The emperor of China, however, could not survive on roasted duck alone. You will be surprised at the remarkably wide array of Peking foods, many of them unknown to most diners. Western Chinese foods, such as Szechwan and Hunan dishes, incorporate a lot of chili peppers, making them very hot and spicy.
Southern cuisine includes Cantonese-style dishes with sweet and sour combinations.
Northern foods, also called Peking foods, are famous for their flour dishes such as breads, noodles, and dumplings. According to Ming-shen Chen, chief chef at the Celestial Restaurant, there are three main distinctions of Peking food. The first is that it is not greasy. And lastly, Peking cuisine is not considered spicy. The origin of food from Peking dates back hundreds of years.