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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
Candy 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreSmall sweet treats made mainly from sugar or sweeteners Sweet or dessert, Snacks Mooncake月饼 / 月餅 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreA round Chinese pastry with sweet or nutty filling, eaten at the Mid-Autumn Festival Pie or savoury pastry, Tea time, Snacks Pierogi 🇵🇱 Poland and 6 moreDumplings of unleavened dough filled with savory or sweet mixtures Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner 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 Nian gaoVegan年糕 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreSticky rice cake enjoyed at Chinese New Year for good luck Sweet or dessert, Snacks Tangyuan汤圆 / 湯圓 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreGlutinous rice balls, often filled, served in sweet or savory broth Sweet or dessert, Snacks Egg tartVegetarian蛋撻 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreA small pastry tart with a sweet egg custard filling, found in Cantonese cuisine Pie or savoury pastry, Snacks, Tea time Jian duiVegetarian 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreFried glutinous rice balls coated with sesame seeds and filled with sweet paste Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time 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 HotteokVegetarian호떡 🇰🇷 South Korea and 2 moreKorean street pancake with a sweet, nutty filling Street food, 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 Apam balikVegetarian 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreA folded sweet pancake filled with peanuts and sugar, sold at roadside stalls Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Tong sui糖水 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreChinese sweet soups served as dessert at the end of a meal Sweet or dessert SachimaVegetarianᠰᠠᠴᡳᠮᠠ 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreSweet, airy strips of deep-fried dough held together with sugar syrup Pie or savoury pastry, Snacks Pineapple bunVegetarian菠蘿包 🇭🇰 Hong Kong and 3 moreA sweet bun with a crunchy, golden cookie crust, popular in Hong Kong Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Tea time Kuih粿 / کوءيه / kue 🇲🇾 Malaysia and 5 moreBite-sized sweet or savoury snacks made from rice or glutinous rice flour Pie or savoury pastry, Snacks Qingtuan青团 🇨🇳 ChinaGreen glutinous rice dumpling filled with sweet or savory paste, eaten at Qingming Festival Dumpling, Snacks 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 Yusheng魚生 🇲🇾 Malaysia and 6 moreRaw fish and shredded vegetable salad tossed for luck at Chinese New Year Salad or side, Dinner Black sesame soupVegan黑芝麻糊 🇨🇳 ChinaA sweet, thick Chinese dessert soup made from black sesame seeds and rice Soup JiuniangVegan酒酿 🇨🇳 ChinaChinese sweet soup of fermented glutinous rice with a mild alcohol taste Sweet or dessert Double skin milkVegetarian雙皮奶 🇨🇳 ChinaSilky Cantonese milk custard with two delicate skins Sweet or dessert, Snacks Laba congee腊八粥 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreA Chinese festival porridge with grains, beans, nuts and dried fruit Main dish Chongyang CakeVegetarian重陽糕 🇨🇳 ChinaSteamed and baked rice flour cake for the Chongyang Festival in China Sweet or dessert

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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