Food is one of the best reasons to visit China, and one of the most misunderstood. What arrives on the table in Chengdu looks nothing like the food in Guangzhou or Xi'an, because China is really a dozen regional cuisines under one name. This guide covers what to eat in China on a first trip, the dishes worth seeking out, and how to eat well whatever your diet. For the whole picture, see our China travel guide.
The regional cuisines, quickly
Knowing the four big traditions tells you what to expect before you even sit down.
| Cuisine | Where | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Sichuan | Chengdu, Chongqing | Numbing peppercorn, chilli oil, bold and hot |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou, the south | Mild, fresh, steamed, dim sum and seafood |
| Northern | Beijing, Xi'an | Wheat, dumplings, noodles, lamb, roast duck |
| Eastern | Shanghai, Hangzhou | Slightly sweet, soy braised, delicate |
The dishes to try first
- Peking duck. Crisp roast duck carved and rolled into thin pancakes with scallion and sauce. A Beijing institution.
- Dumplings. Jiaozi boiled or fried, and Shanghai's soup filled xiaolongbao, eaten with care so the broth does not escape.
- Hotpot. A simmering pot at your table, spicy in Sichuan or mild elsewhere, where you cook meat and vegetables yourself. The social meal of the country.
- Hand pulled noodles. Lanzhou beef noodles are the national comfort food, cheap, halal and everywhere.
- Dim sum. The Cantonese small plate breakfast of dumplings, buns and rolls, best over tea in the morning.
- Mapo tofu. Soft tofu in a numbing, spicy Sichuan sauce, far better in Chengdu than anywhere abroad.
Street food and snacks
Some of the best eating in China happens standing up. Xi'an's Muslim Quarter is the classic introduction, with roujiamo, the Chinese hamburger, and lamb skewers cooked over coals. Night markets across the country add jianbing breakfast crepes, stinky tofu for the brave, candied hawthorn skewers and grilled everything. If the more unusual plates make you nervous, our honest guide to weird Chinese food explains what each one really tastes like.
Eating as a vegetarian or halal traveller
Both are doable with a little preparation. Vegetarians should carry a card that says no meat, no fish and no meat stock in Chinese, since a dish described as vegetable is often cooked in lard or chicken stock. Buddhist vegetarian restaurants, common near temples, serve fully meat free menus. Halal food is genuinely easy: look for the qingzhen sign or Arabic script, and Lanzhou beef noodle shops are halal and in every city.
Drinks and table manners
Tea is the default drink, from bamboo leaf green in Chengdu teahouses to jasmine and pu'er. Beer is light and cheap, and baijiu, the fierce grain spirit, appears at celebrations. A few table habits smooth things along: do not stick chopsticks upright in rice, expect shared dishes in the middle rather than individual plates, and tipping is not part of the culture.
How to order without Mandarin
Most local restaurants have no English menu, so use the camera translation feature on a translation app, or point at what other tables are eating. Picture menus are common in tourist areas. Learn the words for beef, chicken, pork, spicy and not spicy, and you can navigate almost anything.
If planning all this yourself feels like a lot, a packaged China tour package bundles hotels, transfers and day tours into one booking.
Frequently asked questions
What food must you try in China?
Peking duck in Beijing, real Sichuan hotpot in Chengdu, soup dumplings in Shanghai, and a bowl of Lanzhou hand pulled noodles anywhere. Those four cover the range from refined to street level.
Is Chinese food in China very different from abroad?
Yes, completely. It is more regional, less sweet, and far more varied. Dishes you know from takeaways abroad often do not exist in China, and the local versions are usually better.
Can vegetarians eat well in China?
Yes, with clear communication. Carry a translation card stating no meat and no meat stock, and seek out Buddhist vegetarian restaurants for the easiest fully meat free meals.
More China travel guides
- China Travel Guide: Visas, Cities, Costs and How to Plan a First Trip
- Weird Chinese Food: What It Really Is and Whether to Try It
- Things to Do in China: 15 Experiences Worth Your Time
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