What to eat in China: a regional food guide for travellers

There’s no single “Chinese food”: every region has its own cooking, from the fiery dishes of Sichuan to the delicate dim sum of Guangdong. Eating your way across the country is one of the best parts of a trip. Here’s what to try where.

Beijing

Peking duck: crispy roast duck, sliced at the table and wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion and sweet bean sauce. Book ahead at well-known duck restaurants.
Zhajiangmian: thick noodles with a savoury fermented soybean and pork sauce.
Jianbing: a crêpe with egg, crispy cracker, and sauces, the classic street breakfast.
Copper-pot hotpot: thin slices of lamb cooked in a mild broth, a Beijing winter favourite.

See our Beijing itinerary.

Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou

Xiaolongbao: soup dumplings. Bite a small hole, sip the broth, then eat.
Shengjianbao: pan-fried pork buns with crispy bottoms.
Hongshao rou: red-braised pork belly, sweet and rich.
Hairy crab: a seasonal delicacy in October and November.
In Hangzhou: Dongpo pork, West Lake vinegar fish, and Longjing shrimp cooked with tea leaves.

See our guides to Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou.

Xi’an

Xi’an’s food reflects its Silk Road history and its Muslim Hui community.

Roujiamo: chopped stewed meat in a crisp flatbread, often called the Chinese burger.
Yangrou paomo: lamb soup poured over bread you crumble yourself.
Biangbiang noodles: belt-wide hand-pulled noodles with chilli oil.
Liangpi: cold, chewy rice or wheat noodles in a tangy chilli sauce.

Head to the Muslim Quarter in the evening. See Xi’an in 2 days.

Chengdu and Sichuan

Sichuan food is famous for mala: the combination of chilli heat (la) and the tingling, numbing Sichuan peppercorn (ma).

Hotpot: a bubbling pot of spicy broth for cooking meat, tofu, and vegetables. Order a split pot with a mild side.
Mapo tofu: soft tofu in a spicy, numbing sauce with minced beef.
Kung pao chicken: diced chicken with peanuts and dried chillies.
Dan dan noodles: noodles with chilli oil and minced pork.

See Chengdu in 2 days.

Guangzhou and Cantonese food

Dim sum: small plates with tea, in the morning or at lunch: har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai, and barbecued pork buns.
Char siu: sweet barbecued pork.
Roast goose and wonton noodles.

Yunnan and Guilin

Crossing-the-bridge noodles (Yunnan): rice noodles and raw ingredients that cook in a bowl of very hot broth.
Wild mushrooms (Yunnan): in season in summer. Only eat them in restaurants.
Guilin rice noodles, and beer fish in Yangshuo.

See our Yunnan route and Guilin and Yangshuo.

How to order

Picture menus and QR codes: many restaurants have photo menus, or you order by scanning a QR code on the table with WeChat or Alipay. Use your translation app’s camera on a Chinese menu. See apps you need.
Dishes are for sharing: order one dish per person, plus rice, and share them all.
Spice levels: bu la (不辣) means not spicy; wei la (微辣) means mildly spicy. Even “mild” in Sichuan can be hot.
Vegetarian: say wǒ chī sù (我吃素), “I eat vegetarian”. Buddhist temple restaurants are fully vegetarian. Many vegetable dishes are cooked with meat stock, so ask.
Allergies: carry a card in Chinese listing what you can’t eat.
No tipping, and don’t drink the tap water: bottled water is cheap everywhere.

Food tours

A guided evening food tour is the easiest way to try a lot of dishes safely, especially in Xi’an, Chengdu, and Beijing. Book one on Klook or GetYourGuide.