The gap between what is sold as ‘Chinese food’ in Western countries and what you actually eat in China is enormous. UNESCO recognised Chinese cuisine and tea-making traditions as intangible cultural heritage in 2022. Not better or worse. Different in almost every way. The flavors are more complex. The variety is overwhelming. The dining format is completely different. You do not order individual dishes. You order for the table and share.
This guide tells you what to eat in each major region, how to order it when you cannot read the menu, and what the dining culture rules actually are. For specific topics: ordering without English menus, street food safety, vegetarian guide.
Key Takeaways
- China’s food varies completely by region. Sichuan is spicy. Cantonese is light and fresh. Shandong is hearty and wheat-based.
- Order for the table, not per person. 3 dishes for 2 people, plus rice or noodles. Shared, not individual.
- You cannot read the menu? Point at other tables or say ‘zuì shòu huānyíng’ (most popular). Full guide.
- Vegetarian needs planning. Buddhist temple restaurants are your safest option. Guide here.
- Street food is generally safe if the stall is busy and food is cooked fresh. Safety guide.
- Dining etiquette: pour for others first, do not stick chopsticks upright in rice. Full etiquette guide.
China’s Eight Regional Cuisines
| Cuisine | Region | Defining Flavors | Dishes to Order First |
| Cantonese (粤菜) | Guangdong province | Light, fresh, minimal spice. Preserves natural flavors. | Dim sum, char siu (BBQ pork), steamed fish, won ton noodle soup |
| Sichuan (川菜) | Sichuan province, Chongqing | Spicy and numbing from Sichuan peppercorn (ma la). Bold and oily. | Mapo tofu, kung pao chicken, dan dan noodles, hot pot |
| Shandong (鲁菜) | Shandong province | Salty, savory, uses garlic and onion heavily. More wheat than rice. | Braised sea cucumber, sweet and sour carp, scallion pancake |
| Jiangsu (苏菜) | Jiangsu province | Delicate, slightly sweet, precise knife work. | Lion’s head meatball, Nanjing salted duck, soft-shell crab |
| Fujian (闽菜) | Fujian province | Light, seafood-heavy. Oyster dishes, fermented flavors. | Buddha Jumps Over the Wall (佛跳墙), oyster omelette |
| Hunan (湘菜) | Hunan province | Spicy without Sichuan numbing. Smoked and preserved flavors. | Red-braised pork (毛氏红烧肉), steamed fish head with chili |
| Anhui (徽菜) | Anhui province | Uses wild herbs, preserved foods. Earthy. | Stinky mandarin fish, braised bamboo shoots |
| Zhejiang (浙菜) | Zhejiang province | Fresh, lightly seasoned, seafood and vegetables. | Dongpo pork, West Lake vinegar fish, Longjing shrimp |
What to Order: City by City
Beijing
Start with Peking duck. Order at a proper duck restaurant (Siji Minfu or Bianyifang, not Quanjude which is overpriced tourist bait). The skin, wrapped in a thin pancake with hoisin sauce, spring onion, and cucumber, is the point. The meat is secondary. Also: zha jiang mian (Beijing noodles with fermented soybean paste and pork), lamb skewers with cumin. Full guide: Peking Duck Ordering Guide.
Shanghai
Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings). Go to a proper xiaolongbao shop. Jia Jia Tang Bao or Nan Xiang. Bite the corner first. Let the soup cool for 10 seconds. Then eat. Also: sheng jian bao (pan-fried pork buns with a crispy base), hairy crab in October to December.
Chengdu and Sichuan
Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐): soft tofu in a sauce of fermented chili bean paste, Sichuan peppercorn, and minced pork. The numbing sensation from the peppercorn is the point. Dan dan noodles: thin noodles in chili oil with sesame paste and preserved vegetables. Chengdu hot pot: the broth is aggressively spiced. Order it with beef tripe, thinly sliced meat, tofu skin, and lotus root.
Guangzhou and Cantonese cuisine
Dim sum for breakfast or brunch. Go between 8:00 and 11:30 AM. Order har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai (pork and shrimp), char siu bao (BBQ pork buns), and cheung fun (rice noodle rolls). Tea is ordered first. Pour for others before yourself. Full dim sum guide: Dim Sum Guide for Travelers.
