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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
Naanनान 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreLeavened flatbread baked in a tandoor or on a pan, soft and spotted with golden brown Bread, Lunch, Dinner Soy milkVegan豆奶 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreA plant-based drink made by soaking, grinding, and boiling soybeans Drink, Breakfast, Snacks Fried rice 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreCooked rice stir-fried with eggs, vegetables, meat or seafood, and seasonings Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Congee粥 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreRice simmered in water to make a soft, comforting porridge Main dish, Breakfast, Dinner Baozi包子 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreSteamed wheat buns filled with meat or vegetables, common across China and beyond Main dish, Breakfast, Snacks Jiaozi餃子 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreChinese dumplings with meat or vegetable filling, served boiled, steamed or fried Dumpling, Breakfast, Lunch Butter teaབོད་ཇ་ 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreA hot Himalayan drink of tea, yak butter and salt, churned to a creamy texture Drink, Breakfast, Snacks Dim sum点心 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreA variety of small Chinese dishes served with tea, often for brunch Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Dumpling 🇨🇳 China and 5 morePieces of dough, plain or filled, cooked by boiling, steaming or frying Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch MantouVegan馒头 🇨🇳 ChinaSoft, steamed wheat buns eaten across northern China Bread, Breakfast, 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 Xiaolongbao小笼包 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreSmall steamed buns with a savoury filling and hot soup inside Dumpling, Breakfast, Snacks 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 Shumai烧卖 / 燒賣 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreChinese dumplings filled with seasoned meat, often served as dim sum Dumpling, Breakfast, Lunch Parotta 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreLayered flatbread from South India, soft and flakey, made with refined flour Bread, Breakfast, Lunch Oyster omelette 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreA chewy egg and oyster dish fried with starch, popular across East and Southeast Asia Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch 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 Salted duck egg 🇨🇳 China and 3 moreDuck eggs preserved in salt, prized for their rich, orange-red yolks Sauce, pickle or ferment, Breakfast, Lunch Hong Kong-style milk teaVegetarian港式奶茶 🇭🇰 Hong Kong and 1 moreStrong black tea with evaporated milk, served hot or cold in Hong Kong cafés Drink, Breakfast, Lunch 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 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 Shengjian mantouMeat生煎馒头 🇨🇳 ChinaPan-fried pork-filled buns with a crisp base from Shanghai and Suzhou Street food, Breakfast, Snacks

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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