China Best Foods

The 15 Most Popular Chinese Dishes, Tasty Chinese
Food
Find out what Chinese dishes to try in China (customer favorites): sweet and sour pork,
kung pao chicken, fried noodles... See expert intros with pictures.
With a long history, unique features, numerous styles and exquisite cooking, Chinese
cuisine is one important constituent part of Chinese culture. Chinese traditional dishes are
famous for color, aroma, taste, meaning and appearance.
The following are the 15 most popular dishes among foreigners and Chinese. These
dishes are available in most large restaurants in China. For convenience ordering, we also
give their Chinese names.
No.1 Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet and sour pork (糖醋里脊 tángcù lǐjǐ) has a bright orange-red color, and a delicious
sweet and sour taste.
At the very beginning there was only sweet and sour pork, but to meet demands, there have
been some developments on this dish. Now, the pork can be substituted by other
ingredients like chicken, beef or pork ribs. See How to Cook Sweet and Sour Pork.
No.2 Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁 gōngbào jīdīng) is a famous Sichuan-style specialty, popular
with both Chinese and foreigners. The major ingredients are diced chicken, dried chili, and
fried peanuts.
People in Western countries have created a Western-style gong bao chicken, for which the
diced chicken is covered with cornstarch, and vegetables, sweet and sour sauce and
mashed garlic are added. See How to Cook Kung Pao Chicken.
No.3 Ma Po Tofu
Ma po tofu (麻婆豆腐 mápó dòufǔ) is one of the most famous dishes in Chuan Cuisine with
a history of more than 100 years. Ma (麻) describes a spicy and hot taste which comes from
pepper powder, one kind of condiment usually used in Chuan Cuisine.
The milky tofu is enriched with brownish red ground beef and chopped green onion. It is
really a tasty delicacy. See recipes for mapo tofu.
No.4 Wontons
Wontons (馄饨 húntun) have been a customary food for people to eat on the winter solstice
since the Tang Dynasty (618–907).
The most versatile shape of a wonton is simple a right triangle, similar to Italian tortellini.
Wontons are commonly boiled and served in soup or sometimes deep-fried. The filling of
wontons can be minced pork or diced shrimp.
No.5 Dumplings
Dumplings (饺子 jiǎozi) consist of minced meat and chopped vegetables wrapped in a thin
dough skin. With a long history of more than 1,800 years, dumplings are a traditional food
widely popular in North China.
Popular fillings are mince pork, diced shrimp, ground chicken, beef, and vegetables. They
can be cooked by boiling, steaming, or frying. Dumplings are a traditional dish eaten on
Chinese New Year’s Eve. See How to Make Chinese Dumplings.
No.6 Chow Mein

"Chow mein" (炒面 chǎomiàn) is the Cantonese pronunciation of the Chinese characters
above, which means stir-fried noodles. Generally speaking, this stir-fried dish consists of
noodles, meat (usually chicken, beef, shrimp, or pork), onions and celery.
For making chow mein, the noodles need to be cooked in boiling water for a while. After
they becoming cool, then move to the step of stir-frying. See How to Cook Chow Mein.
No.7 Peking Roasted Duck

Peking duck (北京烤鸭 Běijīng kǎoyā) is a famous dish from Beijing, enjoying world fame,
and considered as one of China’s national dishes.
Peking duck is savored for its thin and crispy skin. The Sliced Peking duck is often eaten
with pancakes, sweet bean sauce, or soy with mashed garlic. It is a must-taste dish in
Beijing! Read more about Peking Roasted Duck.
No.8 Spring Rolls

Spring rolls (春卷 chūnjuǎn) are a Cantonese dim sum of cylindrical shape. The filling of
spring rolls could be vegetables or meat, and the taste could be either sweet or savory.
After fillings are wrapped in spring roll wrappers, the next step is frying. Then the spring rolls
are given their golden yellow color.
It is a dish especially popular in Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Fujian, Guangzhou, Shenzhen,

Hong Kong, etc. Read more about Spring Rolls.
No. 9 Yangchow Fried Rice

Yangchow fried rice (扬州炒饭 Yángzhōu chǎofàn) is a classic fried rice you have to try if
you travel to Yangzhou. It is in this city that chefs do fried rice the best, and so Yangchow
fried rice has distinguished itself from thousands of types of fried rice in China and has
gained its own name.
The standard flavorsome ingredients of Yangchow fried rice are peeled shrimp, diced ham,
carrot, mushroom, baby bamboo shoots, crumbled egg, and corn. When all the ingredients
have been cooked and their aroma has been brought out, they are stir-fried with rice till it
becomes golden yellow.
No. 10 Poached Spicy Slices of Pork

