Chinese cuisine

Chinese cuisinecomprisescuisinesoriginating fromChina, as well as fromChinese people from other parts of the world. Because of the Chinese diaspora and the historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has profoundly influenced many other cuisines inAsiaand beyond, with modifications made to cater to local palates. Chinese food staples such asrice,soy sauce,noodles,tea,chili oil, andtofu, and utensils such aschopsticksand thewok, can now be found worldwide.
The world's earliest eating establishments recognizable asrestaurantsin the modern sense first emerged inSong dynastyChina during the 11th and 12th centuries.Street foodbecame an integral aspect of Chinese food culture during theTang dynasty, and the street food culture of much ofSoutheast Asiawas established by workers imported from China during the late 19th century.
The preferences forseasoningandcooking techniquesin Chinese provinces depend on differences insocial class,religion,historical background, andethnic groups. Geographic features including mountains, rivers, forests, and deserts also have a strong effect on the locally available ingredients, considering that the climate of China varies fromtropicalin the south tosubarcticin the northeast.Imperial royal and noble preferencesalso play a role in the change of Chinese cuisine. Because of imperial expansion, immigration, and trading, ingredients and cooking techniques from other cultures have been integrated into Chinese cuisines over time and Chinese culinary influences have spread worldwide.
There are numerous regional, religious, and ethnic styles of Chinese cuisine found within China and abroad. Chinese cuisine is highly diverse and most frequently categorised into provincial divisions, although these province-level classifications consist of many more styles within themselves. During theQing dynasty, the most praisedFour Great Traditionsin Chinese cuisine wereChuan,Lu,Yue, andHuaiyang, representing cuisines of West, North, South, and East China, respectively.In 1980, a modern grouping from Chinese journalist Wang Shaoquan's article published in thePeople's Dailynewspaper identified theEight Cuisines of ChinaasAnhui(徽菜;Huīcài),Guangdong(粵菜;Yuècài),Fujian(閩菜;Mǐncài),Hunan(湘菜;Xiāngcài),Jiangsu(蘇菜;Sūcài),Shandong(魯菜;Lǔcài),Sichuan(川菜;Chuāncài), andZhejiang(浙菜;Zhècài).
Chinese cuisine is deeply intertwined withtraditional Chinese medicine, such as in the practise ofChinese food therapy. Color, scent and taste are the three traditional aspects used to describe Chinese food,as well as the meaning, appearance, and nutrition of the food. Cooking should be appraised with respect to the ingredients used, knife work, cooking time, and seasoning.
Chinese society greatly valuedgastronomy, and developed an extensive study of the subject based on itstraditional medical beliefs.  Chinese culture initially centered around theNorth China Plain. The first domesticated crops seem to have been thefoxtailandbroomcornvarieties ofmillet, whilericewas cultivated in the south. By 2000 BC, wheat had arrived from western Asia. These grains were typically served as warmnoodlesoups instead of baked into bread as in Europe. Nobles hunted various wild game and consumedmutton, pork anddogas these animals were domesticated. Grain was stored against famine and flood and meat was preserved with salt, vinegar, curing, and fermenting. The flavor of the meat was enhanced by cooking it in animal fats though this practice was mostly restricted to the wealthy.
By the time ofConfuciusin thelate Zhou, gastronomy had become a high art. Confucius discussed the principles of dining:
TheLüshi chunqiunotes: "Only if one is chosen as theSon of Heavenwill the tastiest delicacies be prepared [for him]."
TheZhaohun(4-3rd c. BC) gives some examples: turtle ragout, honey cakes and beer (chilled with ice).
DuringShi Huangdi'sQin dynasty, the empire expanded into the south. By the time of theHan dynasty, the different regions and cuisines of China's people were linked by majorcanalsand leading to greater complexity in the different regional cuisines. Not only is food seen as giving "qi", energy, but the food is also about maintaining yin and yang.The philosophy behind it was rooted in theI ChingandChinese traditional medicine: food was judged for color, aroma, taste, and texture and a good meal was expected to balance theFour Natures('hot', warm, cool, and 'cold') and theFive Tastes(pungent, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty).Salt was used as a preservativefrom early times, but in cooking was added in the form of soy sauce, and not at the table.
