Traditional Chinese food is an essential component of Chinese culture. It comprises cuisines from all around China and cuisines from Overseas Chinese who have settled in other countries.
Chinese food has affected many different Asian cuisines, with adjustments made to cater to local palates due to the country’s Chinese diaspora and historical power.
You’re undoubtedly aware that the Chinese food served at your favorite takeout joint isn’t Chinese. It’s greatly influenced by American culture (though, we admit, tasty in its own way).
Because China is the world’s most populous country, it boasts a diverse range of real food that varies greatly from region to region.
The 21 most popular dishes among foreigners and Chinese are listed below. In China, these meals are found in the most prominent restaurants.
1. Yangchow Fried rice
It is one of the traditional Chinese food, also know as Yangchow chaofan. If you visit Yangzhou, you must try this traditional fried rice.
Because chefs in this city make the best-fried rice, Yangchow fried rice has distinguished itself among the dozens of types of fried rice available in China and earned its name.
In addition, Peeled shrimp, sliced ham, carrot, mushroom, baby bamboo shoots, crumbled egg, and corn are all classic, flavorful ingredients in Yangchow fried rice.
When all of the ingredients have cooked and released their aroma, they are stir-fried with rice until golden yellow.
2. Hotpot
A hot pot is a cooking method in which raw ingredients are cooked tableside in a large pot of simmering broth. It’s less of a dish and more of an experience.
However, It’s also supposed to be a social gathering where everyone sits at the same table and cooks their food in the same pot.
Additionally, The broth, in which all the meat slices and veggies are cooked, is the key to determining if a hotpot is delicious or not.
Usually, you get to choose the flavor of your broth, such as mushroom, tomato, original, or spicy.
However, the flavor will vary depending on the sauce you use to accompany the meat. There are hundreds of varieties: one of the most popular is peanut butter with smashed garlic and chopped nuts.
3. Wonton soup
Since the Tang Dynasty, wontons have been a traditional food for people to eat on the winter solstice. A wonton’s most versatile shape is a right triangle, which is similar to Italian tortellini.
Wontons are usually boiled and served in soup, although they can also be deep-fried. Wontons can be filled with minced pork or diced shrimp.
However, Wontons are one of the most traditional Chinese dumplings. The wontons are created with a thin, square dumpling wrapper and can be filled with shrimp, pork, fish, or a combination of the three, depending on the location.
The broth is a hearty mix of pork, chicken, Chinese ham, and aromatics, with cabbage and noodles, which are thrown in for good measure.
4. Ma Po Tofu
It has a history of more than 100 years, is one of the most famous dishes in Chuan Cuisine. You may have heard of mapo tofu or perhaps tasted it.
Still, Westernized versions of the Sichuanese tofu-beef-fermented-bean-paste meal are typically less hot than the authentic form, packed with chile oil and Sichuan peppercorns.
In addition, Ma refers to a fiery and hot flavor that comes from pepper powder, a common condiment in Chuan cuisine.
However, Brownish red ground beef and minced green onion are added to the milky Tofu.
It’s a delicious delicacy. Additionally, the name Ma Po Tofu means “pockmarked old woman’s bean curd.”
5. Chinese Noodles
Chinese noodles are one of the oldest traditional Chinese food. About 4,000 years ago, Chinese people began eating noodles.
Although Noodles are a staple cuisine in northern China, they are more commonly consumed as a snack in the south.
Whatever the case may be, noodles remain an essential part of China’s everyday diet. It comes in a variety of shapes, thicknesses, and lengths, as well as side ingredients and seasonings.
Additionally, Lanzhou Hand-Pulled Beef Noodles, Beijing Noodles with Minced Pork, Sichuan Dandan Noodles, Chongqing Spicy Noodles, Shanxi Sliced Noodles, Cantonese Wonton Noodles are some varieties of Chinese noodles.
6. Shrimps with Vermicelli and Garlic
It is a traditional Chinese food that has become popular among foreigners and the younger generation in China in recent years.
In addition, The aromas of everything are brought out in this steamed meal. The flavor of strong garlic combined with a seafood sauce complements the freshness of juicy shrimp.
The vermicelli at the bottom absorbs every drop of delicious liquid that runs down. The secret to this delicacy is a bit of Chinese yellow wine to capture the aroma and emphasize the flavor.
7. Kung Pao Chicken
This is arguably the most well-known Chinese chicken dish outside of China. It’s also an authentic and traditional Chinese food that may be found at a variety of restaurants.
The spicy stir-fried chicken dish originates from the Sichuan province of southwestern China.
However, While you’ve certainly tried the Westernized version, the authentic Sichuan peppercorn version is fragrant, spicy, and a little bit mouth-numbing.
Furthermore, Western countries have developed a Western-style gong bao chicken, consisting of diced chicken covered in cornstarch, veggies, sweet and sour sauce, and mashed garlic.
8. Congee
Congee, or rice porridge, is a filling and simple-to-digest dish (particularly for breakfast). Congees vary by region: some are thick, while others are thin, and some are made with grains other than rice.
In addition, Meat, Tofu, veggies, ginger, boiled eggs, soy sauce, or mung beans and sugar can be used to make it savory or sweet.
Congee is also considered food therapy for when you’re unwell because it’s so comforting.
9. Tofu (Bean Curd)
Tofu, also known as bean curd, is a traditional bean food composed primarily of soybeans, black beans, or other high-protein beans.
It is thought to have been originated by Liu An around 164 BC during the Western Han Dynasty.
Additionally, Tofu is in China and Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and other adjacent nations. Tofu has become a famous cuisine.
Some ways of preparing Tofu include Ma Po Tofu, Home-style Tofu, Vegetable and Tofu Soup, Stinky Tofu, Tofu with Crab Roe.
