14 Traditional Chinese Dishes You Need To Try That Aren’t Sweet And Sour Chicken!

Traditional food in China spans eight great regional cuisines and thousands of dishes, but the ones you absolutely must try are: Beijing Duck (北京烤鸭), Hot Pot (火锅), Dumplings (饺子), Red Braised Pork (红烧肉), Biang Biang Noodles (BIANGBIANG面), Skewers (串儿), Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁), Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐), Sweet and Sour Pork (糖醋猪肉), and Lanzhou Beef Noodles (兰州拉面).

Each represents a different region, flavour profile, and cooking tradition, from the numbing 麻辣 heat of Sichuan to the delicate umami of Cantonese cooking.

One of the best things about living in, or visiting the middle kingdom is the traditional food in China.

Traditional Chinese food is without doubt one of the most exciting and diverse cuisines in the world.

But be aware…

If you think you know your Chinese from your local takeaway back home, think again because it’s like nothing you’ve had before.

It’s possible to write thousands of words and endless blogs relating to traditional food in China so we’ll keep this one short and snappy by picking our favourite traditional foods in China which you MUST try when coming here.

DID YOU KNOW – It’s worth noting that every province and region in China has its own specialities.

Two of the more popular elements of Chinese cuisine are rice and noodles. Noodles are more commonly eaten in the North of China and rice in the South.

Each area will have their own variations of these dishes which is what makes traditional Chinese food so diverse and unique.

China’s Eight Great Cuisines 八大菜系

The Five Key Flavours of Chinese Cuisine

Key Ingredients in Chinese Cooking

Peking Duck / Beijing Duck 北京烤鸭

Hot Pot 火锅

Dumplings 饺子

Hóngshāo ròu 红烧肉

Biang Biang Mian 油泼扯面

Chaun’r 串儿

Kung Pao Chicken 宫保鸡丁

Má pó dòufu 麻婆豆腐

Táng cù zhūròu 糖醋猪肉

Lánzhōu lāmiàn 兰州拉面

Bonus Dish || Fried Rice 炒饭 (Chǎofàn)

Bonus Dish || Chow Mein 炒面 (Chǎomiàn)

Bonus Dish || Dim Sum 点心 (Diǎnxīn)

Bonus Dish || Xiaolongbao 小笼包 (Xiǎolóngbāo)

More For Foodies

Traditional Chinese Food || FAQs

Before getting into our top Chinese dishes, here’s a video of one of our students trying some traditional Chinese cuisine in Chengde, where our Immersion program is held:

China’s Eight Great Cuisines 八大菜系

Before we get into the top Chinese dishes, it helps to know why Chinese food varies so dramatically from city to city.

China officially recognises eight regional culinary traditions, known as the 八大菜系 (bā dà cài xì).

Each one reflects the geography, climate, and history of its home region:

• Cantonese (粤菜, Yuècài): delicate flavours, dim sum, seafood
• Sichuan (川菜, Chuāncài): bold, numbing spice from the famous 花椒 (huājiāo) peppercorn
• Shandong (鲁菜, Lǔcài): China’s oldest recorded cuisine, salty and umami-rich
• Jiangsu (苏菜, Sūcài): refined, lightly sweet, famous for slow-braised dishes
• Zhejiang (浙菜, Zhècài): fresh, light, heavy on seafood and bamboo shoots
• Fujian (闽菜, Mǐncài): known for broth-based dishes and a strong umami character
• Hunan (湘菜, Xiāngcài): fiery and sour, with more dried chilli heat than Sichuan
• Anhui (徽菜, Huīcài): wild herbs and slow-cooked meats, less well-known but deeply traditional

Several of our top dishes below trace back to these regional roots.

Want to go deeper? Read our full guide to the eight great Chinese cuisines.

Chinese Food Culture // The 8 Great Chinese Cuisines

Chinese cuisines have typically been divided into ‘Eight Great Cuisines’ as a means of simplifying this vast and complex tradition.

The Five Key Flavours of Chinese Cuisine

Chinese culinary tradition organises taste into five core profiles. You will encounter all five across the top 10 dishes below:

1. Spicy/Numbing (麻辣, málà): the signature of Sichuan and Chongqing cooking; the 花椒 peppercorn creates a tingling numbness alongside chilli heat
2. Sweet and Sour (糖醋, táng cù): vinegar-and-sugar balance, most famous in 糖醋猪肉 (Sweet and Sour Pork)
3. Savory/Salty (咸鲜, xián xiān): the backbone of northern Chinese cooking, built on soy sauce and fermented pastes
4. Umami (鲜, xiān): the deep, rich savoriness found in slow-braised dishes like 红烧肉 (hóngshāo ròu)
5. Fragrant (香, xiāng): the aromatic quality from garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and wok hei that lifts a dish from good to unforgettable

Think of these as your flavour map.