By the Later Han period (2nd century), writersfrequently complained of lazy aristocrats who did nothing but sit around all day eatingsmokedmeats and roasts.
During theHan dynasty, the Chinese developed methods of food preservation for military rations during campaigns such as drying meat intojerkyand cooking, roasting, and drying grain.Chinese legends claim that the roasted, flat breadshaobingwas brought back from theXiyu(the Western Regions, a name forCentral Asia) by the Han dynasty GeneralBan Chao, and that it was originally known as hubing (胡餅, lit. "barbarian bread"). The shaobing is believed to be descended from the hubing.Shaobingis believed to be related to the Persiannanand Central Asiannan, as well as the Middle Easternpita.Foreign westerners made and sold sesame cakes in China during the Tang dynasty.
During theSouthern and Northern dynastiesnon-Han people like theXianbeiofNorthern Weiintroduced their cuisine to northern China, and these influences continued up to theTang dynasty, popularizing meat like mutton and dairy products like goat milk, yogurts, andKumisamong even Han people. It was during the Song dynasty thatHan Chinesedeveloped an aversion to dairy products and abandoned the dairy foods introduced earlier.
The Han Chinese rebel Wang Su who received asylum in the Xianbei Northern Wei after fleeing from Southern Qi, at first could not stand eating dairy products like goat's milk and meat like mutton and had to consume tea and fish instead, but after a few years he was able to eat yogurt and lamb, and the Xianbei Emperor asked him which of the foods of China (Zhongguo) he preferred, fish vs mutton and tea vs yogurt.
The great migration of Chinese people south during the invasions preceding and during theSong dynastyincreased the relative importance ofsouthern Chinesestaples such as rice andcongee.Su Dongpohas improved the red braised pork asDongpo pork.The dietary and culinary habits also changed greatly during this period, with many ingredients such assoy sauceand Central Asian influenced foods becoming widespread and the creation of important cookbooks such as theShanjia Qinggong(Chinese:山家清供;pinyin:Shānjiā qīnggòng) and theWushi Zhongkuilu(Chinese:吳氏中饋錄;pinyin:Wúshì zhōngkuìlù) showing the respective esoteric foods and common household cuisine of the time.
TheYuanandQingdynasties introducedMongolianandManchu cuisine, warm northern dishes that popularizedhot potcooking. During theYuan dynastymanyMuslim communitiesemerged in China, who practiced a porkless cuisine now preserved byHui restaurantsthroughout the country. Mongolian cuisine specially Mongolian beef, though popular globally, originated outside Mongolia. Mongolian beef was created in Taiwan in the 1950s, inspired by the rise of Mongolian barbecue-style cooking. Mongolian beef is a perfect example of fusion cuisine.Yunnan cuisineis unique in China for its cheeses likeRubingandRushan cheesemade by theBai people, and its yogurt, the yogurt may have been due to a combination of Mongolian influence during the Yuan dynasty, the Central Asian settlement in Yunnan, and the proximity and influence of India and Tibet on Yunnan.
As part of the last leg of theColumbian Exchange, Spanish and Portuguese traders began introducing foods from the New World to China through the port cities ofCantonandMacau. Mexicanchili peppersbecame essential ingredients inSichuan cuisineand calorically dense potatoes and corn became staple foods across the northern plains.
During the Qing dynasty, Chinese gastronomes such asYuan Meifocused upon the primary goal of extracting the maximum flavour of each ingredient. As noted in his culinary work theSuiyuan shidan, however, the fashions of cuisine at the time were quite varied and in some cases were flamboyantly ostentatious,especially when the display served also a formal ceremonial purpose, as in the case of theManchu Han Imperial Feast.
As the pace of life increases in modern China, fast food likefried noodles,fried riceandgaifan(dish over rice) become more and more popular.
