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Chinese Cuisine

Five Thousand Years of Flavor

Asia › East Asia

79 Dishes

6 Categories

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Chinese cuisine spans eight great culinary traditions, from the fiery heat of Sichuan to the delicate dim sum of Canton. It is a living history of flavor where every region, family, and wok tells a different delicious story.

Chinese cuisine is one of the world's oldest and most diverse culinary traditions, with roots stretching back over 5,000 years to the Neolithic settlements along the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. China's vast geography -- from the fertile rice paddies of the south to the wheat-growing plains of the north, from the fiery Sichuan Basin to the subtropical coastline of Guangdong -- has given rise to at least eight great regional cuisines, each with distinct ingredients, techniques, and philosophies. The Silk Road, opened during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE), introduced pepper, sesame, walnuts, and grapes from Central Asia, while centuries of imperial court refinement elevated cooking to a high art governed by the balance of the Four Natures (hot, warm, cool, cold) and Five Tastes (pungent, sweet, sour, bitter, salty). China's culinary identity has been shaped by Confucian philosophy, which elevated the communal meal to a ritual of harmony, and by Taoist and Buddhist traditions that gave rise to sophisticated vegetarian cuisines.

Mongol and Manchu conquests introduced lamb and dairy traditions, while maritime trade brought New World ingredients such as chili peppers and sweet potatoes that transformed regional palates, most dramatically in Sichuan and Hunan. The wok, perfected during the Han Dynasty, remains the single most important cooking vessel, enabling the high-heat stir-frying technique that defines much of Chinese cookery. The Chinese table is a communal affair built around shared dishes placed at the center, with rice or noodles as the anchor.

Meals follow a careful balance of flavors, textures, and colors. Tea accompanies nearly every meal, and the phrase "chi fan le ma?" (have you eaten?) serves as a common greeting, reflecting how deeply food is woven into Chinese social life and identity.

Dim Sum Platter

Kung Pao Shrimp

Shui Zhu Yu

Key Flavors

taiwanese jiangxi

Fuchsia Dunlop

British food writer and the first Westerner to train at the Sichuan Institute o…

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Fuchsia Dunlop

British food writer and the first Westerner to train at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine. Foremost English-language authority on Chinese regional cooking.

Martin Yan

Hong Kong-born chef and TV personality whose show Yan Can Cook ran for over 3,0…

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Martin Yan

Hong Kong-born chef and TV personality whose show Yan Can Cook ran for over 3,000 episodes, bringing Chinese cooking techniques to millions worldwide.

Cecilia Chiang

Pioneer who introduced authentic Chinese regional cuisine to America through Th…

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Cecilia Chiang

Pioneer who introduced authentic Chinese regional cuisine to America through The Mandarin restaurant in San Francisco, changing American perceptions of Chinese food.

Chinese Cuisine

A Culinary Portrait

Key Flavors

Masters of the Kitchen

Fuchsia Dunlop

Fuchsia Dunlop

Martin Yan

Martin Yan

Cecilia Chiang

Cecilia Chiang

Essential Reading

The Food of Sichuan

Every Grain of Rice

The Breath of a Wok

Explore All Dishes

Dim Sum Platter

Kung Pao Shrimp

Shui Zhu Yu

Xiao Long Bao

Zhajiangmian

三杯鸡 (San Bei Ji)

上海炒面 (Shanghai Chao Mian)

东坡肉 (Dong Po Rou)

云吞面 (Wonton Mian)

佛跳墙 (Fo Tiao Qiang)

八宝饭 (Ba Bao Fan)

凉皮 (Liang Pi)

剁椒鱼头 (Duo Jiao Yu Tou)

包子 (Bao Zi)

北京烤鸭

北京酸奶 (Beijing Suan Nai)

叉烧 (Cha Shao)

叉烧牛肉

口水鸡 (Kou Shui Ji)

叫花鸡 (Jiao Hua Ji)

四川火锅 (Sichuan Huo Guo)

回锅肉 (Hui Guo Rou)

大盘鸡 (Da Pan Ji)

大闸蟹 (Da Zha Xie)

夫妻肺片 (Fuqi Feipian)

宫保虾球 (Gong Bao Xia Qiu)

宫保鸡丁

小笼包 (Xiao Long Bao) - 蟹粉

左宗棠鸡

担担面

春卷

月饼

松鼠鳜鱼 (Song Shu Gui Yu)

板面 (Ban Mian)

毛主席红烧肉 (Mao Zhuxi Hong Shao Rou)

水煮鱼

汤圆

油条 (You Tiao)

涮羊肉 (Shuan Yang Rou)

清蒸鱼 (Qing Zheng Yu)

炒面

烧麦 (Shao Mai)

煎饼

煲仔饭 (Bao Zai Fan)

狮子头 (Shi Zi Tou)

甜酸鸡

生煎包 (Sheng Jian Bao)

白切鸡 (Bai Qie Ji)

白粥 (Bai Zhou)

皮蛋瘦肉粥

盐酥鸡 (Yan Su Ji)

糖葫芦 (Tang Hu Lu)

糖醋排骨 (Tang Cu Pai Gu)

糯米鸡 (Lo Mai Gai)

红烧牛肉

红烧肉 (Hong Shao Rou)

红豆汤 (Hong Dou Tang)

羊肉串 (Yang Rou Chuan)

肉夹馍 (Rou Jia Mo)

肠粉 (Cheung Fun)

腊味饭 (La Wei Fan)

茶叶蛋

葱油饼

虾饺

蚵仔煎 (O-A-Jian)