFC, McD, etc.) for some ¥8 coffee. Alternately, almost any supermarket or convenience store will have both canned cold coffee and packets of instant Nescafé (usually pre-mixed with whitener and sugar) — just add hot water. It is common for travellers to carry a few packets to use in places like hotel rooms or on trains, where coffee may not be available but hot water almost always is.

If you want to buy some coffee to bring back home, Yunnan and Hainan account for the bulk of coffee growing in China.

▸Other non-alcoholic drinks1,704 chars

Sour prune juice (酸梅汤 suānméitāng) – sweet and sour, and quite a bit tastier than what you might know as "prune juice" back home. Served at restaurants fairly often.

Soymilk (豆浆 dòujiāng) – different from the stuff that's known as "soymilk" in Europe or the Americas. You can find it at some street food stalls and restaurants. The server may ask if you want it hot (热 rè) or cold (冷 lěng); otherwise the default is hot. Vegans and lactose-intolerant people beware: there are two different beverages in China that are translated as "soymilk": 豆浆 dòujiāng should be dairy-free, but 豆奶 dòunǎi may contain milk.

Apple vinegar drink (苹果醋饮料 píngguǒ cù yǐnliào) – it might sound gross, but don't knock it till you try it! A sweetened carbonated drink made from vinegar; look for the brand 天地壹号 Tiāndì Yīhào.

Herbal tea (凉茶 liáng chá) – a specialty of Guangdong. You can find sweet herbal tea drinks at supermarkets and convenience stores – look for the popular brands 王老吉 Wánglǎojí and 加多宝 Jiāduōbǎo. Or you can get the traditional, very bitter stuff at little shops where people buy it as a cold remedy.

Winter melon punch (冬瓜茶 dōngguā chá) – a very sweet drink that originated in Taiwan, but has also spread to much of southern China and the overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia.

Hot water (热水 rè shuǐ) – traditionally in China, ordinary water is drunk hot rather than cold. It may seem counterintuitive, but drinking hot water helps you sweat and thus cool off during the hot summer months. Nowadays there are plenty of people in China who drink cold water too, but if you happen to get a cold or feel ill during your trip, you're sure to hear lots of people advising you: "Drink more hot water."

▸Alcoholic6,861 chars

Báijiǔ (白酒) is very strong, clear grain liquor, made from sorghum and sometimes other grains depending on the region. The word "jiǔ" can be used for any alcoholic drink, but is often translated as "wine". Chinese may therefore call baijiu "white wine" in conversation, but "white lightning" would be a better translation, since it is generally 40% to 65% alcohol by volume.

Baijiu will typically be served at banquets and festivals in tiny shot glasses. Toasts are ubiquitous at banquets or dinners on special occasions. Many Chinese consume baijiu only for this ceremonial purpose, though some — more in northern China than in the south — do drink it more often.

Baijiu is definitely an acquired taste, but once the taste is acquired, it's quite fun to "ganbei" (toast) a glass or two at a banquet.

Maotai (茅台 Máotái) or Moutai, made in Guizhou Province, is China's national liquor and most famous brand of baijiu. Made from sorghum, Maotai and its expensive cousins are well known for their strong fragrance and are actually sweeter than western clear liquors as the sorghum taste is preserved — in a way. Its signature Feitian 53 range, sold in a white and red bottle with a red ribbon tied around the cap, contains 53% alcohol.

Kaoliang (高粱酒 gāoliángjiǔ) is a premium type of sorghum liquor most famously made on the island of Kinmen under the eponymous brand Kinmen Kaoling Liquor, which while just off the coast of Xiamen is controlled by Taiwan. Considered to be the national drink of Taiwan. Their signature product is the 58° Kinmen Kaoliang, sold in a glass bottle with a white label and golden wording, contains 58% alcohol.

Wuliangye (五粮液 Wǔliángyè) from Yibin, Sichuan is another premium type of baijiu. Its name literally translates as "five grains liquor", referring to the five different types of grains that go into its production, namely sorghum, glutinous rice, rice, wheat and maize. Some of its more premium grades are among the most expensive liquors in the world, retailing at several thousand US dollars per bottle.

The cheapest baijiu is the Beijing-brewed èrguōtóu (二锅头). It is most often seen in pocket-size 100 ml bottles which sell for around ¥5. It comes in two variants: 53% and 56% alcohol by volume. Ordering "xiǎo èr" (erguotou's diminutive nickname) will likely raise a few eyebrows and get a chuckle from working-class Chinese.

There are many brands of baijiu, and as is the case with other types of liquor, both quality and price vary widely. Foreigners generally try only low-end or mid-range baijiu, and they are usually unimpressed; the taste is often compared to diesel fuel. However a liquor connoisseur may find high quality, expensive baijiu quite good. The first two on this list are often served to foreign dignitaries at state banquets; perhaps most notably, Chinese president Xi Jinping brought a bottle of Maotai, while Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou brought a bottle of Kinmen Kaoliang to their meeting in Singapore in 2015.

Beer (啤酒 píjiǔ) is common in China, especially the north. Beer is served in nearly every restaurant and sold in many grocery stores. The typical price is about ¥2.5-4 in a grocery store, ¥4-18 in a restaurant, around ¥10 in an ordinary bar, and ¥20-40 in a fancier bar. Most places outside of major cities serve beer at room temperature, regardless of season, though places that cater to tourists or expatriates have it cold. The most famous brand is Tsingtao (青島 Qīngdǎo) from Qingdao, which was at one point a German concession. Other brands abound and are generally light beers in a pilsner or lager style with 3-4% alcohol. This is comparable to many American beers, but weaker than the 5-6% beers found almost everywhere else. In addition to national brands, most cities will have one or more cheap local beers. Some companies (Tsingtao, Yanjing) also make a dark beer (黑啤酒 hēipíjiǔ). In some regions, beers from other parts of Asia are fairly common and tend to be popular with travellers — Filipino San Miguel in Guangdong, Singaporean Tiger in Hainan, and Laotian Beer Lao in Yunnan.

Grape wine: Locally made grape wine (葡萄酒 pútáojiǔ) is common and much of it is reasonably priced, from ¥15 in a grocery store, about ¥100-150 in a fancy bar. However, most of the stuff bears only the faintest resemblance to Western wines. The Chinese like their wines red and very sweet, and they're typically served over ice or mixed with Sprite.