Chinese cuisine exhibits an immense amount of regional diversity. A number of different styles contribute to Chinese cuisine but perhaps the best known and most influential areCantonese cuisine,Shandong cuisine,Jiangsu cuisine(specificallyHuaiyang cuisine) andSichuan cuisine.These styles are distinctive from one another due to factors such as availability of resources, climate,geography,history, cooking techniques and lifestyle.
One style may favour the use ofgarlicandshallotsover chili and spices, while another may favour preparingseafoodover other meats andfowl.Jiangsu cuisinefavours cooking techniques such asbraisingandstewing, whileSichuan cuisineemploysbaking.Zhejiang cuisinefocuses more on serving fresh food,Fujian cuisineis famous for its seafood and soups and the use of spices,Hunan cuisineis famous for its hot and sour taste,Anhui cuisineincorporates wild ingredients for an unusual taste.
Based on the raw materials and ingredients used, the method of preparation and cultural differences, a variety of foods with different flavors and textures are prepared in different regions of the country. Many traditional regional cuisines rely on basic methods ofpreservationsuch asdrying,salting,picklingandfermentation.
In addition, the "rice theory" attempts to describe cultural differences between north and south China; in the north, noodles are more consumed due to wheat being widely grown whereas in the south, rice is more preferred as it has historically been more cultivated there.
Chinese ancestors successfully plantedmillet,rice, and other grains about 8,000 to 9,000 years ago.Wheat, another staple, took another three or four thousand years. For the first time, grains provided people with a steady supply of food. Because of the lack of various foods, Chinese people had to adapt to new eating habits. Meat was scarce, and so people cooked with small amounts of meat and rice or noodles.
Ricewas domesticated in the Yangtze River basin in southern China approximately 9,000 years ago and is a primarystaple foodfor people from rice farming areas in southern China.Steamed rice, usuallywhite rice, is the most commonly eaten form. People in South China also like to use rice to make congee as breakfast.Rice is also used to producebeerandvinegar.Glutinous rice("sticky rice") is a variety of rice used in special dishes such as lotus leaf rice and glutinous rice balls.
In wheat-farming areas inNorthern China, people largely rely onflour-based food, such asnoodles,bing(bread),jiaozi(a kind of Chinesedumplings), andmantou(a type of steamed buns).Wheat likely "appeared in the lower Yellow River around 2600 Before Common Era (BCE), followed by Gansu and Xinjiang around 1900 BCE and finally occurred in the middle Yellow River and Tibet regions by 1600 BCE".
Noodleswere invented in China over 4,000 years ago and have since spread across the world.Chinese noodlescome dry or fresh in a variety of sizes, shapes and textures and are often served in soups or fried as toppings. Some varieties, such as Shou Mian (寿面, literally noodles of longevity), is an avatar of long life and good health according to Chinese traditions.Noodles can be served hot or cold with different toppings, with broth, and occasionally dry (as is the case with mi-fen).  Noodles are commonly made with rice flour or wheat flour, but other flours such assoybeanare also used in minor groups. Some noodles names describe their methods of creation, such as the hand-pulled noodle.
Tofuis made ofsoybeansand is another popular food product that supplies protein. The production process of tofu varies from region to region, resulting in different kinds of tofu with a wide range of texture and taste.Other products such assoy milk,soy paste,soy oil, and fermentedsoy sauceare also important in Chinese cooking.
There are many kinds of soybean products, includingtofu skin, smoked tofu, dried tofu, and fried tofu.
Stinky tofuis fermented tofu. Likeblue cheeseordurian, it has a very distinct, potent and strong smell, and is an acquired taste. Hard stinky tofu is often deep-fried and paired with soy sauce or salty spice. Soft stinky tofu is usually used as a spread on steamed buns.
Doufuruis another type of fermented tofu that has a salty taste. Doufuru can be pickled together with soy beans,red yeast riceor chili to create different color and flavor. This is more of a pickled type of tofu and is not as strongly scented as stinky tofu.  Doufuru has the consistency of slightly soft blue cheese, and a taste similar to Japanesemiso paste, but less salty. Doufuru can be used as a spread on steamed buns, or paired withrice congee.
