Chinese cuisine is famous all over the world for its unique flavor, wide variety, and long history culture. Tasting the authentic Chinese dishes evern becomes one of the reasons of traveling to China. However, ordering food in a Chinese restaurant with a Chinese menu is not a piece of cake. The list of Chinese dishes below includes the most popular and common food in China. Save the list will help you order food easily in a Chinese restaurant.
Duck & Goose (鸭, yā ; 鹅, é)
Peking Duck, as one of the trademark dish of China, is in the must-to-do list for travelers to China. It attracts not only international tourists but also domestic citizens to travel to Beijing.
| English | Chinese | Flavor | Original Area | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peking Duck | 北京烤鸭 (běi jīng kǎo yā) |
Crisp and fat | Beijing |  |
| Roasted Goose | 烧鹅 (shāo é) |
Crisp and juicy | Guangzhou | |
Chicken (鸡, jī)
Kung Pao chicken is one of the most famous Chinese dishes around the world. Of course it is not the only way to cook chicken in China. Check which one interest you in the list below.
| English | Chinese | Flavor | Original Area | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kung Pao Chicken | 宫保鸡丁 (gōng bǎo jī dīng) |
Spicy with little sugar | Chengdu | |
| Spicy Deep-fried Chicken | 辣子鸡 (là zǐ jī) |
Very spicy | Chongqing | |
| Xinjiang Big Plate Chicken | 新疆大盘鸡 (xīn jiāng dà pán jī) |
Not very spicy but salty | Xinjiang | |
| Beggar's Chicken | 叫花鸡 (jiào huā jī) |
Crisp and soft | Changshu | |
| White cut chicken | 白切鸡 (bái qiē jī) |
Delicious and fragrant | Guangzhou | |
Pork (猪肉, zhū ròu)
Pork is one of the most common ingredients in a Chinese ordinary family feast. There are dozens of cooking ways to cook pork. We only pick 8 of them just as typical.
| English | Chinese | Flavor | Original Area | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs | 糖醋排骨 (táng cù pái gǔ) |
Sweet and sour | Hangzhou | |
| Fried Pork in Scoop | 锅包肉 (guō bāo ròu) |
Sweet, sour, crisp | Northern China | |
| Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple | 菠萝咕咾肉 (bō luó gū lǎo ròu) |
Sweet and sour | Guangzhou | |
| Pork with Salted Vegetable | 梅菜扣肉 (méi cài kòu ròu) |
Fat and salty but not greasy | Hakka | |
| Braised Pork Belly | 红烧肉 (hóng shāo ròu) |
Fat but not greasy | All over China | |
| Chinese barbecued pork | 叉烧 (chā shāo) |
Fat and appetizing but not greasy | Guangzhou | |
| Dumpling | 饺子 (jiǎo zi) |
Pork stuffing and vegetables in the crust | Northern China | |
| Twice-cooked pork slices | 回锅肉 (huí guō ròu) |
Spicy but appetizing | Chengdu | |
Beef (牛肉, niú ròu)
Not like pork and chicken, ways to cook beef is not that many. The most common dish with pork is Poached Sliced Beef in Hot Chili Oil.
| English | Chinese | Flavor | Original Area | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poached Sliced Beef in Hot Chili Oil | 水煮牛肉 (shuǐ zhǔ niú ròu) |
Spicy but appetizing | Chengdu | |
| Stir-fry Beef | 小炒黄牛肉 (xiǎo chǎo huáng niú ròu) |
Spicy but appetizing | Changsha | |
| Stewed Beef Tenderloin Chunks | 红烧牛腩 (hóng shāo niú nán) |
Delicious and soft | Southern China | |
Fish (鱼, yǘ)
Steamed fish is quite usual to see on a Chinese menu. It is one of the most popular dishes for whom like to taste the original flavor of fish.
| English | Chinese | Flavor | Original Area | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steamed Bass | 清蒸鲈鱼 (qīng zhēng lú yǘ) |
Tasty | Southern China | |
| West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce | 西湖醋鱼 (xī hú cù yǘ) |
Sweet and sour | Hangzhou | |
| Chilli Steamed Fish Head | 剁椒鱼头 (duò jiāo yǘ tóu) |
Spicy | Changsha | |
| Boiled Fish with Pickled Cabbage and Chili | 酸菜鱼 (suān cài yǘ) |
Spicy and little sour | Chongqing | |
Noodles (面条, miàn tiáo)
Noodles are widely seen on a Chinese menu, especially in northern China. Each city has its own typical noodles dishes just like a trademark. The list below will tell you how do these different noodles look like and how to read them.
| English | Chinese | Flavor | Original Area | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhajiang Noodles | 炸酱面 (zhá jiàng miàn) |
Noodles with soybean paste | Beijing | |
| Lanzhou Stretched Noodles | 兰州拉面 (lán zhōu lā miàn) |
Stretched noodles with beef soup or mutton soup | Lanzhou | |
| Sliced Noodles | 刀削面 (dāo xiāo miàn) |
Thick noodles with beef soup | Datong | |
| Youpo Noodles | 油泼面 (yóu pō miàn) |
Broad noodles with chilli powder and hot oil | Xi'an | |
| Hot Dry Noodles | 热干面 (rè gān miàn) |
Noodles with chilli sauce | Wuhan | |
| Wonton noodles | 馄饨面 (hún tūn miàn) |
Thin noodles with wonton | Guangzhou | |
| Dandan noodles | 担担面 (dàn dàn miàn) |
Sichuan noodles with peppery sauce | Chengdu | |
Further reading:
Bullet Train from Beijing to Shanghai: Timetable, Tickets, Prices
China Entry and Travel Restrictions in 2021
Baggage Rules of China Rail