Great Wall and Dynasty are large brands with a number of wines at various prices; their cheaper (under ¥40) offerings generally do not impress Western wine drinkers, though some of their more expensive products are often found acceptable.

China's most historic wine-growing region is the area around Yantai. Changyu is perhaps its best-regarded brand: its founder introduced viticulture and winemaking to China in 1892. Some of their low end wines are a bit better than the competition. Other wine regions have gained prominence among connoisseurs in the 20th century, in particular the Helan Mountains in Ningxia, and the Ili Valley and Turpan-Hami Basin in Xinjiang.

In addition to the aforementioned Changyu, if you're looking for a Chinese-made, Western-style wine, try to find these labels:

Suntime with a passable Cabernet Sauvignon

Yizhu, in Yili, Xinjiang and specializing in ice wine

Puchang Award-winning winery from Turpan, Xinjiang, an area long known for its viticulture and raisins.

Imperial Horse and Xixia, from Ningxia

Mogao Ice Wine, Gansu

Castle Estates, Shandong

Shangrila Estates, from Zhongdian, Yunnan

Wines imported from Western countries can also be found, but they are often extremely expensive. For some wines, the price in China is more than three times what you would pay elsewhere.

There are also several brands and types of rice wine. Most of these resemble a watery rice pudding, they are usually sweet and contain a minute amount of alcohol for taste. Travellers' reactions to them vary widely. These do not much resemble Japanese sake, the only rice wine well known in the West.

Chinese brandy (白兰地 báilándì) is excellent value; like grape wine or baijiu, prices start under ¥20 for 750 ml, but many Westerners find the brandies far more palatable. A ¥18-30 local brandy is not an over ¥200 imported brand-name cognac, but it is close enough that you should only buy the cognac if money doesn't matter. Expats debate the relative merits of brandies including Chinese brand Changyu. All are drinkable.

The Chinese are also great fans of various supposedly medicinal liquors, which usually contain exotic herbs and/or animal parts. Some of these have prices in the normal range and include ingredients like ginseng. These can be palatable enough, if tending toward sweetness. Others, with unusual ingredients (snakes, bees, baby mice etc.) and steep price tags, are probably best left to those that enjoy them.

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Hot pot restaurants are popular in China. The way they work varies a bit, but in general you choose, buffet-style, from a selection of vegetables, meat, tofu, noodles, etc., and they cook what you chose into a soup or stew. At some you cook it yourself, fondue-style. These restaurants can be a good option for travellers who don't speak Chinese, though the phrases là (辣, "spicy"), bú là (不辣, "not spicy") and wēilà (微辣, "mildly spicy") may come in handy. You can identify many hot pot places from the racks of vegetables and meat waiting next to a stack of large bowls and tongs used to select them.

Cantonese cuisine is known internationally for dim sum (点心, diǎnxīn), a style of meal served at breakfast or lunch where a bunch of small dishes are served in baskets or plates. At a dim sum restaurant, the servers may bring out the dishes and show them around so you can select whatever looks good to you or you may instead be given a checkable list of dishes and a pen or pencil for checking the ones you want to order. As a general rule, Cantonese diners always order shrimp dumplings (虾饺, xiājiǎo in Mandarin, hāgáau in Cantonese) and pork dumplings (烧卖, shāomài in Mandarin, sīumáai in Cantonese) whenever they eat dim sum, even though they may vary the other dishes. This is because the two aforementioned dishes are considered to be so simple to make that all restaurants should be able to make them, and any restaurant that cannot make them well will probably not make the other more complex dishes well. Moreover, because they require minimal seasoning, it is believed that eating these two dishes will allow you to gauge the freshness of the restaurant's seafood and meat.

Big cities and places with big Buddhist temples often have Buddhist restaurants serving unique and delicious all-vegetarian food, certainly worth trying even if you love meat. Many of these are all-you-can-eat buffets, where you pay to get a tray, plate, bowl, spoon, cup, and chopsticks, which you can refill as many times as you want. (At others, especially in Taiwan, you pay by weight.) When you're finished you're expected to bus the table yourself. The cheapest of these vegetarian buffets have ordinary vegetable, tofu, and starch dishes for less than ¥20 per person; more expensive places may have elaborate mock meats and unique local herbs and vegetables. Look for the character 素 sù or 齋/斋 zhāi, the 卍 symbol (in this context a Buddhist symbol), or restaurants attached to Buddhist temples.

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Western-style fast food has become popular. KFC (肯德基), McDonald's (麦当劳), Subway (赛百味) and Pizza Hut (必胜客) are ubiquitous, at least in mid-sized cities and above. Some of them have had to change or adapt their concepts for the Chinese market; Pizza Hut is a full-service sit down restaurant chain in China. There are a few Burger Kings (汉堡王), Domino's and Papa John's (棒约翰) as well but only in major cities. (The menu is of course adjusted to suit Chinese tastes – try taro pies at McDonald's or durian pizza at Pizza Hut.) Chinese chains are also widespread. These include Dicos (德克士)—chicken burgers, fries etc., cheaper than KFC and some say better—and Kung Fu (真功夫)—which has a more Chinese menu.

Chuanqi Maocai (传奇冒菜 Chuánqí Màocài). Chengdu-style hot pot stew. Choose vegetables and meat and pay by weight. Inexpensive with plenty of Sichuan tingly-spicy flavor. (updated Jan 2020)

Din Tai Fung (鼎泰丰 Dǐng Tài Fēng). Taiwanese chain specializing in Huaiyang cuisine, with multiple locations throughout mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as numerous overseas locations throughout East and Southeast Asia, and in far-flung places such as the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Particularly known for their soup dumplings (小笼包) and egg fried rice (蛋炒饭). The original location on Xinyi Road in Taipei is a major tourist attraction; expect to queue for 2 hours or more during peak meal times. (updated Jan 2019)

Green Tea (绿茶 Lǜ Chá). Hangzhou cuisine with mood lighting in an atmosphere that evokes ancient China. Perhaps you'll step over a curved stone bridge as you enter the restaurant, sit at a table perched in what looks like a small boat, or hear traditional music drift over from a guzheng player while you eat. (updated Dec 2019)

Haidilao Hot Pot (海底捞 Hǎidǐlāo). Expensive hot pot chain famous for its exceptionally attentive and courteous service. Servers bow when you come in and go the extra mile to make sure you enjoy your meal. Also has branches outside of China; see their international site. (updated Dec 2019)

