National cuisine of China for gourmets. Authentic recipes, delicacies and specialties

China is a country of contrasts where the cultures of the West and the East are united into a single whole. The same goes for cooking. Chinese cuisine is a combination of incongruous, exotic and tradition, which can surprise even the most sophisticated gourmet. The main thing for Chinese people is a pleasant appearance and a mix of different products and their properties. In addition to the five main tastes, Chinese cuisine also offers fresh, fragrant, and "golden" (like Kumquats fruits) tastes. Culinary traditions of one region are strikingly different from the neighboring ones, depending on climatic conditions, history, and traditions.

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Throughout the country, the most popular products are rice and soy. These products replace bread and meat respectively. Products made from flour and dough are very popular in China. Noodles, tortillas, dumplings are served at every table. Vegetables play a very important role in Chinese cooking: various sorts of cabbage, bamboo shoots, spinach, pepper are added to many national dishes after being well-prepared. The most popular meat is pork, while beef and lamb go next. All dishes are necessarily served with spicy sauces. Poultry, fish, and a variety of seafood have found their use in Chinese cuisine. Milk and dairy products are cut out of the Chinese diet.

In Chinese cooking, there are four main directions: Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan, and Cantonese cuisines. Each of them has its own peculiarities. Shanghai or Oriental cuisine is famous for its meat dishes and seafood. Meat is always richly seasoned with spices. In the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and in Shanghai, soups are prepared with mushrooms, cabbage, and pork. Be sure to try eel in a wine sauce with garlic, Tofu - the most famous soy cheese with fish, as well as fried noodles with shrimps. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

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The imperial culinary tradition of the North includes rice, which can be served either separately or as a side dish for meat. In this region, the most popular Chinese dish famous far beyond the borders is cooked. It is Peking Duck, the preparation of which takes up to 24 hours. This duck is often served with thin pancakes, sweet bean sauce, and garlic, but the main thing is a crispy crust. "Beggar's Chicken" is stuffed with mushrooms, cabbage, onions, and spices, then rolled in clay, wrapped in lotus leaves, and fried in a special oven. While in Beijing, don't miss your chance to try Sichuan Hogo - an extravagantly presented dish that consists of two kinds of meat, noodles, shrimps, vegetables, and fish.

Cantonese cuisine, the most non-traditional cuisine of the South, offers dishes from snake, tortoise, canine and cat meat. More traditional specialties include you steamed fish, Dim Sum dumplings served in baskets of bamboo leaves, shark fin soup. The cuisine of Sichuan Province is characterized by large amounts of spices, herbs, and garlic. Most dishes are steamed or smoked. Be sure to try "Tofu" - soy milk cottage cheese perfect for vegetarians. Gong Bao Chicken with pepper and nuts, as well as dumplings with more than two hundred various fillings, are an integral part of the region's culinary tradition.

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For those with a sweet tooth, Chinese cuisine offers a variety of desserts: an unusual sweet tortoise soup, "Tangyuan" - steamed sweet rice pies, Nyangao Chinese rice cookies, thinly sliced ice poured with fruit syrup, tapioca pudding, herbal jelly and much more. Chinese sweets are made from rice, bamboo leaves, corn flour, and are very different from European ones.

Green tea is the most popular local drink. It is served hot and drunk without sugar. The traditional Gongfu tea ceremony can compete with the Japanese one. This ritual symbolizes respect and care from the host to the guest, as well as diligence and sacrificing one's ego in favor of the visitor. The guest, in turn, accepts the kindness, learning to express gratitude and appreciation. Rice vodka and rice beer are popular alcoholic drinks. Here you can also find rice, yellow and white filtered wines reaching 60% Vol.

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Fantastic City Tours and Excursions in China

Reference information

Map of all Michelin restaurants

Michelin-starred restaurants in China
♥ Restaurant '1515 West' Shanghai. Type - Steakhouse. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Restaurant '8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana' Shanghai. Type - Italian. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Restaurant 'A Niang Mian' Shanghai. Type - Noodles. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Restaurant 'Alan Wong’s' Shanghai. Type - American. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Restaurant 'Alma' Shanghai. Type - Spanish. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Restaurant 'Beef & Liberty' Shanghai. Type - American. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Restaurant 'Camelia' Shanghai. Type - Italian. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Restaurant 'Canton 8' Shanghai. Type - Cantonese. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Restaurant 'Char' Shanghai. Type - Steakhouse. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Restaurant 'Cheng Long Hang (Jiujiang Road)' Shanghai. Type - Shanghainese. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Restaurant 'Chez Maurice' Shanghai. Type - French. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Restaurant 'Chi-Q' Shanghai. Type - Korean. On the map Show on the map

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Cuisine and restaurants in popular cities of China

Shanghai

Many tourists note that a significant part of traditional Chinese dishes in Shanghai are cooked with a large amount of sugar and soy sauce, and fried to a brown crust. The Chinese fry almost every product in deep fat. If you want to taste the fried sparrows, scorpions or the larvae of silkworms, go to Fuzhou. You can find almost anything fried here. Wine marinade is also very popular here. The wine is used as a marinade for shrimp, fish, seafood, and chicken. You will definitely find a … Read more

Beijing

Continue your acquaintance with national cuisine in the restaurant named Fangshan. This place is known for excellent baked goods. Rolls with various fillings, pies, meat pies and bean meal will satisfy any visitor. Afunti Uighur restaurant offers dishes of Indian and Arabic cuisine. The restaurant's interior is decorated with beautiful flowers and exotic plants - a true Garden of Eden in the heart of a large metropolis. Fans of Spanish cuisine will surely enjoy visiting Ashanti restaurant, the … Read more

Hangzhou

Europeans can safely order local dishes. The style of Zhejiang province implies a mild and often slightly salty taste, without an abundance of spices. If you have doubts, it will be better to ask the waiter. Today, Hangzhou chefs prepare dishes from all provinces of China. Very exotic kinds are also found among them. Native local cuisine involves cooking, steaming, stewing, or boiling food over low heat. The food is usually not greasy and very satisfying. Many dishes are soft, or, on the … Read more

Xiamen

There are a lot of fish and seafood dishes in Xiamen restaurants. For example, you can taste dishes from lancelets. Local chefs cook seafood without adding too much salt. The taste of most dishes of the city cuisine is sweet and sour. Serving a dish is considered no less important thing than its taste. So bright, artfully sliced ingredients are the norm for all city restaurants. Local chefs rarely add much spicy seasoning to dishes. But if you doubt the amount of spices, it is better to check … Read more

Chengdu

It is worth noting that pepper is popular almost as well as rice in traditional Chengdu cuisine. So if you do not like too spicy dishes, it is necessary to specify the amount of spices when ordering. Fortunately, not all local dishes are very spicy. In addition, sour, sweet, and salty dishes have gained considerable popularity. But it is worth noting that, it is spicy seasonings that better reveal the taste of the most popular Chengdu dishes. Be sure to taste the local hot pot. It is better to … Read more

National cuisine of China for gourmets. Authentic recipes, delicacies and specialties

Fantastic City Tours and Excursions in China

Sights of China - photostream

Cuisine and restaurants in popular cities of China

Map of China cities with popular restaurants