Chinese Food Guide: Dishes to Try in Every Region

Chinese food at home is only a small slice of what you'll find in China. Every region has its own cooking, and eating well is one of the best parts of the trip. Here's what to try and where.

Beijing and the north

• Peking duck: crisp, glossy skin carved at the table and wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion and sweet sauce.
• Dumplings (jiaozi): boiled or pan-fried, with endless fillings.
• Hand-pulled noodles: watch the chef stretch dough into noodles in seconds.

Xi'an

• Biangbiang noodles: wide, belt-like noodles with chilli oil.
• Roujiamo: a crisp flatbread stuffed with slow-cooked meat, often called the Chinese burger.
• Lamb skewers and soups in the Muslim Quarter, famous for its street food.

Sichuan and Chongqing

• Hotpot: a bubbling pot of broth for cooking meat and vegetables at the table. Ask for a split pot, half spicy and half mild.
• Mapo tofu and kung pao chicken: the real versions, with the tingle of Sichuan pepper.
• Say "bu la" (not spicy) or "wei la" (mildly spicy) when ordering.

Shanghai and Hangzhou

• Xiaolongbao: soup dumplings. Bite a small hole, sip the broth, then eat.
• Shengjian bao: pan-fried buns with a crisp base.
• Longjing tea from the hills around Hangzhou's West Lake.

Guangzhou and the south

• Dim sum: small plates with tea, from shrimp dumplings to custard tarts.
• Roast meats and clay-pot rice.
• In Guilin, try a bowl of Guilin rice noodles.

Yunnan

• Crossing-the-bridge noodles: a hot broth you finish at the table with raw slices, herbs and noodles.
• Wild mushrooms in season, and fragrant flower cakes.

How to eat like a local

• Dishes are shared: order one per person plus rice or noodles.
• Point at photos on the menu, or use the camera translator in your phone.
• Tea is often free; tipping is not expected.

Halal restaurants are easy to find in most cities; see our halal food guide.

How we help

Your guide knows where locals actually eat, reads the menu for you and orders the dishes worth trying, whether you love spice or prefer it mild. Tell us what you like to eat on WhatsApp.

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