Little Sheep (小肥羊). A mid-range hot pot chain that has expanded beyond China to numerous overseas locations such as the United States, Canada and Australia. Based on Mongol cuisine—the chain is headquartered in Inner Mongolia. The specialty is mutton but there are other meats and vegetable ingredients for the hot pot on the menu as well. One type of hot pot is called Yuan Yang (鸳鸯锅 yuān yāng guō). The hot pot is separated into two halves, one half contains normal non-spicy soup stock and the other half contains má là (numbing spicy) soup stock. (updated Jan 2020)

Yi Dian Dian (1㸃㸃 / 一点点 Yìdiǎndiǎn). Taiwanese milk tea chain that now has lots of branches in mainland China. (updated Dec 2019)

▸Ordering3,043 chars

Chinese restaurants often offer an overwhelming variety of dishes. Fortunately, most restaurants have picture menus with photos of each dish, so you are saved from despair facing a sea of characters. Starting from mid-range restaurants, there is also likely to be a more or less helpful English menu. Even with the pictures, the sheer number of dishes can be overwhelming and their nature difficult to make out, so it is often useful to ask the waiter to recommend (推荐 tuījiàn) something. They will often do so on their own if they find you searching for a few minutes. The waiter will often keep standing next to your table while you peruse the menu; do not be unnerved by this.

It is increasingly popular for restaurants to provide menus by QR code. You scan a QR code at your table with WeChat or Alipay, and the restaurant's menu pops up on your phone, allowing you to order digitally.

The two-menu system where different menus are presented according to the skin color of a guest remains largely unheard of in China. Most restaurants only have one menu—the Chinese one. Learning some Chinese characters such as beef (牛), pork (猪), chicken (鸡), fish (鱼), stir-fried (炒), deep-fried (炸), braised (烧), baked or grilled (烤), soup (汤), rice (饭), or noodles (面) will take you a long way. As pork is the most common meat in Chinese cuisine, where a dish simply lists "meat" (肉), assume it is pork.

Dishes ordered in a restaurant are meant for sharing amongst the whole party. If one person is treating the rest, they usually take the initiative and order for everyone. In other cases, everyone in the party may recommend a dish. If you are with Chinese people, it is good manners to let them choose, but also fine to let them know your preferences.

If you are picking the dishes, the first question to consider is whether you want rice. Usually you do, because it helps to keep your bill manageable. However, real luxury lies in omitting the rice, and it can also be nice when you want to sample a lot of the dishes. Rice must usually be ordered separately and won’t be served if you don’t order it. It is not free but very cheap, just a few yuan a bowl.

For the dishes, if you are eating rice, the rule of thumb is to order at least as many dishes as there are people. Serving sizes differ from restaurant to restaurant. You can never go wrong with an extra plate of green vegetables; after that, use your judgment, look what other people are getting, or ask the waiter how big the servings are. If you are not eating rice, add dishes accordingly. If you are unsure, you can ask the waiter if they think you ordered enough (你觉得够吗? nǐ juéde gòu ma?).

You can order dishes simply by pointing at them in the menu, saying “this one” (这个 zhè ge). The way to order rice is to say how many bowls of rice you want (usually one per person): X碗米饭 (X wǎn mǐfàn), where X is yì, liǎng, sān, sì, etc. The waiter will repeat your order for your confirmation.

If you want to leave, call the waiter by shouting 服务员 (fúwùyuán), and ask for the bill (买单 mǎidān).

▸Eating alone2,278 chars

Traditional Chinese dining is made for groups, with lots of shared dishes on the table. This can make for a lonely experience and some restaurants might not know how to serve a single customer. It might however provide the right motivation to find other people (locals or fellow travellers) to eat with! But if you find yourself hungry and on your own, here are some tips:

Chinese-style fast food chains provide a good option for the lone traveller to get filled, and still eat Chinese style instead of western burgers. They usually have picture menus or picture displays above the counter, and offer set deals (套餐 tàocān) that are designed for eating alone. Usually, you receive a number, which is called out (in Chinese) when your dish is ready. Just wait at the area where the food is handed out – there will be a receipt or something on your tray stating your number. The price you pay for this convenience is that ingredients are not particularly fresh. It’s impossible to list all of the chains, and there is some regional variation, but you will generally recognize a store by a colourful, branded signboard. If you can’t find any, look around major train stations or in shopping areas. Department stores and shopping malls also generally have chain restaurants.

A tastier and cheaper way of eating on your own is street food, but exercise some caution regarding hygiene, and be aware that the quality of the ingredients (especially meat) at some stalls may be suspect. That said, as Chinese gourmands place an emphasis on freshness, there are also stalls that only use fresh ingredients to prepare their dishes if you know where to find them. Ask around and check the local wiki page to find out where to get street food in your city; often, there are snack streets or night markets full of stalls. If you can understand Chinese, food vlogs are very popular on Chinese social media, so those are a good option for finding fresh and tasty street food. Another food that can be consumed solo are noodle soups such as beef noodles (牛肉面 niúròumiàn), a dish that is ubiquitous in China and can also be found at many chain stores.

Even if it may be unusual to eat at a restaurant alone, you will not be thrown out and the staff will certainly try to suggest something for you.

▸Dietary restrictions5,129 chars

People with dietary restrictions may have a hard time in China.

Halal food can be found quite easily in any major city, but may be hard to find in some rural areas. Look for Lanzhou noodle (兰州拉面, Lánzhōu lāmiàn) restaurants, which may have a sign advertising "halal" in Arabic (حلال) or Chinese (清真 qīngzhēn). Uyghur cuisine has also gained popularity throughout China, so you can also look for Uyghur-operated food stands selling lamb kebabs (羊肉串 yáng ròu chuàn) and naan (馕 náng). If you are studying in China, major Chinese universities usually have halal canteens to cater to their Muslim students.

Kosher food is virtually unknown, and pork is widely used in Chinese cooking (though restaurants can sometimes leave it out or substitute beef). Some major cities have a Chabad or other Jewish center which can provide kosher food or at least advice on finding it, though in the former case you'll probably have to make arrangements well in advance.

Specifically Hindu restaurants are virtually non-existent, though avoiding beef is straightforward, particularly if you can speak some Chinese, and there are plenty of other meat options to choose from.