Sufuis one other type of fermented tofu that goes through ageing process. The color (red, white, green) and flavor profile can determine the type of sufu it is. This kind of tofu is usually eaten alongside breakfast rice.
Soybean milk is soybean-based milk. It is a morning beverage, and it has many benefits to human health.
Apart from vegetables that can be commonly seen, some uniquevegetablesused in Chinese cuisine includebaby corn,bok choy,snow peas,Chineseeggplant,Chinese broccoli, andstraw mushrooms.  Other vegetables, includingbean sprouts, pea vine tips,watercress,lotus roots, chestnuts, water chestnuts, andbamboo shoots, are also used in different cuisines of China.
Because of different climate and soil conditions, cultivars of green beans, peas, and mushrooms can be found in rich variety.
A variety of dried or pickled vegetables are also processed, especially in drier or colder regions where fresh vegetables were hard to get out of season.
Seasoningssuch as freshgingerroot,garlic,scallion,cilantroandsesameare widely used in many regional cuisines.Sichuan peppercorns,star anise,cinnamon,fennel,clovesandwhite peppersandsmart weedare also used in different regions.
To add extra flavor to the dishes, many Chinese cuisines also contain dried Chinese mushrooms, dried baby shrimp, dried tangerine peel,and dried Sichuan chillies.
When it comes tosauces, China is home to soy sauce, which is made from fermented soybeans and wheat. A number of sauces are also based on fermented soybeans, includinghoisin sauce, ground bean sauce and yellow bean sauce. There are also different sauces preferred by regional cuisines,oyster sauce,fish sauceand furu (fermented tofu) are also widely used. Vinegar also has a variety with different flavors: clear rice vinegar,Chinkiang black rice vinegar, Shanxi vinegar, Henghe vinegar etc.
The most commonly consumed meat in China ispork. As of at least 2024, China is the second largest beef consuming market in the world.Steakhouses and hot pot restaurants serving beef are becoming increasingly popular inurban China.Chinese consumers particularly value freshly slaughtered beef.
Generally, seasonal fruits serve as the most common form of dessert consumed after dinner.
Dim sum(点心), originally means a small portion of food, can refer to dessert, or pastries. Later to avoid disambiguation, tian dian (甜点) and gao dian (糕点) are used to describe desserts and pastries.
Traditionally, Chinese desserts are sweet foods and dishes that are served with tea, usually during the meal,or at the end of meals in Chinese cuisine.
Besides being served as dim sum along with tea, pastries are used for celebration of traditional festivals.The most famous one ismoon cake, used to celebrate theMid-Autumn Festival.
A wide variety ofChinese dessertsare available, mainly including steamed and boiled sweet snacks.Bingis an umbrella term for all breads in Chinese, also including pastries and sweets. These are baked wheat-flour-based confections, with different stuffings includingred bean paste,jujube, and a variety of others. Su (酥) is another kind of pastry made with more amount of oil, making the confection more friable. Chinese candies and sweets, calledtáng(糖)are usually made withcane sugar, malt sugar, honey, nuts, and fruit.Gao or Guoare rice-based snacks that are typically steamedand may be made from glutinous or normal rice.
Another cold dessert is calledbaobing, which isshaved icewith sweet syrup.Chinese jellies are known collectively in the language asices. Many jelly desserts are traditionally set with agar and are flavoured with fruits, known as guodong (果冻),thoughgelatinebased jellies are also common in contemporary desserts.
Chinese dessert soups are typically sweet and served hot.
European pastries are also seen in China, likemille-feuille,crème brûlée, andcheesecake, but they are generally not as popular because the Chinese preference of dessert is mildly sweet and less oily.
Many types of street foods, which vary from region to region, can be eaten as snacks or light dinner.Prawn crackersare an often-consumed snack in Southeast China.
Chinese in earlier dynasties evidently drank milk and ate dairy products, although not necessarily from cows, butkumis(fermented mare's milk) or goat's milk.