Once you can identify them at the table, ordering in Mandarin becomes a lot more confident, and delicious.

A Beginners Guide on How to Eat and Order Chinese Hot Pot

Chinese hot pot (火锅 huǒguō) literally means fire-pot. It’s history goes back over 1,000 years. It is one of the most traditional and popular meals in China.

Key Ingredients in Chinese Cooking

If you spend any time eating your way through China, you will notice the same core ingredients appearing again and again.

Knowing them helps you read menus, understand flavours, and even start cooking at home.

• Rice (米, mǐ): the staple of southern China, served steamed alongside almost every meal
• Wheat noodles (面条, miàntiáo): the staple of the north, from hand-pulled lāmiàn to knife-cut dāoxiāomiàn
• Soy sauce (酱油, jiàngyóu): light soy for seasoning, dark soy for colour and depth
• Ginger (姜, jiāng): used fresh in stir-fries, braises, and dipping sauces
• Garlic (大蒜, dàsuàn): foundational in nearly every savory dish
• Spring onion (葱, cōng): used as both a cooking ingredient and a garnish
• Sichuan peppercorn (花椒, huājiāo): creates the famous numbing-spicy 麻辣 (málà) sensation
• Sesame oil (芝麻油, zhīma yóu): added at the end of cooking for fragrance, not heat

TIP💡 Learning the Chinese names for these ingredients is genuinely useful at markets and smaller restaurants that have no English menus. It is also a great early vocabulary win for beginner Mandarin students.

How to Decode a Chinese Menu Like a Pro 🍜 Chinese Menus Explained + The Complete Cheat Sheet

Chinese Menus. How to read them, how to decode them? Not so easy right? Well with our FREE Chinese Menu cheat sheet and tips, you’ll have no problems!

Traditional Food in China #1 – Peking Duck/Beijing Duck 北京烤鸭

Beijing (or Peking) Duck is a dish that is synonymous with the city of Beijing and is a huge hit with foreigners and locals alike.

When you think traditional food in China you think Roast Duck!

Generally many western Chinese takeaways offer Beijing duck with small pancakes on their menus but the quality doesn’t come anywhere near the real thing.

Beijing Duck is so much more than just Duck.

The skin, served with sugar, melts in your mouth.

Flavour profile: rich and savoury from the duck fat, balanced by the sweetness of the plum or sweet bean sauce and the freshness of cucumber and spring onion in the pancake.

The little sides of cucumber, spring onion (alongside various other surprises). The variety of different sauces you can enjoy in your Duck Pancake such as Sweet Bean and Plum flavours.

Every restaurant has their own little variations to this classic dish and you’ll be hard pressed to go wrong.

You can enjoy Beijing Duck on the cheap, or if you want to splash out at a more fancy restaurant, you have the option at the likes of Dadong Duck and Quanjude, two of the more famous Chinese Beijing Duck restaurants.

The latter was actually formed in Beijing way back in 1864!

The more high end options will also give you the experience of enjoying the duck being prepared and served in front of your very eyes, a quite unique experience to whet the appetite.

You are served with a plate (or more if the group is larger) of duck, the duck skin either accompanies the meat or is served on another plate.

Pancakes are brought alongside; the idea is to fill these small sized pancakes with duck and anything else you are served.

Generally cucumber and spring onion are bankers, from there you may enjoy thinly sliced shallots or lettuce for example alongside other treats that enhance the experience.

The great thing is that, despite the name tying the dish to Beijing, Peking Duck restaurants can be found throughout China and it’s generally just as good no matter where you travel. It’s a must try.

Traditional Food in China #2 – Hot Pot 火锅

Ah, glorious hotpot, a perfect winter warmer (especially if you are based in the North of China, but honestly popular throughout the whole year!)

Mainland China, as with Duck, offers a diverse range of hotpots. One of the most popular is Chongqing hotpot (重庆火锅, Chóngqìng huǒguō), rooted in Sichuan cuisine (川菜, Chuāncài) and built entirely around the numbing-spicy 麻辣 (málà) flavour profile.

Further north, Beijing-style hotpot uses a clear broth and thinly sliced lamb as its centrepiece, a completely different experience.

Flavour profile: ranges from fiery 麻辣 (málà) in Chongqing and Sichuan versions to clean, savory, and lamb-forward in northern clear-broth hotpots.

Differences in hotpot generally lie in the sauces and the meats.