10. Rice cake
Rice Cake, also known as New Year Cake, is a traditional Chinese food or delicacy served with a hope for a better new year on Chinese New Year.
It’s a glutinous rice flour cake that’s been steamed. However, It might be red, yellow, or white. People frequently carve them into fortunate shapes like coins, treasures, and even lucky animals.
They can be fried, boiled, deep-fried, or boiled in seasoned soup, among other options.
11. Sichuan Pork
Sichuan dish is a well-known traditional Chinese food. Rather than stir-frying or deep-frying pork, which uses a lot of oil and may quickly overcook, it is boiled in water with an egg-white and starch coating to keep it fresh and delicate.
Additionally, The meaty broth has a peppery and spicy flavor that is distinctive of Sichuan cuisine.
When eating, you’ll notice that each piece of beef is dripping with fluids and has a fresh, spicy aroma.
12. Moon cake
Moon Cake is a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival dish in China. It’s spherical, which represents a family gathering. The Mid-Autumn Festival, it is also a sacrificial offering to the Moon God.
However, Moon Cake was a regal delicacy during the Tang and Song Dynasties, although it was eventually made available to the general public.
Moon Cake had been famous during the Ming Dynasty’s Mid-Autumn Festival. Skills increased during the Qing Dynasty, and the Moon Cake evolved into a variety of styles.
In addition, Moon Cake was a regal delicacy during the Tang and Song Dynasties, although it was eventually made available to the general public.
Moon Cake had been famous during the Ming Dynasty’s Mid-Autumn Festival. Skills increased during the Qing Dynasty, and the Moon Cake evolved into a variety of styles.
13. Dumplings
Dumplings are a prominent traditional meal in North China, with a history dating back over 1,800 years. Additionally, Minced Meat and chopped vegetables are enclosed in a thin pastry shell.
Minced pork, chopped shrimp, ground chicken, beef, and veggies are all popular fillings.
They can be prepared in a variety of ways, including boiling, steaming, and frying. Dumplings are a classic Chinese New Year’s Eve dish and winter Solstice.
14. Steamed Vermicelli Rolls
Steamed vermicelli rolls are an absolute must-order for any street food dinner!
They are a delicacy for many people’s breakfasts in China’s middle-class restaurants, as well as an expert choice in Guangzhou teahouses, morning tea restaurants, and street food night bazaars.
Nevertheless, Various fillings are rolled into white rice starch sheets. Beef/pork, shrimp, and even oysters are popular options, along with mushroom, egg, lettuce, and watercress.
The rolls are steamed until all of the flavors are combined, then topped with cooked peanut oil, raw soy sauce, chili sauce, or sesame paste, depending on personal preference.
15. Glutinous Rice Balls
Glutinous Rice Balls are traditional Chinese food as well as a Lantern Holiday and Winter Solstice festival snack. They’re filled with sticky rice flour and formed like balls.
In addition, Glutinous Rice Balls date back to the Song Dynasty in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. The filling comprised black sesame seeds, white sugar, and fat at the time.
Additionally, The fillings come in various flavors, including black sesame, rose, walnut kernel, date paste, pumpkin, fruits, pork, and chicken, among others.
They’re frequently boiled and served with a mild soup; for extra flavor, rice, wine, and white sugar are sometimes added.
16. Stinky Tofu
Stinky Tofu is fermented Tofu with a strong stench (and it’s thought that the stronger it smells, the better it tastes). Before fermenting for several months.
Tofu is brined in a mixture of fermented milk, vegetables, meat, and aromatics.
In addition, It’s similar to cheese. It can be eaten chilled, steaming, stewed, or deep-fried with chile and soy sauces on the side, depending on the location.
17. Rou Jia Mo (Chinese Hamburger)
A pita-like sandwich stuffed with tender braised pork isn’t quite what we’d call a hamburger, but it’s excellent all the same.
The street food comes from Shaanxi in northwest China, and the meat contains more than 20 spices and seasonings. It dates back to the Qin dynasty.
18. Steamed Stuffed Bun
Steamed stuffed buns are a traditional Chinese dish consisting of a flour dough wrapper with filling.
It is said that Zhuge Liang, an accomplished politician and military strategist of the Three Kingdoms Period, devised it for sacrifices to deceased warriors in combat.
Initially, the stuffing consisted of minced beef and mutton. Stuffings became more diverse as time went on.
Additionally, Pork, beef, pickled Chinese cabbage, vermicelli, mushrooms, bean paste, eggplant, cabbage, Chinese chives, fried eggs, Tofu, and other ingredients can now be used as stuffing.
Small Steamed Buns, Soup Infilled Buns, and Pan-Fried Buns are among the more diverse buns available.
19. Perk Roasted Duck
It is a well-known Beijing dish that has gained international acclaim and is considered traditional Chinese food.
However, The thin, crispy skin of Peking duck is valued. Peking duck slices are frequently served with pancakes, sweet bean sauce, or soy sauce with crushed garlic.
In Beijing, it is a must-try meal.
20. Zhajiangmian
Shandong province’s “fried sauce noodles” are made with chewy, thick wheat noodles (called cumian) and topped with zhajiang sauce.
In addition, a hearty stew made with ground pork and fermented soybean paste (or another sauce, depending on where you are in China).
It’s available everywhere in the country, from street vendors to fine dining establishments.
21. Sweet and sour pork
It has a vibrant orange-red color and a sweet and tangy flavor. There was only sweet and sour pork at first, but some changes were made to the meal to suit demand.
Meanwhile, Other components such as chicken, beef, or pork ribs can be used in place of the pork.
When you visit China or a Chinese restaurant, make sure you try one or more of these Traditional Chinese foods.
You are sure to have a wonderful experience, and your taste buds will be grateful to you if you try these foods.