Historically, many Chinese chefs tried not to use milk, because of the high rate oflactose intolerance among the Chinese population. However, today, dairy products are increasingly used in Chinese cuisine, such as the "double skin milk" dessert in Guangdong Province, the Rubing (milk cake) cheese inYunnan, andyoghurtin Qinghai and Xinjiang. China has a wide variety of dairy desserts that are very popular.
Cold dishes are usually served before the main meal. Besides salad and pickles as appetizers, they can range from jelly, beancurd, noodle salad, cooked meat, and sausages to jellyfish or cold soups.
Chinese sausagesvary from region to region. The most common sausage is made of pork and pork fat. The flavor is generally salty-sweet in Southern China. In other parts of China, sausages are salted to be preserved. Chinese sausage is prepared in many different ways, including oven-roasting, stir-frying, andsteaming.
In some part of South China, soups are served between the cold dishes and the main dishes. In other parts of China, soups are served between the main dish and staple foods, before desserts or fruit salad. There are many traditional Chinese soups, such aswontonsoup, herbal chicken soup,hot and sour soup,winter melon soup,and so on.
Tea plays an important role in Chinese dining culture. In China, there are two main types of tea, one is made from dried tea leaves, the other one is made by extracts from tea leaves.Baijiuandhuangjiuas strong alcoholic beverages are preferred by many people as well. Wine is not so popular as other drinks in China that are consumed whilst dining, although they are usually available in the menu.
As well as with dim sum, many Chinese drink their tea with snacks such as nuts, plums, dried fruit (in particularjujube), small sweets, melon seeds, andwaxberry.China was the earliest country to cultivate and drink tea, which is enjoyed by people from all social classes.Tea processing began after theQinandHandynasties.
The different types of Chinese tea include black, white, green, yellow, oolong, and dark tea. Chinese tea is often classified into several different categories according to the variety of the tea plant from which it is sourced, the region in which it is grown, and the method of production used. Some of these types aregreen tea,oolong tea, black tea, scented tea,white tea, andcompressed tea. There are four majortea plantationregions:Jiangbei,Jiangnan,Huananand the southwestern region.Well known types of green tea includeLongjing,Huangshan Maofeng,Bilochun,Putuofeng Cha, andLiu'an Guapian.China is the world's largest exporter of green tea.
One of the most ubiquitous accessories in modern China, after a wallet or purse and an umbrella, is a double-walled insulated glass thermos with tea leaves in the top behind a strainer.
The importance ofbaijiu(lit."white liquor") in China (99.5% of its alcoholic market) makes it the most-consumed alcoholic spirit in the world.It dates back to the introduction of distilling during theSong dynasty;can be made from wheat, corn, or rice; and is usually around 120 proof (60% ABV). The most ubiquitous brand is the cheapEr guo tou, butMao Taiis the premiumbaijiu. Other popular brands include Kang, Lu Zhou Te Qu, and Wu Liang Ye.
Huangjiu(lit."yellow liquor") is not distilled and is a strongrice wine(10–15% ABV).Popular brands includeShaoxing Lao Jiu,Shaoxing Hua Diao, andTe Jia Fan.
While fermented grain beverages have been brewed in China for over 9,000 years, it has been long overshadowed by stronger alcohol likeBaijiuandHuangjiu.
Chinese herb tea, also known asmedicinal herbal tea, is a kind of tea made from Chinese medicinalherbs.
Soy milk,almond milk, walnut milk and coconut milk are also drunk during the meal in different regions. In some parts of China,hawthornandjujubejuice are preferred.  A small shot of fruit vinegar is served as an appetizer inShanxi.
Where there are historical immigrant Chinese populations, the style of food has evolved and been adapted to local tastes and ingredients, and modified by the local cuisine, to greater or lesser extents. This has resulted in a deep Chinese influence on other national cuisines such asCambodian cuisine,Filipino cuisine,Singaporean cuisine,Thai cuisineandVietnamese cuisine.
Chinatownsacross the world have been instrumental in shaping the national cuisines of their respective countries, such as the introduction of astreet food culture to ThailandinBangkok Chinatown. There are also a large number of forms offusion cuisine, often popular in the country in question. Some, such asramen(Japanese Chinese cuisine), which originated inYokohama Chinatown, have become popular internationally.