For strict vegetarians, China may be a challenge, especially if you can't communicate very well in Chinese. You may discover that your noodle soup was made with meat broth, your hot pot was cooked in the same broth as everyone else's, or your stir-fried eggplant has tiny chunks of meat mixed in. If you're a little flexible or speak some Chinese, though, that goes a long way. Meat-based broths and sauces or small amounts of ground pork are common, even in otherwise vegetarian dishes, so always ask. Vegetable and tofu dishes are plentiful in Chinese cuisine, and noodles and rice are important staples. Most restaurants do have vegetable dishes — the challenge is to get past the language barrier to confirm that there isn't meat mixed in with the vegetables. Look for the character 素 sù, approximately meaning "vegetarian", especially in combinations like 素菜 sùcài ("vegetable dish"), 素食 sùshí ("vegetarian food"), and 素面 ("noodles with vegetables"). Buddhist restaurants (discussed above) are a delicious choice. One thing to watch out for, especially at hot pot, is "fish tofu" (鱼豆腐 yúdòufǔ), which can be hard to distinguish from actual tofu (豆腐 dòufǔ) without asking. As traditional Chinese cuisine does not make use of dairy products, non-dessert vegetarian food is almost always vegan. However, ensure that your dish does not contain eggs. If you're looking for vegetarian and vegan restaurants in China, the "Vegetarian Radar" (素食雷达 Sùshí Léidá) website has a useful map, also available as a WeChat program. Chinese vegetarian food also avoids the "five fetid vegetables", namely leeks, chives, onions, garlic and shallots, as these are considered by Mahayana Buddhists to have aphrodisiac effects that impede one's ability to meditate and think clearly, so take note of this if you are inviting a vegetarian Chinese friend for a meal.

Also be careful when ordering bakery items, as lard is frequently used to make traditional Chinese pastries, in much the same way that butter is used to make many Western pastries.

Awareness of food allergies (食物过敏 shíwù guòmǐn) is limited in China. If you can speak some Chinese, staff can usually answer whether food contains ingredients like peanuts or peanut oil, but asking for a dish to be prepared without the offending ingredient is unlikely to work. When in doubt, order something else. Szechuan peppercorn (花椒 huājiāo), used in Szechuan cuisine to produce its signature málà (麻辣) flavor, causes a tingly numbing sensation that can mask the onset of allergies, so you may want to avoid it, or wait longer after your first taste to decide if a dish is safe. Packaged food must be labeled if it contains milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, or soy (the same as the U.S., likely due to how much food China exports there).

A serious soy (大豆 dàdòu) allergy is largely incompatible with Chinese food, as soy sauce (酱油 jiàngyóu) is used in many Chinese dishes. Keeping a strict gluten-free (不含麸质的 bùhán fūzhì de) diet while eating out is also close to impossible, as most common brands of soy sauce contain wheat; gluten-free products are not available except in expensive supermarkets targeted towards Western expatriates. If you can tolerate a small amount of gluten, you should be able to manage, especially in the south where there's more emphasis on rice and less on wheat. Peanuts (花生 huāshēng) and other nuts are easily noticed in some foods, but may be hidden inside bread, cookies, and desserts. Peanut oil (花生油 huāshēngyóu) and sesame oil (麻油 máyóu or 芝麻油 zhīmayóu) are widely used for cooking, seasoning, and making flavored oils like chili oil, although they are usually highly refined and may be safe depending on the severity of your allergy. With the exception of the cuisines of some ethnic minorities such as the Uyghurs, Tibetans and Mongols, dairy is uncommon in Chinese cuisine, so lactose intolerant people should not have a problem unless you are travelling to ethnic-minority areas.

▸Etiquette5,323 chars

Table manners vary greatly depending on social class, but in general, while speaking loudly is common in cheap streetside eateries, guests are generally expected to behave in a more reserved manner when dining in more upmarket establishments. When eating in a group setting, it is generally impolite to pick up your utensils before the oldest or most senior person at the table has started eating.

China is the birthplace of chopsticks and unsurprisingly, much important etiquette relates to the use of chopsticks. While the Chinese are generally tolerant about table manners, you will most likely be seen as ill-mannered, annoying or offensive when using chopsticks in improper ways. Stick to the following rules:

Communal chopsticks (公筷) are not always provided, so diners typically use their own chopsticks to transfer food to their bowl. While many foreigners consider this unhygienic, it is usually safe. It is acceptable to request communal chopsticks from the restaurant, although you may offend your host if you have been invited out. The main exception is Taiwan, where communal chopsticks are the norm, and using your own chopsticks to pick up food from communal dishes is frowned upon.

Once you pick a piece, you are obliged to take it. Don't put it back. Confucius says never leave someone with what you don't want.

When someone is picking from a dish, don't try to cross over or go underneath their arms to pick from a dish further away. Wait until they finish picking.

In most cases, a dish is not supposed to be picked simultaneously by more than one person. Don't try to compete with anyone to pick a piece from the same dish.

Don't put your chopsticks vertically into your bowl of rice as it is reminiscent of incense sticks burning at the temple and carries the connotation of wishing death for those around you. Instead, place them across your bowl or on the chopstick rest, if provided.

Don't drum your bowl or other dishware with chopsticks. Only beggars do it. People don't find it funny even if you're willing to satirically call yourself a beggar. Likewise, don't repeatedly tap your chopsticks against each other.

Other less important dining rules include:

Whittling disposable chopsticks implies you think the restaurant is cheap. Avoid this at any but the lowest-end places, and even there, be discreet.

Licking your chopsticks is considered low-class. Take a bite of your rice instead.

All dishes are shared, similar to "family style" dining in North America. When you order anything, it's not just for you, it's for everyone. You're expected to consult others before you order a dish. You will usually be asked if there is anything you don't eat, although being overly picky is seen as annoying.

Serve others before yourself, when it comes to things like rice and beverages that need to be served to everyone. If you want to serve yourself a second helping of rice, for instance, check first to see if anyone else is running low and offer to serve them first.

Making slurping noises when eating is common but could be considered inappropriate, especially among well educated families. However, slurping, like "cupping" when tasting tea, is seen by some gourmets as a way to enhance flavor.

It is normal for your host or hostess to put food on your plate. It is a gesture of kindness and hospitality. If you wish to decline, do it in a way so that it does not offend. For example, you should insist that they eat and that you serve yourself.

Many travel books say that cleaning your plate suggests that your host did not feed you well and will feel pressured to order more food. Actually this varies regionally, and in general, finishing a meal involves a delicate balance. Cleaning your plate will typically invite more to be served, while leaving too much may be a sign that you didn't like it.