Each region or province will have their own favourites.

Hotpot is known to be fairly spicy (although this can of course be avoided), hence why Chongqing and Sichuan tend to lead the way when it comes to hotpot.

If you are coming to China for the first time then you simply must visit Hai Di Lao Huo Guo 海底捞火锅.

The service is quite possibly the most impressive you’ll come across, despite a generally poor grasp on English, they do absolutely everything, and more, to make your experience there the best possible.

USEFUL TIP – Everything is very fast paced there but with good reason. Hai Di Lao gets very busy, very fast so make a reservation if you go there. If you don’t, at peak times your wait could exceed an hour.

You will be handed aprons on arrival to keep that white top of yours clean, and an iPad menu which also has English options.

Staff will always be on hand to recommend.

First you order the soup for your pot. If your group has different taste buds, you can split the pot into two, perhaps one on the spicy side, and one on the more milder side.

After ordering a load of meats and vegetables, you can then go and visit the ‘sauce bar’.

Here you can make a small bowl of absolutely anything.

Flavours include vinegar, BBQ sauce, spicy oils, finely cut herbs and meats, sesames and pastes.

Really, it’s just a case of throwing some things in a bowl and tasting the flavours!

There is also some fruits available (watermelon and orange namely) just in case you went too spicy and need to give your mouth some recovery.

There is one thing in particular we recommend you order and that’s the “dancing noodles” (烩面).

We won’t give too much away, although our picture here might give you an idea what treat lies in store for you.

It’s certainly something you won’t forget.

Food service is rapid and you can spend hours here drinking, eating and socialising with your nearest and dearest.

It’s really so much more than just a food experience, but the food is divine. Traditional food in China at it’s finest.

Traditional Food in China #3 – Dumplings 饺子

Ah Dumplings. Fried, boiled, veggie or meaty… there really is a dumpling for everybody! 

饺子 can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner and are a great meal to share.

Flavour profile: savoury and comforting, with a soft, chewy wrapper and a filling that carries the seasoning; dipping sauces of vinegar, soy, and garlic add sharpness and depth.

Dip them in Soy Sauce or Vinegar with Garlic to enhance the flavour further and you have a recipe for success.

As with many other Chinese staples, there are many variations of dumplings but the great thing is they cater for all tastes.

Dumplings are also great fun to make at home as well.

If you have any Chinese friends, spend a Sunday afternoon preparing and making your own over a few drinks.

The dough of the dumpling can be based on either bread, flour or potatoes.

The filling can vary from almost anything. Different meats, fish, cheese, vegetables or even sweets and fruits.

DID YOU KNOW – Dumplings can be baked, boiled, fried, simmered or steamed, proving their versatility as a dish. Everyone has their own preference. Try a few, and see which one gets you going the most.

There are actually a huge number of variations of dumplings, let’s introduce you to a few below.

Each have their own different attributes and quirks.

• Jiǎozi 饺子 – Crescent-shaped dumplings as shown above. Either boiled or steamed.
• Guōtiē 锅贴 – Fried jiaozi.
• Bāozi 包子 – Large steamed buns.
• Xiǎo lóng bāo 小笼包 – Smooth and translucent steamed buns which are smaller than the aforementioned Baozi.
• Shāomài 烧卖 – Unsealed dumplings. The filling shows through the top.
• Dim Sum (Diǎn xīn 點心) – Cantonese style.

In terms of where to go to get dumplings…

…you are spoilt for choice because you can stumble across them pretty much anywhere.

Look out for the symbols for dumplings – 饺子 at restaurants and in menus.

They will never set you back too much.

In many smaller Chinese eateries you can enjoy dumplings for about a single US Dollar. Not bad for a food experience so very good!

Traditional Food in China #4 – Hóngshāo ròu 红烧肉

This is a little more specific than the above but it’s flavour is so good and popularity is so large we had to include it in our top traditional Chinese foods!

Hong Shao Rou translates to Red Braised Pork Belly.

It’s a famous dish from Shanghai and is hugely popular.

It’s cooked with a combination of ginger, aromatic spices, garlic, chilli peppers, soy sauce, rice wine and sugar.

Flavour profile: deeply umami and slightly sweet, with caramelised sugar, soy, and rice wine building a rich, glossy sauce over meltingly tender pork belly.

Plenty of flavours to tickle the taste buds!

As with many other Chinese dishes there are plenty of variations, however, one that is particularly famous is the Hunanese version…

Why you ask? 

毛氏紅燒肉 Máo shì Hóng Shāo Ròu is commonly regarded as one of Chairman Mao’s favourite dishes.

