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Thali

🇨🇳 The food of China

122 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 9Beijing 7Fujian 7Guangzhou 4Hangzhou 4Shanghai 4Sichuan 4Guizhou 3Tianjin 3Anxi County 2Chengdu 2Chongqing 2Fuzhou 2Guangxi 2Jiangnan 2Nanjing 2Shaanxi 2Shandong 2Suzhou 2Wuyi Mountains 2Xi'an 2Xinjiang 2Yangzhou 2Yunnan 2Zhejiang 2Bozhou 1Chang'an 1Changsha 1Changzhou 1Chaoshan 1Chaozhou 1Chuzhou 1Gansu 1Geleshan 1Hainan 1Hebei 1Henan 1Hohhot 1Jiangsu 1Jilin 1Jinan 1Lanzhou 1Linhai 1Longjing 1Luzhou 1Manchuria 1Meijiawu 1Minnan region 1Nanxiang 1Ningbo 1Pu'er 1Qiandao Lake 1Quanzhou 1Shanxi 1Shaoxing 1Shi Feng 1Tongxiang 1West Lake 1Wuhan 1Wuxi 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
RamenMeatラーメン 🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreJapanese noodle soup with Chinese-style wheat noodles in hot broth Soup, Lunch, Dinner Lei chaVegan擂茶 🇨🇳 China and 3 moreA Hakka tea-based drink or soup made with ground tea, nuts, seeds and grains Drink Congee粥 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreRice simmered in water to make a soft, comforting porridge Main dish, Breakfast, Dinner Chicken soupMeat 🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreA hot soup of chicken simmered with vegetables, noodles or grains Soup, Lunch, Dinner Wonton云吞 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreChinese dumplings with a thin wrapper, filled and served in soup or fried Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner Fish ball魚丸 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreSoft balls of minced fish, boiled or fried, eaten across Asia and Northern Europe Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Odenおでん 🇯🇵 Japan and 3 moreJapanese one-pot dish of assorted items simmered in soy-flavored dashi broth Soup, Dinner, Lunch Hot pot火鍋 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreSimmering broth at the table for cooking meats, vegetables and more as you eat Main dish, Dinner, Lunch LaghmanMeatلەغمەن 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreHand-pulled noodles with meat and vegetables in a savoury broth Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner Caldo verde 🇵🇹 Portugal and 2 morePortuguese soup of potatoes and shredded greens Soup, Dinner, Supper Egg drop soup蛋花湯 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreChinese soup with wisps of egg in clear chicken broth Soup, Lunch, Dinner Thukpaཐུག་པ 🇨🇳 China and 3 moreTibetan noodle soup with many regional versions Soup Bak kut tehMeat肉骨茶 🇲🇾 Malaysia and 3 morePork ribs in a spiced herbal broth, served with fried dough and condiments Soup, Breakfast, Lunch Chicken feetMeat 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreChicken feet cooked and eaten in soups, stews, snacks and street foods worldwide Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Misua麵線 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreVery thin wheat noodles common in China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner Hot and sour soup酸辣汤 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreA tangy, spicy soup with flexible ingredients, first made in China Soup Tong sui糖水 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreChinese sweet soups served as dessert at the end of a meal Sweet or dessert 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 Yong tau foo釀豆腐 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreTofu or vegetables stuffed with meat or fish paste, served in soup or with sauce Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Banmian板麵 🇨🇳 China and 3 moreHandmade Chinese noodles in soup, often with anchovies, meat and leafy greens 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 Malatang麻辣烫 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreA Sichuan street food of meats and vegetables cooked in a spicy, numbing broth Soup, 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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