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Taste of China
What to Eat in China – Top 50 Foods
Chinese cuisine is famously diverse, traditionally organized around eight major regional styles (Sichuan, Cantonese, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan, Anhui), plus strong northern, Shanghai, and western influences. Sichuan is numbing-spicy (mala), Cantonese emphasizes freshness and dim sum, Beijing leans imperial and wheat-based, while Shanghai and the east favor sweeter, delicate flavors. Rice dominates the south; wheat and noodles the north.
Mains, Street Food & Savory Dishes
Shared Across China
Jiaozi – Boiled or pan-fried dumplings (especially popular in the north).
Lamb Hot Pot – Thinly sliced lamb cooked in broth with dipping sauces.
Scallion Pancakes – Flaky fried flatbread.
Sweet and Sour Pork – Classic stir-fry (many regional versions).
Stir-Fried Greens – Bok choy, gai lan, pea shoots or water spinach flash-fried in a hot wok with garlic – on almost every Chinese table.
Fried Rice – Especially Yangzhou style.
Chow Mein – Stir-fried egg noodles with cabbage, bean sprouts, scallions and meat or shrimp – a takeout classic with Cantonese roots.
Cantonese (Guangdong / Hong Kong style)
Steamed Fish – Whole fish with ginger and scallions.
Dim Sum – Collection of small steamed and fried items (har gow, siu mai, char siu bao).
Char Siu – Sweet-savory barbecued pork.
Wonton Noodles – Thin noodles with shrimp-pork wontons in broth.
Claypot Rice – Rice cooked in a clay pot with meats and vegetables, often with crispy bottom.
Roast Goose or Duck – Cantonese-style roasted meats.
Cheung Fun – Rice noodle rolls.
Beijing & Northern China
Peking Duck – Lacquered roast duck with crispy skin, wrapped in thin pancakes with scallions and sweet bean sauce (Beijing icon).
Zhajiangmian – Noodles with fermented soybean paste and minced pork.
Jianbing – Crispy street crepe with egg, scallions, and sauce (common breakfast).
Roujiamo – Braised meat in a crispy flatbread (“Chinese hamburger,” Xi’an).
Biangbiang Noodles – Extra-wide hand-pulled noodles with chili oil (Shaanxi).
Sichuan & Chongqing
Mapo Tofu – Soft tofu in spicy chili-bean sauce with minced meat and Sichuan peppercorns.
Fish-Fragrant Eggplant – Eggplant in a garlic-chili sauce.
Kung Pao Chicken – Stir-fried chicken with peanuts, dried chilies, and vinegar.
Sichuan Hot Pot – Spicy, numbing broth for cooking meat, vegetables, and offal at the table.
Dan Dan Noodles – Noodles with spicy sesame-chili sauce and minced meat.
Twice-Cooked Pork – Pork belly boiled then stir-fried with leeks and bean paste.
Water-Boiled Fish – Fish in a fiery chili-oil broth.
Chongqing Spicy Chicken – Dry-fried chicken with intense chilies.
Shanghai, Jiangsu & Eastern China
Xiaolongbao – Soup dumplings (Shanghai specialty).
Shengjian Bao – Pan-fried soup buns.
Dongpo Pork – Slow-braised pork belly squares.
Lion’s Head Meatballs – Large pork meatballs in broth.
Scallion Oil Noodles – Simple noodles with scallion oil.
West Lake Fish – Vinegar-sauced fish (Hangzhou).
Hunan & Other Regions
Chairman Mao’s Red-Braised Pork – Rich pork belly braised in soy and sugar (Hunan).
Spicy Crawfish – Popular summer street and restaurant dish.
Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles – Yunnan rice noodles with separate broth and toppings.
Lanzhou Beef Noodles – Clear broth hand-pulled noodles (Gansu).
Xinjiang Lamb Skewers – Cumin-spiced grilled lamb.
Guilin Rice Noodles – Rice noodles in savory broth.
Stinky Tofu – Fermented tofu, deep-fried (street snack).
Hot Dry Noodles – Sesame-paste noodles (Wuhan specialty).
Desserts & Sweets
Tangyuan – Glutinous rice balls in sweet soup (often with black sesame).
Mooncakes – Dense pastries filled with lotus seed or other pastes (especially Mid-Autumn Festival).
Egg Tarts – Flaky pastry with custard filling.
Sesame Balls (Jian Dui) – Fried glutinous rice balls with sweet filling.
Mango Pudding or Sago Desserts – Common in southern/Cantonese styles.
Almond Tofu – Soft almond-flavored jelly.
Red Bean Soup or Paste – Sweet red bean dishes.
Candied Hawthorns (Tanghulu) – Fruit on a stick coated in hard sugar syrup (street snack).
Fried Milk or Custard – Crispy Cantonese dessert.
Tips: Eat regionally—Peking duck in Beijing, hot pot and mapo tofu in Chengdu, xiaolongbao in Shanghai, dim sum in Guangzhou or Hong Kong. Meals are often shared family-style. Spice levels in Sichuan and Hunan are high; ask for mild if needed. Street food (jianbing, skewers, noodles) is excellent and inexpensive.
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