Spoons are used when drinking soups or eating thin or watery dishes such as porridge, and sometimes to serve from a serving dish. If no spoon is provided, it's fine to drink soup directly from your bowl.

Finger foods are uncommon at restaurants; in general you're expected to eat with chopsticks and/or a spoon. For the rare foods that you are supposed to eat with your hands, disposable plastic gloves may be provided.

If a piece is too slippery to take, do it with the aid of a spoon; do not spear it with the sharp end of the chopstick(s).

Fish heads are considered a delicacy and may be offered to you as an honored guest. In truth, the cheek meat in some species of fish is particularly savory.

If your table has a lazy Susan, check to make sure nobody is grabbing food before you rotate the lazy Susan. Also, before turning the lazy Susan, check to make sure the dishes do not knock off the teacups or chopsticks of others who may have placed it too close to the lazy Susan.

In Guangdong and Hong Kong, it is common for people to rinse eating utensils before dishes are served with boiled water or tea, and restaurants will usually provide bowls to collect rinsed water.

Most Chinese people don't put soy sauce on a bowl of steamed rice. In fact, soy sauce is often not even available for diners to use, as it's mainly a cooking ingredient, and only sometimes a condiment. Rice is intended to be a plain side to contrast with flavorful savory dishes, and to bulk out the meal with a starch.

Introduction

Culinary traditions of China "Chinese food" redirects here. For other uses, see Chinese food (disambiguation). An assortment of Chinese food. Clockwise from top left: Peking duck, misua, Kung Pao chicken, mooncakes, baijiu, wonton soup, spring rolls Part of a series onChinese cuisine Regional cuisines Four Great Traditions Chuan (Sichuan) Lu (Shandong) Yue (Guangdong) Huaiyang (Jiangsu) Eight Great Traditions(+all above) Anhui Fujian Hunan Zhejiang Ten Great Traditions(+all above) Beijing Shanghai Twelve Great Traditions(+all above) Henan Shaanxi Fourteen Great Traditions(+all above) Hubei Liaoning Sixteen Great Traditions(+all above) Tianjin Yunnan New Eight Great Traditions Gansu Hangzhou Jilin Liaoning Ningbo Shaanxi Shanghai Shanxi Beijing and the vicinity Beijing Imperial Aristocrat Tianjin Other regional styles Teochew Guangxi Guizhou Hainan Haipai Hakka Hong Kong Jiangxi Macanese Manchu Northeastern Putian (Henghwa) Qinghai Taiwan Tibetan Xinjiang Overseas cuisine Australia Britain Burma Cambodia Canada Caribbean Philippines India Indonesia Japan Latin America Perú Puerto Rico Korea Malaysia New Zealand Pakistan Singapore United States Religious cuisines Buddhist Islamic Taoist Ingredients and types of food Main dishes Desserts Noodles Preparation and cooking Stir frying Double steaming Red cooking See also History Customs and etiquette List of Chinese desserts List of Chinese dishes List of Chinese restaurants List of restaurants in China Asia portal China portal Taiwan portal Hong Kong portal Singapore portal Malaysia portalvte Chinese cuisine comprises cuisines originating from China, that varies with the country's large population and geographic diversity, as well as from Chinese people from other parts of the world. Due to the Chinese diaspora and the historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has profoundly influenced other cuisines in Asia and beyond, with modifications made to cater to local palates. Chinese food staples like rice, soy sauce, noodles, tea, chili oil, and tofu, and utensils such as chopsticks and the wok, can now be found worldwide. The world's earliest eating establishments recognizable as restaurants in the modern sense first emerged in the Song dynasty China during the 11th and 12th centuries. Street food became an integral aspect of Chinese food culture in the 7th century during the Tang dynasty, and the street food culture of much of Southeast Asia was established by workers imported from China during the late 19th century. The preferences for seasoning and cooking techniques in Chinese provinces depend on differences in social class, religion, historical background, and ethnic groups. Geographic features including mountains, rivers, forests, and deserts also have a strong effect on the locally available ingredients, considering that the climate of China varies from tropical in the south to subarctic in the northeast. Imperial royal and noble preferences also play a role in the change of Chinese cuisine. Because of imperial expansion, immigration, and trading, ingredients and cooking techniques from other cultures have been integrated into Chinese cuisines over time and Chinese culinary influences have spread worldwide. There are numerous regional, religious, and ethnic styles of Chinese cuisine found within China and abroad. Chinese cuisine is highly diverse and most frequently categorised into provincial divisions, although these province-level classifications consist of many more styles within themselves. During the Qing dynasty, the most praised Four Great Traditions in Chinese cuisine were Chuan, Lu, Yue, and Huaiyang, representing cuisines of West, North, South, and East China, respectively. For example, in Northern China, the dry, temperate climate makes it suitable for the cultivation of wheat, millet and other grains. As such, noodles, porridge and bread are dietary staples. In 1980, a modern grouping from Chinese journalist Wang Shaoquan's article published in the People's Daily newspaper identified the Eight Cuisines of China as Anhui (徽菜; Huīcài), Guangdong (粵菜; Yuècài), Fujian (閩菜; Mǐncài), Hunan (湘菜; Xiāngcài), Jiangsu (蘇菜; Sūcài), Shandong (魯菜; Lǔcài), Sichuan (川菜; Chuāncài), and Zhejiang (浙菜; Zhècài). A Quanjude cook is slicing Peking roast duck. Peking duck is eaten by rolling pieces of duck with scallion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce using steamed pancakes. Chinese cuisine is deeply intertwined with traditional Chinese medicine, such as in the practise of Chinese food therapy. Color, scent and taste are the three traditional aspects used to describe Chinese food, as well as the meaning, appearance, and nutrition of the food. Cooking should be appraised with respect to the ingredients used, knife work, cooking time, and seasoning.

