top of page
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Top 10 Must Try Foods in China for Food Lovers

  • Writer: Naina Datt
    Naina Datt
  • Mar 25
  • 4 min read

Foods in China

China is a food lover’s paradise of flavor, texture, aroma, and flavor variety in a nation rich in culinary heritage. The country has a variety of cuisine that suits whoever loves spicy, sweet, and sour or something else. Having a China Visa, you can explore gastronomic delights to eating up authentic flavors from bustling abounding street markets and traditional kitchens of China.


Whether a tried and true favorite of the legendary Peking duck, or comforting warmth from a steaming hot pot, every dish can relate the history and tradition of the country. Chinese cuisine is a balance of taste, freshness and presentation. Whatever your preference is, crispy roasted means, delicate dumpling, and bold and spicy flavours, these ten dishes will make you enjoy a full flavoured journey into the very heart of China.

 

Here are the Top 10 Must Try Foods in China for Food Lovers

 

1. Peking Duck

Peking duck is Beijing’s famous dish with crispy golden skin and tender, juicy meat. The duck is perfectly roasted, served with thin pancakes, scallions, cucumber and a rich hoisin sauce. It is a culinary masterpiece due to the combination of flavors and textures. Peking duck is traditionally carved tableside and is a must try delicacy for visitors in China.

 

2. Xiaolongbao

A specialty from Shanghai that delights lovers of food is Xiaolongbao or soup dumplings, which came with such delicate, paper thin wrappers and rich, flavorful broth inside. The dumplings are made with care, steamed to perfection and usually filled with pork and a savory broth. Xiaolongbao is a delicious, yet interactive meal, because the proper way to eat is to bite a small hole in the wrapper, sip the warm soup, and then enjoy the dumpling.

 

3. Hot Pot

Hot Pot is a dish, but it’s also a communal dining experience enjoyed all over China, but especially in Sichuan and Chongqing. In the center of the table is a simmering pot of broth in which diners cook thinly sliced meats, fresh vegetables, seafood and tofu. The flavor of the broth is mild and herbal to fiery and numbing. Combined with it being such an interactive game with customizable flavors, Hot Pot has become a favorite among locals as well the tourists.

 

4. Dim Sum

Guangdong is the place of origin of Dim Sum, a collection of bite sized delights served with tea in a social dining setting. There is a variety of dumplings, fluffy buns, rice rolls and crispy spring rolls. Some popular choices of the dumplings are Har Gow (shrimp dumplings) and Char Siu Bao (BBQ Pork Buns). Bamboo steamers are used to serve Dim Sum and the teahouses are lively places to enjoy the experience.

 

5. Mapo Tofu

Mapo Tofu is a spicy and numbing Sichuan cuisine dish. The rich, fiery sauce is made of chili paste, minced meat, fermented black beans, and Sichuan peppercorns, and soft tofu is cooked in it. It is a dish that brings a combination of heat and a peculiar tingling sensation in the mouth, Sichuan food’s trademark. The Mapo Tofu is usually eaten with steamed rice, so it’s a comforting but fiery meal for spice lovers.

 

6. Jianbing

Jianbing is one of China’s most popular street foods, and is often eaten for breakfast. This is a wheat and mung bean flour crepe cooked on a griddle. It is filled with eggs, scallions, crispy wonton and a flavorful sauce, folded into a handheld delight. Thanks to its crispy yet soft texture and umami rich taste, jianbing is widely loved as an instant breakfast and a delicious meal option.

 

7. Kung Pao Chicken

Sichuan’s Kung Pao Chicken is a well-loved dish of sweet, spicy and tangy flavors. It consists of diced chicken stir fried with peanuts, dried chili peppers, and a wonderful sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. The dish is perfectly crunchy peanuts, tender chicken, spicy. The addictive taste and satisfying texture of this dish has made it one of the most internationally recognized Chinese dishes.

 

8. Lanzhou Hand-Pulled Noodles

Gansu province specialty Lanzhou Hand-Pulled Noodles, also called Lamian. The dough is skilfully stretched and pulled until it becomes thin strands of chewy noodles. This dish is a staple in Lanzhou served in a fragrant beef broth with sliced beef, radish and fresh herbs. The real time watching of chefs hand pull noodles in addition to this comforting and satisfying meal makes it even more pleasurable.

 

9. Chao Fan (Chinese Fried Rice)

Chinese fried rice, or Chao Fan, as it is referred to by the Chinese, is simply a plain but delicious dish that is prevalent throughout China. Stir fried rice with eggs, vegetables and various proteins like chicken, shrimp or pork. Soy sauce and aromatic spices give the dish a savory and satisfying meal. It is a highly versatile dish, each region has its own version and it is comforting and delicious for any time of day.

 

10. Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet and Sour Pork is a Cantonese dish whose crispy pork is coated in a glossy, tangy sweet sauce. Deep frying battered pork pieces and then tossing them in a sauce consisting of vinegar, sugar, ketchup and soy sauce is the way the dish is prepared. Bell peppers and pineapples are often paired with it for flavor. It is still a popular choice among food lovers all around the world because of its perfect balance of crunchiness and bold taste.

 

Conclusion

To explore China’s fascinating culinary landscape is an encounter full of exciting tastes, different textures, and learned cooking techniques. Peking Duck is as crispy good, as are Lanzhou Hand Pulled Noodles, as they are warm comforts, and every dish represents each one a piece of China’s colourful of food. Chinese cuisine never fails to impress whether you are dining in a high end restaurant or eating street food.


If you are keen to taste these authentic flavors yourself, the first step is to apply for a China Visa from India. And in Hong Kong, dim sum, in Sichuan, a hot pot, China’s deep, diverse dishes will stay with you. Therefore, pack your bags and prepare for delicious China.

Comments


bottom of page