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Chinese cuisine is one of the world's famous cuisines, and its unique taste and cultural background are highly respected by the global catering industry. In the eyes of foreigners, the variety and flavors of Chinese cuisine make them irresistible.
Chinese cuisine (Chinese cuisine) is an overall paradigm of making food and cooking based on traditional Chinese cooking, fermentation, and crushing techniques.
Among them, there are Cantonese cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Lu cuisine, Huaiyang cuisine, Zhejiang cuisine, Fujian cuisine, Hunan cuisine, Hui cuisine, Northeast cuisine, Ji cuisine, Yu cuisine, Hubei cuisine, Benbang cuisine, Hakka cuisine, Gan cuisine, Beijing cuisine, halal cuisine and other cuisines.
As China is a huge country, there are many regional differences in cuisine due to differing climates, history, local ingredients, dining customs, etc.
With one of the most diverse food scenes in the world, it is almost impossible to put together a single list that truly contains the "best" Chinese dishes.
Peking duck is a famous dish in Beijing, famous all over the world, and considered one of China's national dishes. Peking duck is known for its thin and crisp skin. Sliced Peking duck is often served with pancakes, sweet bean paste, or garlic soy sauce. It is a must-eat dish when visiting Beijing!
As the "first course of China", Peking duck was once a royal dish in medieval China. It has been the "national dish of diplomatic etiquette" since the 1970s, and it was first used by Premier Zhou Enlai (the first premier of the People's Republic of China) to receive foreign guests from various countries. It is highly praised by heads of state, government officials, and domestic and foreign tourists.
Sweet and sour pork has a bright orange-red color, and a delicious sweet and sour taste. At the very beginning there was only sweet and sour pork, but to meet demands, there have been some developments on this dish. Now, the pork can be substituted with other ingredients like chicken, beef, or pork ribs.
Kung Pao Chicken is a famous Sichuan-style specialty, popular with both Chinese and foreigners. The major ingredients are diced chicken, dried chili, cucumber, and fried peanuts (or cashews).
People (Chinese takeaways) in Western countries have created a Western-style kung pao chicken, for which the diced chicken is covered with cornstarch, and vegetables, sweet and sour sauce, and mashed garlic are added.
Dim sum is one of the most popular Cantonese cuisine dishes. It contains a large range of small dishes, including dumplings, rolls, cakes, and meat, seafood, dessert, and vegetable preparations. There are more than one thousand dim sum dishes in existence today.
Dim sum originated in Guangzhou city. People of Guangdong are fond of drinking tea in the morning or lunch. So, they often eat dim sum during their tea parties for breakfast and lunch. It is a popular way to get together with friends and relatives or have social gatherings.
Hot pot, or hotpot, is one of the most popular dishes in China, especially in Sichuan Province or Chongqing. People cook in and eat from a simmering pot of soup stock (broth) on a gas/induction hob in the middle of the dining table with foodstuffs and condiments around the pot. People can add and cook whatever they like in the broth. The secret of whether a hot pot is good or not lies in the broth, which all the meat slices and vegetables take their flavor from.
Chinese people are very fond of hot pot. In the past hot pot used to be favored only in winter, but nowadays hot pot has been appearing on tables all year round. It is a great way to socialize with friends and relatives. People gather around the pot to eat while chatting, eating, drinking, and having fun.
Ma Po tofu 'Pockmarked Granny beancurd') is one of the most famous dishes in Chuan Cuisine (Sichuan food) with a history of more than 100 years. It consists of beancurd along with some minced meat (pork or beef) in a spicy sauce. The sauce is made from fermented black beans and chili paste (douban/douchi).
The inventor of Ma Po tofu was from Chengdu, Sichuan province. She was a grandma whose surname was Chen. It is said that Chen's face was very pockmarked. In Chinese, ma means 'pockmarked' and 'po' means grandma, and so people called the dish she made Ma Po ('Pockmarked Granny') tofu. Her spicy and fragrant dish later became a highly popular item. It was introduced to Japan and also became a popular dish there.
Dumplings are a traditional food type that is widely popular, especially in North China. Chinese dumplings consist of minced meat and/or chopped vegetables wrapped in a thin dough skin. Popular fillings are minced pork, diced shrimp, ground chicken, beef, and vegetables. Dumplings can be cooked by boiling, steaming, or frying.