History

[edit] Main article: History of Chinese cuisine See also: List of sources of Chinese culinary history Pre-Tang dynasty[edit] Dàzhǔ gānsī is a typical soup dish of Huaiyang cuisine. It is made of finely sliced dried tofu, chicken, ham and bamboo shoot, and the ingredients need to be braised with shrimp in chicken soup. It was highly praised by the Qianlong emperor. Làzǐ Jī, stir-fried chicken with chili and Sichuan pepper in Sichuan style Steamed whole perch with roe inside. Sliced ginger and spring onion is usually spread on top. Chinese society greatly valued gastronomy, and developed an extensive study of the subject based on its traditional medical beliefs. Chinese culture initially centered around the North China Plain. The first domesticated crops seem to have been the foxtail and broomcorn varieties of millet, while rice was cultivated in the south. By 2000 BC, wheat had arrived from western Asia. These grains were typically served as warm noodle soups instead of baked into bread as in Europe. Nobles hunted various wild game and consumed mutton, pork and dog as these animals were domesticated. Grain was stored against famine and flood and meat was preserved with salt, vinegar, curing, and fermenting. The flavor of the meat was enhanced by cooking it in animal fats though this practice was mostly restricted to the wealthy. By the time of Confucius in the late Zhou, gastronomy had become a high art. Confucius discussed the principles of dining: The rice would never be too white, the meat would never be too finely cut... When it was not cooked right, man would not eat. When it was cooked bad, man would not eat. When the meat was not cut properly, man would not eat. When the food was not prepared with the right sauce, man would not eat. Although there are plenty of meats, they should not be cooked more than staple food. There is no limit for alcohol, before a man gets drunk. The Lüshi chunqiu notes: "Only if one is chosen as the Son of Heaven will the tastiest delicacies be prepared [for him]." The Zhaohun (4–3rd c. BC) gives some examples: turtle ragout, honey cakes and beer (chilled with ice). During Shi Huangdi's Qin dynasty, the empire expanded into the south. By the time of the Han dynasty, the different regions and cuisines of China's people were linked by major canals and leading to greater complexity in the different regional cuisines. Not only is food seen as giving "qi", energy, but the food is also about maintaining yin and yang. The philosophy behind it was rooted in the I Ching and Chinese traditional medicine: food was judged for color, aroma, taste, and texture and a good meal was expected to balance the Four Natures ('hot', warm, cool, and 'cold') and the Five Tastes (pungent, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty). Salt was used as a preservative from early times, but in cooking was added in the form of soy sauce, and not at the table. By the Later Han period (2nd century), writers[who?] frequently complained of lazy aristocrats who did nothing but sit around all day eating smoked meats and roasts. During the Han dynasty, the Chinese developed methods of food preservation for military rations during campaigns such as drying meat into jerky and cooking, roasting, and drying grain. Chinese legends claim that the roasted, flat bread shaobing was brought back from the Xiyu (the Western Regions, a name for Central Asia) by the Han dynasty General Ban Chao, and that it was originally known as hubing (胡餅, lit. "barbarian bread"). The shaobing is believed to be descended from the hubing. Shaobing is believed to be related to the Persian nan and Central Asian nan, as well as the Middle Eastern pita. Foreign westerners made and sold sesame cakes in China during the Tang dynasty. During the Southern and Northern dynasties non-Han people like the Xianbei of Northern Wei introduced their cuisine to northern China, and these influences continued up to the Tang dynasty, popularizing meat like mutton and dairy products like goat milk, yogurts, and Kumis among even Han people. It was during the Song dynasty that Han Chinese developed an aversion to dairy products and abandoned the dairy foods introduced earlier. The Han Chinese rebel Wang Su who received asylum in the Xianbei Northern Wei after fleeing from Southern Qi, at first could not stand eating dairy products like goat's milk and meat like mutton and had to consume tea and fish instead, but after a few years he was able to eat yogurt and lamb, and the Xianbei Emperor asked him which of the foods of China (Zhongguo) he preferred, fish vs mutton and tea vs yogurt. Post-Tang dynasty[edit] The great migration of Chinese people south during the invasions preceding and during the Song dynasty increased the relative importance of southern Chinese staples such as rice and congee. Su Dongpo has improved the red braised pork as Dongpo pork. The dietary and culinary habits also changed greatly during this period, with many ingredients such as soy sauce and Central Asian influenced foods becoming widespread and the creation of important cookbooks such as the Shanjia Qinggong (Chinese: 山家清供; pinyin: Shānjiā qīnggòng) and the Wushi Zhongkuilu (Chinese: 吳氏中饋錄; pinyin: Wúshì zhōngkuìlù) showing the respective esoteric foods and common household cuisine of the time. The Yuan and Qing dynasties introduced Mongolian and Manchu cuisine, warm northern dishes that popularized hot pot cooking. During the Yuan dynasty many Muslim communities emerged in China, who practiced a porkless cuisine now preserved by Hui restaurants throughout the country.[citation needed] Yunnan cuisine is unique in China for its cheeses like Rubing and Rushan cheese made by the Bai people, and its yogurt, the yogurt may have been due to a combination of Mongolian influence during the Yuan dynasty, the Central Asian settlement in Yunnan, and the proximity and influence of India and Tibet on Yunnan. As part of the last leg of the Columbian Exchange, Spanish and Portuguese traders began introducing foods from the New World to China through the port cities of Canton and Macau. Mexican chili peppers became essential ingredients in Sichuan cuisine and calorically dense potatoes and corn became staple foods across the northern plains. During the Qing dynasty, Chinese gastronomes such as Yuan Mei focused upon the primary goal of extracting the maximum flavour of each ingredient. As noted in his culinary work the Suiyuan shidan, however, the fashions of cuisine at the time were quite varied and in some cases were flamboyantly ostentatious, especially when the display served also a formal ceremonial purpose, as in the case of the Manchu Han Imperial Feast. As the pace of life increases in modern China, fast food like fried noodles, fried rice and gaifan (dish over rice) become more and more popular.[citation needed]

Staple foods

[edit] Staple foods in China: rice, breads and various kinds of noodles Chinese ancestors successfully planted millet, rice, and other grains about 8,000 to 9,000 years ago. Wheat, another staple, took another three or four thousand years. For the first time, grains provided people with a steady supply of food. Because of the lack of various foods, Chinese people had to adapt to new eating habits. Meat was scarce, and so people cooked with small amounts of meat and rice or noodles. Rice[edit] Rice was domesticated in the Yangtze River basin in southern China approximately 9,000 years ago and is a primary staple food for people from rice farming areas in southern China. Steamed rice (Chinese: 米饭 mǐfàn), usually white rice, is the most commonly eaten form. People in South China also like to use rice to make congee as breakfast. Rice is also used to produce beer and vinegar. Glutinous rice ("sticky rice") is a variety of rice used in special dishes such as lotus leaf rice and glutinous rice balls. Wheat[edit] Jiaozi In wheat-farming areas in Northern China, people largely rely on flour-based food, such as noodles, bing (bread), jiaozi (a kind of Chinese dumplings), and mantou (a type of steamed buns). Wheat likely "appeared in the lower Yellow River around 2600 Before Common Era (BCE), followed by Gansu and Xinjiang around 1900 BCE and finally occurred in the middle Yellow River and Tibet regions by 1600 BCE". Noodles[edit] Main article: Chinese noodles Noodles (Chinese: 面/麵 miàn) were invented in China over 4,000 years ago and have since spread across the world. Chinese noodles come dry or fresh in a variety of sizes, shapes and textures and are often served in soups or fried as toppings. Some varieties, such as Shou Mian (寿面, literally noodles of longevity), is an avatar of long life and good health according to Chinese traditions. Noodles can be served hot or cold with different toppings, with broth, and occasionally dry (as is the case with mi-fen). Noodles are commonly made with rice flour or wheat flour, but other flours such as soybean are also used in minor groups. Some noodles names describe their methods of creation, such as the hand-pulled noodle.

