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Thali

🇨🇳 The food of China

167 dishes from China, best known first, across 60 cities and regions.

Chinese cooking is shaped by a vast range of climates, local crops, and centuries of migration and trade. Its many regional styles use staples like rice and wheat, and balance flavors and textures with a focus on color, aroma, and nutrition. The cuisine’s diversity and techniques have influenced food cultures across Asia and the world.

  • Chopsticks and the wok are key utensils in Chinese cooking.
  • The first restaurants in the modern sense appeared in Song dynasty China.
  • Soy sauce is used in cooking, not added at the table.
  • Chinese food therapy links meals to health and balance.
  • Rice dominates in the south, wheat in the north.

The cooking of China

Chinese cuisine covers a huge variety of dishes and traditions, shaped by geography, history, and local customs. The food changes from north to south and east to west, reflecting what grows best in each region. Cooking methods range from stir-frying in a wok to steaming, braising, and baking. Flavors are balanced for taste, color, and aroma, often drawing on principles from traditional Chinese medicine. Meals are built around shared dishes, and attention is paid to the harmony of ingredients and presentation. Over time, outside influences—through trade, migration, and conquest—have added new foods and techniques, making Chinese cuisine one of the world’s most varied.

Staple foods in China

Rice is the main staple in the south, often served steamed or as congee, a rice porridge eaten for breakfast. In the north, wheat is more common, used for noodles, breads, and dumplings. Millet and other grains are also traditional. Meat is usually used in small amounts, with vegetables and grains making up most of the meal. Soy sauce, tofu, and chili oil are common seasonings and ingredients.

From region to region in China

Regional cooking in China is highly diverse. Cantonese food from the south is known for fresh ingredients and mild flavors. Sichuan cuisine from the west uses chili and spices for heat and numbing sensations. Shandong cooking in the north features wheat-based foods and seafood, while Jiangsu (including Huaiyang) in the east is famous for refined techniques like braising and stewing. Fujian, Hunan, Anhui, and Zhejiang each have their own specialties, from seafood and soups to wild herbs and pickled foods. Preservation methods like drying, salting, and fermenting are common across regions.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Chinese cuisine", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Cities and regions of China

