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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
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 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 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 YoutiaoVegan油條 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreLong, golden-brown strips of deep-fried dough eaten across East and Southeast Asia Street food, 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 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 Har gowFish or seafood蝦餃 🇨🇳 ChinaTranslucent shrimp dumplings served as part of Cantonese dim sum Dumpling, Lunch, Tea time

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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