Desserts and snacks

[edit] Main articles: Chinese desserts and Chinese pastries See also: List of Chinese desserts Different gāo diǎn (traditional Chinese pastry) with different stuffing, including lotus seed, rose, and mixture of pea and jackbeanEgg custard tart is a type of xī diǎn (Western pastry) originally from Britain and Portugal that became popular in Hong Kong and Macau. Generally, seasonal fruits serve as the most common form of dessert consumed after dinner. Dim sum (点心), originally means a small portion of food, can refer to dessert, or pastries. Later to avoid disambiguation, tian dian (甜点) and gao dian (糕点) are used to describe desserts and pastries. Traditionally, Chinese desserts are sweet foods and dishes that are served with tea, usually during the meal, or at the end of meals in Chinese cuisine. Besides being served as dim sum along with tea, pastries are used for celebration of traditional festivals. The most famous one is moon cake, used to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. A wide variety of Chinese desserts are available, mainly including steamed and boiled sweet snacks. Bing is an umbrella term for all breads in Chinese, also including pastries and sweets. These are baked wheat-flour-based confections, with different stuffings including red bean paste, jujube, and a variety of others. Su (酥) is another kind of pastry made with more amount of oil, making the confection more friable. Chinese candies and sweets, called táng (糖) are usually made with cane sugar, malt sugar, honey, nuts, and fruit. Gao or Guo are rice-based snacks that are typically steamed and may be made from glutinous or normal rice. Another cold dessert is called baobing, which is shaved ice with sweet syrup. Chinese jellies are known collectively in the language as ices. Many jelly desserts are traditionally set with agar and are flavoured with fruits, known as guodong (果冻), though gelatine based jellies are also common in contemporary desserts. Chinese dessert soups are typically sweet and served hot. European pastries are also seen in China, like mille-feuille, crème brûlée, and cheesecake, but they are generally not as popular because the Chinese preference of dessert is mildly sweet and less oily.[citation needed] Bāozi are steamed buns containing savoury or sweet combinations of meat, vegetables, and mushrooms, traditionally associated with breakfast. Many types of street foods, which vary from region to region, can be eaten as snacks or light dinner. Prawn crackers are an often-consumed snack in Southeast China.[citation needed] Dairy products[edit] Chinese in earlier dynasties evidently drank milk and ate dairy products, although not necessarily from cows, but kumis (fermented mare's milk) or goat's milk. Kumis was historically consumed in northern China. Double skin milk Historically, many Chinese chefs tried not to use milk, because of the high rate of lactose intolerance among the Chinese population. However, today, dairy products are increasingly used in Chinese cuisine, such as the "double skin milk" dessert in Guangdong Province, the Rubing (milk cake) cheese in Yunnan, and yoghurt in Qinghai and Xinjiang. China has a wide variety of dairy desserts that are very popular.

Drinks

[edit] Tea (Chinese: 茶 chá) plays an important role in Chinese dining culture. In China, there are two main types of tea, one is made from dried tea leaves, the other one is made by extracts from tea leaves. Baijiu and huangjiu as strong alcoholic beverages are preferred by many people as well. Wine is not so popular as other drinks in China that are consumed whilst dining, although they are usually available in the menu. Tea[edit] Main article: Chinese tea Longjing tea (lit. Dragon Well tea) is a variety of roasted green tea from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, where it is produced mostly by hand and has been renowned for its high quality, earning the China Famous Tea title. As well as with dim sum, many Chinese drink their tea with snacks such as nuts, plums, dried fruit (in particular jujube), small sweets, melon seeds, and waxberry. China was the earliest country to cultivate and drink tea, which is enjoyed by people from all social classes. Tea processing began after the Qin and Han dynasties. The different types of Chinese tea include red (known as "black tea" outside of East Asia), white, green, yellow, oolong, and black (often called "dark tea" in English to differentiate it from "black tea"). Chinese tea is often classified into several different categories according to the variety of the tea plant from which it is sourced, the region in which it is grown, and the method of production used. Flavored and scented teas originated in China. Jasmine, osmanthus, chrysanthemum, and ginseng are popular varieties. Historically, compressed tea dominated and powdered tea known as matcha would be made from it. This was later supplanted by loose-leaf tea. Fermented tea drinks like kombucha originated in China, but kombucha is now better known outside of China than within the country. There are four major tea plantation regions: Jiangbei, Jiangnan, Huanan and the southwestern region. Well known types of green tea include Longjing, Huangshan Maofeng, Bilochun, Putuofeng Cha, and Liu'an Guapian. China is the world's largest exporter of green tea. One of the most ubiquitous accessories in modern China, after a wallet or purse and an umbrella, is a double-walled insulated glass thermos with tea leaves in the top behind a strainer. Alcoholic beverages[edit] Main article: Chinese alcoholic beverages Baijiu The importance of baijiu (lit. "white liquor") in China (99.5% of its alcoholic market) makes it the most-consumed alcoholic spirit in the world. It dates back to the introduction of distilling during the Song dynasty; can be made from wheat, corn, or rice; and is usually around 120 proof (60% ABV). The most ubiquitous brand is the cheap Er guo tou, but Mao Tai is the premium baijiu. Other popular brands include Kang, Lu Zhou Te Qu, and Wu Liang Ye. Huangjiu Huangjiu (lit. "yellow liquor") is not distilled and is a strong rice wine (10–15% ABV). Popular brands include Shaoxing Lao Jiu, Shaoxing Hua Diao, and Te Jia Fan. While fermented grain beverages have been brewed in China for over 9,000 years, it has been long overshadowed by stronger alcohol like Baijiu and Huangjiu. In China, plum wine made from the plum blossom is called méijiǔ (梅酒). Herbal drinks[edit] Main article: Chinese herb tea herb tea Chinese herb tea, also known as medicinal herbal tea, is a kind of tea made from Chinese medicinal herbs. Other beverages[edit] This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Suanmeitang is a sweet Chinese beverage made from smoked plums. Soy milk, almond milk, walnut milk and coconut milk are also drunk during the meal in different regions. In some parts of China, hawthorn and jujube juice are preferred. A small shot of fruit vinegar is served as an appetizer in Shanxi. Nai lao or Beijing yogurt is a drinkable yogurt traditional to northern China.