Poached spicy slices of pork (水煮肉片 shuǐzhǔ ròupiàn) is a famous Sichuan cuisine dish.
Rather than cooking pork by stir-frying or deep-frying, which consumes lots of oil and can
very easily overcook the pork, it is boiled in water with a coating made from egg-white and
starch to preserve its freshness and tenderness.
The meaty broth is typical Sichuan cuisine, featuring a peppery and spicy taste. When
eating, you’ll find each piece of meat contains abundant juices with a fresh and fragrant
spicy aroma.
No. 11 Steamed Vermicelli Rolls

Steamed vermicelli rolls (肠粉 chángfěn) are definitely one of the must-orders of any dim
sum meal! They are not only an expert choice in Guangzhou teahouses, morning tea
restaurants, and street food night bazaars, but also a delicacy for many people's breakfasts
in the rest of China’s middle-class restaurants.
White sheets of rice starch are rolled with various fillings. Some popular choices are
beef/pork, shrimp, even oyster, with mushroom, egg, lettuce, watercress etc. The rolls are
steamed till all flavors blender together and then sprinkled with cooked peanut oil, raw soy
sauce, chili sauce, or sesame paste depending on individual preferences.
No. 12 Hotpot
Hotpot (火锅 huǒguō) is a “dish” to tell apart real Chinese food lovers. If you really
appreciate hotpot rather than just ordering fired rice, chow mein, and dim sum all the time,
you are truly a Chinese cuisine fan!
The secret of whether a hotpot is good or not lies in the broth, in which all the meat slices
and vegetables are cooked. Normally you get to choose your own broth flavor, such as
mushroom, tomato, original, or spicy. But still, the flavor can be different according to the
sauce you choose to go with the meat. There are hundreds of kinds: a classic one is peanut
butter with smashed garlic and chopped onion dressed with sesame oil.
No. 13 Fried Shrimp with Cashew Nuts

Fried shrimp with cashew nuts (腰果虾仁 yāoguǒ xiārén) is another popular dish among
foreigners in China. Its name explains everything. You get the tenderness of peeled shrimps
and the crispiness of cashew nuts. The shrimp is always tender and juicy and easy to deal
with. If you are traveling with kids, this is both a nutritional and smart choice!
No. 14 Shrimp with Vermicelli and Garlic

Shrimp with vermicelli and garlic (蒜蓉粉丝蒸虾 suànróng fěnsī zhēng xiā) is a dish not only
favored by foreigners but also the Chinese younger generation in recent years as well.
This steamed dish brings out the aroma of everything it has. The heavy garlic with a seafood
sauce flavor blends with the freshness of juicy shrimp. The vermicelli at the bottom absorbs
every single drip of tasty juice running down. Some Chinese yellow wine to capture the
aroma and highlight the flavor is the secret to this delicacy.
No. 15 Braised Pork Balls in Gravy

Braised pork balls in gravy (四喜丸子 sì xǐ wánzi) are also known as “Chinese meatballs”
(many of our clients call them this). If you like meatballs and spaghetti, you’ll probably
appreciate Chinese meatballs as well. The super-smooth and flavory gravy is almost like a
“drug sauce” keeping your taste buds wanting more and more. How many calories does it
have? Trust me, you wouldn’t care at all!

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The 15 Most Popular Chinese Dishes, Tasty Chinese

No.1 Sweet and Sour Pork

sweet and sour taste.

No.2 Kung Pao Chicken

pepper powder, one kind of condiment usually used in Chuan Cuisine.

since the Tang Dynasty (618–907).

No.6 Chow Mein

No.7 Peking Roasted Duck

and considered as one of China’s national dishes.

No.8 Spring Rolls

It is a dish especially popular in Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Fujian, Guangzhou, Shenzhen,

No. 9 Yangchow Fried Rice

No. 10 Poached Spicy Slices of Pork

No. 11 Steamed Vermicelli Rolls

No. 13 Fried Shrimp with Cashew Nuts

No. 14 Shrimp with Vermicelli and Garlic

No. 15 Braised Pork Balls in Gravy

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