Deep-fried meat combined withsweet and soursauce as a cooking style receives an enormous preference outside of China. Therefore, many similar international Chinese cuisines are invented based on sweet and sour sauce, including Sweet and sour chicken (Europe and North America), Manchurian chicken (India) ortangsuyuk(South Korea).
Apart from the host country, the dishes developed in overseas Chinese cuisines are heavily dependent on the cuisines derived from the origin of the Chinese immigrants. InKorean Chinese cuisine, the dishes derive primarily fromShandong cuisinewhileFilipino Chinese cuisineis strongly influenced byFujian cuisine.American Chinese cuisinehas distinctive dishes (such aschop suey) originally based onCantonese cuisine, which are more popular among non-Chinese Americans than withChinese Americansthemselves.
Youths should not begin eating before their elders do. When eating from a bowl, one should not hold it with its bottom part, because it resembles the act of begging.Chopsticksare the main eating utensils for Chinese food, which can be used to cut and pick up food.When someone is taking a break from eating at the table, they should not put the chopstick into the rice vertically, because it resembles the Chinese traditional funeral tribute, which involves putting chopsticks inside a bowl of rice vertically. It is considered inappropriate to use knives on the dining table.Chopsticks should not be waved around in the air or played with. Food should first be taken from the plate in front. It is considered impolite to stare at a plate. Watching TV, using mobile phones or doing other activities while eating is considered in poor taste. If an older person puts food in a younger person's bowl, the younger person should thank them.
Chinese culture has guidelines in how and when food are eaten. Chinese people typically eat three meals a day, consisting of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast is served around 6–9am, lunch is served around 12–2pm, and dinner is served around 6–9pm.A late night, fourth meal of the day is known assiu yehand served from 9pm-4am, which is similar to the Western concept ofsupper. Within the Chinese culture, families do follow different traditions. In some families, the elderly members and youngsters get their meal first, then the mother and father, and then the children and teenagers.Other families have the male and female eat separately at different seating area.Whatever tradition the family decide to follow, it is intended to show respect to members of the family.
Food plays various roles in social and cultural life. InChinese folk religion,ancestor venerationis conducted by offering food to ancestors and Chinese festivals involve the consumption and preparation of specific foods which have symbolic meanings attached to them. Specific religions in China have their own cuisines such as theTaoist diet,Buddhist cuisineandChinese Islamic Cuisine.
TheKaifeng JewsinHenanprovince once had their own Chinese Jewish cuisine but the community has largely died out in the modern era and not much is known about the specifics of their cuisine but they did influence foods eaten in their region and some of their dishes remain.Chinese dishes with purported Kaifeng Jewish roots include Kaifeng xiao long bao, Mayuxing bucket-shaped chicken, Chrysanthemum hot pot, and Four Treasures.
Food also plays a role in daily life. The formality of the meal setting can signify what kind of relationship people have with one another, and the type of food can indicate ones' social status and their country of origin.In a formal setting, up to sixteen of any combination of hot and cold dishes would be served to respect the guests. On the other hand, in a casual setting, people would eat inexpensive meals such as at food stalls or homemade food. The typical disparity in food in the Chinese society between the wealthy and everyone below that group lies in the rarity and cost of the food or ingredient, such as shark fins and bear paws.
Depending on whether one chooses to have rice or a meal that is made of wheat flour such as bread or noodles as their main source of food, people within a similar culture or of a different background can make an assumption of the other's country of origin from the south or north of China. Different foods have different symbolic meanings.Mooncakesanddumplingsare symbolic of theMid-autumn festivaland the Spring Festival, respectively.Pearsymbolizes bad luck due to its similarity in pronunciation of 'away' in the native language and noodle means living a long life for its length.
In Chinese philosophy, food frequently conveys a message. A Chinese philosophyI Chingsays, "Gentlemen use eating as a way to attain happiness. They should be aware of what they say, and refrain from eating too much."