Guangdong 12Beijing 10Fujian 9Guangzhou 7Sichuan 7Hangzhou 6Shaanxi 5Shanghai 5Chongqing 4Shandong 4Tianjin 4Xi'an 4Yunnan 4Chaoshan 3Chengdu 3Fuzhou 3Gansu 3Guangxi 3Guizhou 3Nanjing 3Quanzhou 3Yangzhou 3Zhejiang 3Anxi County 2Guanzhong 2Henan 2Jiangnan 2Jiangsu 2Lanzhou 2Suzhou 2Wuhan 2Wuyi Mountains 2Xinjiang 2Zhangzhou 2Bozhou 1Chang'an 1Changsha 1Changshu 1Changzhou 1Chaozhou 1Chuzhou 1Dong'an County 1Geleshan 1Hainan 1Hanzhong 1Hebei 1Hohhot 1Huai'an 1Hubei 1Hunan 1Jianshui 1Jilin 1Jinan 1Jingzhou 1Kunming 1Linhai 1Liuzhou 1Longjing 1Luzhou 1Manchuria 1
MealBreakfastLunchTea timeDinnerSupperSnacks
KindMain dishStreet foodSoupStew or curryRice dishNoodle or pasta dishDumplingBreadGrill or roastSandwich or wrapPie or savoury pastrySalad or sideCheese or dairy foodSausage or cured foodSauce, pickle or fermentSweet or dessertDrink
DietVegetarianVeganFish and seafoodMeat
TeaVegan茶 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreA drink made by soaking tea leaves in hot or cold water Drink TofuVegan豆腐 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreSoft white blocks made by curdling soy milk and pressing the curds Main dish GuinnessVegan 🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreA dark Irish stout with a creamy head and dry, roasted flavour Drink Soy milkVegan豆奶 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreA plant-based drink made by soaking, grinding, and boiling soybeans Drink, Breakfast, Snacks Lei chaVegan擂茶 🇨🇳 China and 3 moreA Hakka tea-based drink or soup made with ground tea, nuts, seeds and grains Drink Laba garlicVegan 🇨🇳 ChinaGarlic cloves pickled in vinegar for the Laba Festival in northern China Sauce, pickle or ferment MatchaVegan抹茶 🇯🇵 Japan and 2 moreBright green Japanese tea powder made from shade-grown leaves Drink OolongVegan烏龍茶 🇨🇳 China and 3 moreA semi-oxidized Chinese tea with a wide range of flavors and aromas Drink Iced teaVegan 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreChilled tea served over ice, sometimes sweetened or flavored with fruit Drink, Lunch, Dinner SojuVegan소주 🇰🇷 South Korea and 3 moreClear Korean spirit distilled from grains or starches, usually enjoyed neat Drink SeitanVegan 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreWheat gluten shaped and cooked as a meat substitute Main dish Red bean pasteVegan 🇯🇵 Japan and 2 moreSweet or plain paste made from boiled adzuki beans, used in East Asian desserts Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Pu'erVegan普洱茶 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreAged and fermented tea from Yunnan, shaped into cakes or bricks Drink Sugarcane juiceVegan 🇮🇳 India and 6 moreFresh juice pressed from sugarcane stalks, sold widely as a street drink Drink, Snacks Nian gaoVegan年糕 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreSticky rice cake enjoyed at Chinese New Year for good luck Sweet or dessert, Snacks BaijiuVegan白酒 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreClear Chinese spirit distilled from grain, with a range of aroma styles Drink MantouVegan馒头 🇨🇳 ChinaSoft, steamed wheat buns eaten across northern China Bread, Breakfast, Lunch EdamameVegan枝豆 🇯🇵 Japan and 3 moreYoung green soybeans boiled or steamed in their pods, often served salted Main dish, Snacks, Lunch YoutiaoVegan油條 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreLong, golden-brown strips of deep-fried dough eaten across East and Southeast Asia Street food, Breakfast, Snacks Biangbiang noodlesVegan𰻞𰻞麵 🇨🇳 ChinaWide, hand-pulled noodles from Shaanxi, known for their belt-like shape Noodle or pasta dish Longjing teaVegan龍井茶 🇨🇳 ChinaHand-shaped green tea from Hangzhou with a sweet, fresh taste Drink Tofu skinVeganゆば 🇨🇳 China and 2 moreThin sheets formed from the surface of heated soy milk Main dish Buddha's delightVegan羅漢齋 🇨🇳 China and 2 moreA Chinese vegetarian medley of vegetables, fungi and tofu simmered in soy sauce Main dish, Lunch, Dinner TanghuluVegan糖葫芦 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreSkewered fruit coated in a crisp sugar shell, a classic Northern Chinese street snack Sweet or dessert, Snacks DouhuaVegan豆花 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreSoft tofu served as a sweet or savoury snack across East and Southeast Asia Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks Chrysanthemum teaVegan菊花茶 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreA floral infusion made from dried chrysanthemum flowers Drink Da Hong PaoVegan大紅袍 🇨🇳 ChinaRare oolong tea from the Wuyi Mountains with a floral aroma and sweet finish Drink TieguanyinVegan鐵觀音 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreA Chinese oolong tea named for the Goddess of Mercy, with floral or roasted notes Drink Scallion pancakeVegan蔥油餅 🇨🇳 China and 3 moreLayered Chinese flatbread with scallions, pan-fried until crisp and chewy Bread, Snacks TosoVegan屠蘇 🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreSpiced medicinal sake shared at Japanese New Year Drink Hot dry noodlesVegan热干面 🇨🇳 ChinaWheat noodles tossed with sesame paste, soy sauce and pickles, served hot and without broth Noodle or pasta dish, Breakfast Roasted chestnutsVegan 🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreChestnuts cooked over heat and sold as a warm street snack in autumn and winter Street food, Snacks AraVeganཨ་རག་ 🇧🇹 Bhutan and 2 moreA homemade alcoholic drink from Bhutan and Tibet, made by fermenting or distilling grains Drink Sesame seed candyVegan 🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreA sweet made from sesame seeds and honey or sugar, pressed into bars or balls Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Breakfast MahuaVegan麻花 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreTwisted strands of dough, deep-fried and eaten sweet or savory Sweet or dessert, Snacks LiangpiVegan凉皮 🇨🇳 ChinaCold wheat or rice noodles from Shaanxi, dressed with spicy and tangy sauces Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner SuanmeitangVegan 🇨🇳 ChinaA sweet, sour and slightly salty Chinese drink made from smoked plums Drink, Snacks Red bean riceVegan 🇯🇵 Japan and 2 moreRice cooked with red beans, eaten for celebrations and winter in East Asia Rice dish, Lunch, Dinner Black sesame soupVegan黑芝麻糊 🇨🇳 ChinaA sweet, thick Chinese dessert soup made from black sesame seeds and rice Soup LiangfenVegan凉粉 🇨🇳 China and 2 moreCold jelly noodles made from mung bean or other starches, served with savory toppings Main dish, Lunch, Dinner JiuniangVegan酒酿 🇨🇳 ChinaChinese sweet soup of fermented glutinous rice with a mild alcohol taste Sweet or dessert DisanxianVegan地三鲜 🇨🇳 ChinaStir-fried eggplant, potato, and bell pepper from Northeast China Main dish, Lunch, Dinner

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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