The Sharing Format
Chinese dining is not a per-person ordering system. At a table of two, you order two or three dishes and they come to the center of the table. Everyone takes from the shared plates. Rice or noodles come separately for each person. At a table of four, order four to six dishes. Trying to order one dish each (the Western model) at a Chinese restaurant will get you strange looks and half the food you should have.
The practical rule: order one fewer dish than the number of people, plus rice for everyone. At a table of two, order two dishes. At a table of four, order three to four dishes. Each dish costs ¥25 to ¥80 at a mid-range restaurant.
Ordering Without Mandarin
Most good local restaurants in China have no English menu and no photos. That is a sign, not a problem. It means they are not targeting tourists. Three strategies that work: First, use Baidu Translate camera mode on your phone to translate the menu in real time. Second, point at dishes on neighboring tables and say ‘wǒ yào nà ge’ (we want that one). Third, ask the server ‘zuì shòu huānyíng de shì shénme?’ (what is most popular). Full ordering process: How to Order Without English Menus.
Food Allergies in China
This is where I need to be honest with you. Managing serious food allergies in China is difficult. Peanuts, sesame, soy, and shellfish appear in many dishes without being flagged on the menu. Peanut oil is used for stir-frying at many local restaurants. Oyster sauce is a standard condiment in vegetable dishes. Kitchen cross-contamination is common.
If you have a mild preference (you dislike peanuts), a verbal request in Chinese will help. If you have a serious allergy, you need a printed card in Chinese specifying exactly what you cannot eat and that it is a medical issue. Show this card at every restaurant. Upscale international restaurants (hotel restaurants, international-brand dining) are best equipped to handle allergen requests. At a busy local restaurant, the kitchen may simply not be set up to guarantee separation.
| Allergy / Avoidance | Chinese Text to Show | Notes |
| Peanut allergy | 我对花生过敏，不能吃任何含花生的食物 | Peanut oil is widely used. Specify oil as well. |
| Sesame allergy | 我对芝麻过敏，不能吃芝麻油或芝麻酱 | Sesame oil and paste are common. |
| Shellfish allergy | 我不能吃任何贝类海鲜 | Oyster sauce is common even in ‘vegetable’ dishes. |
| No pork | 我不吃猪肉 | Useful for Muslim travelers. Lard is common in Northern pastry. |
| Vegetarian (no meat) | 我吃素，不吃肉、鱼、海鲜 | Ask also about broth and lard in cooking. |
| Vegan (no animal products) | 我是纯素，不吃任何动物产品，包括蛋和奶 | Very difficult at local restaurants. Buddhist temple restaurants are safest. |
Street Food
Chinese street food is one of the best things about traveling in China. Jianbing (egg crepes), baozi (steamed buns), chuanr (skewers over charcoal), scallion pancakes, hand-pulled noodles. The rule for safety: busy stalls with high turnover where food is cooked fresh to order. A stall with a queue of workers at 8am that runs out of food by 10am is safe. A stall with food sitting under a lamp all morning is not. Full safety guide: Street Food Safety guide.
Drinking Culture
Tea is the default drink at any Chinese meal. It arrives at the table without being ordered at most local restaurants. Pour for others before yourself. When someone pours tea for you, tap two fingers on the table as a silent thank you.
Beer (Tsingtao, Snow) is cheap and widely available. A bottle at a local restaurant costs ¥6 to ¥15. Baijiu (Chinese grain spirit) is the national drink and varies from smooth to intensely challenging. Moutai is the most prestigious and genuinely good once you adjust. Erguotou is the cheap Beijing version that will test your constitution. When someone proposes a ‘ganbei’ (干杯, cheers/bottoms up) toast, you are expected to drain your glass. It is fine to say you do not drink. It is not fine to pretend to drink and leave your glass full repeatedly.
Paying the Bill
At the end of a meal, say ‘mai dan’ (买单) to the server or catch their eye and mime writing on your palm. In China, one person typically pays for the whole table. With Chinese hosts, they will insist on paying. Offer once, accept gracefully, invite them next time. With peers, splitting (AA制) is increasingly normal among younger urban Chinese. Alipay and WeChat Pay are accepted at almost all restaurants in cities. Foreign credit cards work at international restaurants only. Setup: Alipay guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
For specific food guides: dim sum, noodles, tea culture, breakfast, chopstick etiquette, Peking duck.