Dumplings are also a traditional dish eaten on Chinese New Year's Eve. As they look like Chinese silver ingots (Chinese money in old times), it is believed that the more dumplings you eat during the New Year celebrations, the more money you will make in the New Year. Making dumplings is a good way to interact with your friends and relatives. You will see a busy kitchens with Chinese families making dumplings during Chinese New Year.
In Cantonese, char means 'fork' and siu means 'to roast', so char sui (叉烧 chāshāo) means "fork roasted". It is a kind of Cantonese roast pork. It is eaten with rice or noodles. It is also used as a filling in baozi (a kind of steamed stuffed bun).
Chow mein is the Cantonese pronunciation of the Mandarin chǎomiàn (炒面), which means 'stir-fried noodles'. This stir-fried dish consists of noodles, meat (usually chicken, beef, shrimp, or pork), onions, and celery.
For making chow mein, the noodles need to be cooked in boiling water for a while. After they cool comes the step of stir-frying.
There is an interesting story about the origin of chow mein. It is said that chow mein was invented by a woman called Shan Gu in Jiangsu Province. She was making food for workers who were building a great dam to prevent flooding of the Yellow River. She found that food went bad easily and fast in the hot weather. So, she invented chow mein, which can be kept for a longer time and is easily reheated and eaten. Since then, stir-frying has become a popular way of cooking noodles.
Fried rice is a dish made from fried rice and other ingredients, usually including eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. Fried rice is one of the most common foods in China. It's easy to make fried rice at home with leftover rice from a previous meal and other meat or vegetables.
It is said that Li Hongzhang, a diplomatic official of the late Qing Dynasty, ordered his chef to cook a dish that was popular with both Chinese and foreigners. The chef made fried rice, and foreign guests and officials ate it with relish.
The most famous fried rice in China is Yangzhou fried rice. Typical Yangzhou fried rice ingredients include shrimp, eggs, and char siu.
Twice-Cooked Pork Slices(Huiguo meat) is one of the most famous pork dishes in Sichuan. Its Chinese name is back pot meat, which means "meat that returns the pot". The pork is cooked first in the pan. It is then cooked with other ingredients, including broad bean paste (bean paste), fermented black beans (tempeh), garlic, ginger, etc.
Xiaolongbao is a type of steamed bun. They are popular in Jiangsu and Shanghai. Xiaolongbao is traditionally cooked in a small bamboo basket, hence the name. The most common stuffing is pork, and other ingredients include beef, crab, shrimp, seafood and vegetable fillings.
There is a special way to eat it: Shanghai xiaolongbao (Shanghai soup dumpling): you can nibble off a small corner of dough and then suck out the delicious soup. Or you can suck the soup with a straw and eat the filling and dough.
Sichuan pork or "boiled meat slices" is a famous Sichuan dish. Pork, first boiled in broth with a coating made with egg whites and starch to maintain its freshness and tenderness. It is a typical Sichuan dish with a peppery and spicy taste. When you eat it, you will find that each piece of meat is rich in juice with a fresh and fragrant spicy aroma.
Fried sauce noodles are one of the most popular Lu dishes. It's a thick dish of wheat noodles topped with fried sauce. The sauce is made with a stew of pork or beef in salted bean sauce. It is a well-known snack or snack in Beijing.
Fried sauce noodles originated in Shandong and were introduced to Beijing by the Qing Emperor Guangxu (reigned 1871-1908) and Empress Dowager Cixi when they traveled from Beijing to Xi'an. They walked into a restaurant and ordered a bowl of fried sauce noodles. Both thought it was delicious and had to eat another bowl. Immediately afterwards, Empress Dowager Cixi brought the chef who made "fried sauce noodles" to the imperial palace in Beijing. Since then, fried sauce noodles have become more and more popular in Beijing and even the whole country.
Wonton stew is a type of Chinese dumpling. Unlike dumplings, ravioli have less filling and are wrapped in thinner dough. The shape of the wonton may vary depending on how it is made. Some of them look like silver ingots, making them auspicious "lucky fortune" dishes.
The most common stuffing of wontons is minced pork or diced shrimp. Wontons are usually boiled and put into soup (broth), but sometimes they are also fried.
Oxfam International has released the results of a survey of people in 17 countries around the world. The results show that among more than 600 different foods around the world, pasta is the most popular, and Chinese food is also popular in many countries. Ranked 8th in the world.
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