Outside China

[edit] Zhájiàng Miàn (noodles with bean paste) is a traditional northern Chinese dish. It has spread to South Korea where it is known as Jajangmyeon. Where there are historical immigrant Chinese populations, the style of food has evolved and been adapted to local tastes and ingredients, and modified by the local cuisine, to greater or lesser extents. This has resulted in a deep Chinese influence on other national cuisines such as Cambodian cuisine, Filipino cuisine, Singaporean cuisine, Thai cuisine and Vietnamese cuisine. Chinatowns across the world have been instrumental in shaping the national cuisines of their respective countries, such as the introduction of a street food culture to Thailand in Bangkok Chinatown. There are also a large number of forms of fusion cuisine, often popular in the country in question. Some, such as ramen (Japanese Chinese cuisine), which originated in Yokohama Chinatown, have become popular internationally. Deep-fried meat combined with sweet and sour sauce as a cooking style receives an enormous preference outside of China. Therefore, many similar international Chinese cuisines are invented based on sweet and sour sauce, including Sweet and sour chicken (Europe and North America), Manchurian chicken (India) or tangsuyuk (South Korea). Mango pancake is an Australian Chinese dish, commonly as a dim sum at yum cha restaurants Apart from the host country, the dishes developed in overseas Chinese cuisines are heavily dependent on the cuisines derived from the origin of the Chinese immigrants. In Korean Chinese cuisine, the dishes derive primarily from Shandong cuisine while Filipino Chinese cuisine is strongly influenced by Fujian cuisine. American Chinese cuisine has distinctive dishes (such as chop suey) originally based on Cantonese cuisine, which are more popular among non-Chinese Americans than with Chinese Americans themselves. Chinese diaspora cuisine includes dishes that originated in mainland China but evolved abroad through migration and local adaptation. Examples include the St. Paul sandwich in the United States, bakmi ayam in Indonesia, pancit canton in the Philippines, and hủ tiếu in Vietnam, all of which reflect changes in ingredients, preparation methods, and eating habits shaped by regional tastes and availability. American Chinese cuisine Chop suey, crab rangoon, General Tso's chicken, egg foo young, orange chicken Australian Chinese cuisine Mango pancake, dim sim, XO sauce pipis Irish Chinese cuisine Chicken balls, Spice bag Burmese Chinese cuisine Kyay oh, Sigyet khauk swè Canadian Chinese cuisine Ginger beef Caribbean Chinese cuisine Cha chee kai, bangamary ding Filipino Chinese cuisine Arroz caldo, Batchoy, Pancit Indian Chinese cuisine Gobi manchurian, Manchow soup Indonesian Chinese cuisine Bakso, Cap cai, Lumpia, Mie ayam, Mie goreng, Swikee, Siomay, Kepiting saus tiram Japanese Chinese cuisine, Shippoku Champon, Ramen, Gyoza, Kakuni, Tenshindon Korean Chinese cuisine Jajangmyeon, jjamppong, hotteok, Tangsuyuk Chinese Latin American cuisine Peruvian Chinese cuisine (Chifa) Arroz chaufa, Lomo saltado Puerto Rican Chinese cuisine Carne Ahumada Malaysian Chinese cuisine/Singapore Chinese cuisine Hainanese chicken rice, Bak kut teh, Heong Peng, Yam ring, Kaya toast (often seen in kopitiam) Peranakan cuisine Laksa (include Curry mee), Ayam buah keluak, Pie tee New Zealand Chinese cuisine Pakistani Chinese cuisine Jalfrezi Thai Chinese cuisine Pad thai, Khao soi, Phat kaphrao, Thai suki Cambodian Chinese cuisine Kuyteav, Lort cha Vietnamese Chinese cuisine Banh bao

Relation to Chinese philosophy and religion

[edit] Mooncake, eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival Food plays various roles in social and cultural life. In Chinese folk religion, ancestor veneration is conducted by offering food to ancestors and Chinese festivals involve the consumption and preparation of specific foods which have symbolic meanings attached to them. Specific religions in China have their own cuisines such as the Taoist diet, Buddhist cuisine and Chinese Islamic Cuisine. The Kaifeng Jews in Henan province once had their own Chinese Jewish cuisine but the community has largely died out in the modern era and not much is known about the specifics of their cuisine but they did influence foods eaten in their region and some of their dishes remain. Chinese dishes with purported Kaifeng Jewish roots include Kaifeng xiao long bao, Mayuxing bucket-shaped chicken, Chrysanthemum hot pot, and Four Treasures. Food also plays a role in daily life. The formality of the meal setting can signify what kind of relationship people have with one another, and the type of food can indicate ones' social status and their country of origin. In a formal setting, up to sixteen of any combination of hot and cold dishes would be served to respect the guests. On the other hand, in a casual setting, people would eat inexpensive meals such as at food stalls or homemade food. The typical disparity in food in the Chinese society between the wealthy and everyone below that group lies in the rarity and cost of the food or ingredient, such as shark fins and bear paws. Depending on whether one chooses to have rice or a meal that is made of wheat flour such as bread or noodles as their main source of food, people within a similar culture or of a different background can make an assumption of the other's country of origin from the south or north of China. Different foods have different symbolic meanings. Mooncakes and dumplings are symbolic of the Mid-autumn festival and the Spring Festival, respectively. Pear symbolizes bad luck due to its similarity in pronunciation of 'away' in the native language and noodle means living a long life for its length. In Chinese philosophy, food frequently conveys a message. A Chinese philosophy I Ching says, "Gentlemen use eating as a way to attain happiness. They should be aware of what they say, and refrain from eating too much."

Chinese cuisine

Regional rainbows beyond the textbook

Dining etiquette on the move

Seasonal market hunting