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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
Pasta 🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreUnleavened dough shaped and cooked, a staple of Italian cuisine Main dish, Lunch, Dinner RamenMeatラーメン 🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreJapanese noodle soup with Chinese-style wheat noodles in hot broth Soup, Lunch, Dinner Shanghai fried noodlesMeat上海粗炒 🇨🇳 ChinaThick wheat noodles stir-fried with beef or pork, bok choy, and onion Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Chow mein炒麵 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreStir-fried noodles with vegetables and often meat or tofu Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner Naengmyeon냉면 🇰🇵 North Korea and 3 moreLong, chewy noodles served cold, often in a tangy broth or spicy sauce Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner LaghmanMeatلەغمەن 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreHand-pulled noodles with meat and vegetables in a savoury broth Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner JjajangmyeonMeat짜장면; 자장면 🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreKorean Chinese noodles topped with a thick black bean sauce and diced pork Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner Biangbiang noodlesVegan𰻞𰻞麵 🇨🇳 ChinaWide, hand-pulled noodles from Shaanxi, known for their belt-like shape Noodle or pasta dish SōmenVegetarian素麺 🇯🇵 Japan and 2 moreVery thin wheat noodles served cold or in soup across East Asia Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner Thukpaཐུག་པ 🇨🇳 China and 3 moreTibetan noodle soup with many regional versions Soup Misua麵線 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreVery thin wheat noodles common in China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner Lamian拉麵 🇨🇳 China and 3 moreHand-pulled wheat noodles stretched into long strands Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner Wonton noodlesMeat雲吞麵 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreEgg noodles in broth with wonton dumplings, from Cantonese cooking Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner Zhajiangmian炸酱面 🇨🇳 China and 3 moreThick wheat noodles with a savory fermented soybean and meat sauce Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner Dandan noodlesMeat担担面 / 擔擔麵 🇨🇳 China and 2 moreSichuan wheat noodles with spicy sauce, pickled vegetables, and minced pork Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner Beef noodle soupMeat 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreNoodles in beef broth with stewed or braised beef, eaten across East and Southeast Asia Soup, Lunch, Dinner Ants climbing a treeMeat螞蟻上樹 🇨🇳 ChinaSichuan noodles with minced meat in a savory sauce Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Jjamppong짬뽕 🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreSpicy Korean noodle soup with seafood, pork, and vegetables in a red broth Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner Nam ngiaoMeatน้ำเงี้ยว 🇹🇭 Thailand and 2 moreNorthern Thai noodle soup with pork, tomato, and fermented soybeans Soup, Lunch, Dinner 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 Banmian板麵 🇨🇳 China and 3 moreHandmade Chinese noodles in soup, often with anchovies, meat and leafy greens Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Luosifen螺螄粉 🇨🇳 ChinaRice noodles in a snail-based broth with pickled bamboo shoots and toppings Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner Yi meinVegetarian伊麵 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreFlat Cantonese egg noodles with a chewy, spongy texture Noodle or pasta dish Crossing-the-bridge noodles过桥米线 🇨🇳 ChinaYunnan rice noodles served in a hot broth with raw and cooked toppings Soup, Breakfast, Lunch LiangpiVegan凉皮 🇨🇳 ChinaCold wheat or rice noodles from Shaanxi, dressed with spicy and tangy sauces Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner Beef chow funMeat乾炒牛河 🇨🇳 China and 2 moreStir-fried wide rice noodles with beef and bean sprouts from Cantonese cooking Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Lor mee滷麵 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreThick yellow noodles in a spiced, starchy gravy with meat, fish, and egg Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner Chongqing noodles重庆小面 🇨🇳 ChinaSpicy wheat noodles from Chongqing, served with or without soup Noodle or pasta dish, Breakfast, Lunch

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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