China’s regional cuisines
A world of flavor

Numbing heat, savory freshness and fragrance, with a different flavor in every dish. Hot pot, twice-cooked pork and mapo tofu exemplify its skill in layering Sichuan peppercorns and chilies.

Signature dishes: Mapo Tofu, Twice-Cooked Pork, Kung Pao Chicken, Husband-and-Wife Beef Slices, Sichuan Poached Beef

Aromatic heat and tender freshness, with a varied range of flavors. Chopped-chili fish head and stir-fried pork exemplify Hunan’s heat: unlike Sichuan’s numbing spice, it is driven by fresh and fragrant chilies.

Signature dishes: Fish Head with Chopped Chilies, Stir-Fried Pork with Chilies, Changsha Spicy Crayfish, Steamed Assorted Cured Meats, Mao-Style Red-Braised Pork

Dine in Guangzhou; find chefs in Fengcheng. Cantonese cooking seeks freshness through clarity and beauty through lightness. Its dim sum culture is famous worldwide, and morning tea is the day’s grandest ritual.

Signature dishes: White-Cut Chicken, Honey-Glazed Char Siu, Har Gow Shrimp Dumplings, Cantonese Roast Goose, Clay-Pot Rice

The grace of Jiangnan, expressed through meticulous and elegant cooking. Freshwater fish and shellfish feature prominently, with close attention to knife skills and presentation. Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish and crab soup dumplings are calling cards of Jiangsu cuisine.

Signature dishes: Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish, Crab Soup Dumplings, Simmered Shredded Dried Tofu, Clear-Stewed Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab, Beggar’s Chicken

Light and elegant, fresh and tender. West Lake fish in vinegar sauce, Dongpo pork and Longjing shrimp turn Jiangnan’s graceful landscape into poetry on the palate through Hangzhou cooking.

Signature dishes: West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce, Dongpo Pork, Longjing Shrimp, Sister Song’s Fish Soup, Beggar’s Young Chicken

Fresh, fragrant and light, with a mastery of stock. Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is the jewel in Fujian cuisine’s crown, while shacha noodles and oyster omelets embody the street-food soul of southern Fujian.

Signature dishes: Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Lychee-Shaped Pork, Shacha Noodles, Oyster Omelet, Sea-Worm Jelly

Foremost among the eight cuisines and a source of imperial cooking. Savory freshness leads, supported by precise heat control and knife skills. Scallion braising, ba-style braising and flash-frying are signature strengths.

Signature dishes: Sea Cucumber Braised with Scallions, Nine-Turn Braised Pork Intestines, Sweet-and-Sour Carp, Dezhou Braised Chicken, Flash-Fried Double Crisp

Rich cooking, deep color and mastery of heat. Ham, fermented mandarin fish and hairy tofu showcase Anhui’s skill in curing and fermentation, in a cuisine deeply rooted in rural life.

Signature dishes: Fermented Mandarin Fish, Hairy Tofu, Soft-Shell Turtle Stewed with Ham, Huizhou Yipin Pot, Li Hongzhang Hotchpotch