This dish has a truly gorgeous flavour and can be enjoyed in many Hunan restaurants across China.

Traditional Food in China #5 – Biang Biang Mian 油泼扯面

Now this is an absolute gem we cannot get enough of.

Biang Biang Mian also holds hall of fame status in China because the symbol for Biang is so complex, that most restaurants omit the Chinese character and replace it with the pinyin in their menus.

Let’s introduce you to the symbol before we introduce you to the food itself, and a little bit of useful information.

USEFUL TIP – Actually before we do it’s worth noting that Biang Biang Mian has an alternate name which is a little easier on the eye but maybe doesn’t roll off the tongue as easy as the above – yóu pō chě miàn 油泼扯面.

Either or, they both relate to the same, wonderful dish.

The symbol for Biang is so complex that it cannot be typed on a computer.

It’d just be a mash up characters that is virtually incomprehensible.

So instead, here is a look at the symbol in more detail.

As with all Chinese characters, you’ll see it breaks down into a host of other radicals and symbols that make this one monster of a character!

Now, the sharp eyed ones of you will be able to notice the subtle differences below.

The character is the same, the meaning is the same but one has the cheek to be known as the “simplified” version, the other is the traditional character for Biang.

The traditional character boasts a ridiculous 58 strokes, and the simplified one a mere 43.

Typically the name of the dish includes two of the same character so to simply write the name of the dish you have to manage over 100 strokes!

You can see why restaurants list the dish as BIANG BIANG 面!

COOL BLOG ALERT – want to discover some more stupidly complex Chinese characters, check out the link!

What about Biang Biang Mian itself?

We went off on a tangent there but it’s hard not to when Chinese culture smacks you in the face with something so intriguing!

Ok so the food itself really is so good they named it twice.

It comes from the Xi’an region of China (home to the famous Terracotta Warriors) and is usually served in a big bowl covered with lots of little treats that you are supposed to mix into the noodles.

These treats include egg, meat, tomato, small diced potato and much more.

The noodles are the layer below this and they sit in a little pool of oily sauce.

Flavour profile: savoury, garlicky and lightly spicy, with hot chilli oil poured over the noodles to release a fragrant, wok-scented aroma.

Mix it all together and you get a wonderful mixture of flavours that send your taste buds wild.

You also have the option to spice it up, if you so wish.

It’s very rare you meet a person who doesn’t like this dish and it’s an absolute must try if coming to China – even better, if you are going to be visiting Xi’an.

It’s also worth noting the noodles, they are almost “belt-like”. Thick and long, they tend to catch attention when foreigners first get stuck into this dish.

Traditional Food in China #6 – Chaun’r 串儿

My word the great Chinese food just keeps on coming!

This is a good one…

Chuan is essentially Chinese skewers and they are great at bringing people together.

Locals often enjoy a big load of skewers and a crate of beers.

Coupled together, it’s a match bade in heaven and one of the best traditional Chinese foods (in my humble opinion).

Flavour profile: smoky, salty and cumin-forward, with dried chilli and Sichuan pepper turning up the heat on grilled lamb, chicken, and vegetable skewers.

Can you take a guess from the style of the character what 串 is?

Looks very much like a kebab skewer doesn’t it?

That’s exactly what it is, a skewer. Who said Chinese was hard to learn?

SIX DISHES DOWN – What’s your favourite Chinese dish? Tell us what you think below and drop us a comment ✌️

Traditional Food in China #7 – Kung Pao Chicken 宫保鸡丁

Kung Pao chicken (also transcribed as Gong Bao or Kung Po) is a famous, spicy Sichuan-style specialty dish.

It is very popular among both the Chinese, as well as foreigners.

The main ingredients are diced chicken, dried chilli and fried peanuts.

Flavour profile: spicy, slightly sweet and tangy, with the numbing 麻辣 (málà) kick of Sichuan peppercorns and a crunchy peanut finish.

Since the dish originated in Sichuan province, the original version of the recipe calls for Sichuan peppercorns.

You can find different (less spicy) versions of this dish all over China, but it has also become a staple of Westernized Chinese cuisine.

Out of all the dishes here, this is probably the only one where you’ll be able to get something relatively similar in your Chinese restaurants at home.

See it as the SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN/PORK dish at your local. But better!

Traditional Food in China #8 – Má pó dòufu 麻婆豆腐

Ma Po Tofu is truly one of the most famous dishes of Chinese cuisine.

It also originated in Sichuan province (Sichuan is the place of fine food).

Flavour profile: intensely 麻辣 (málà), with the numbing tingle of Sichuan peppercorn, chilli heat, and a savoury-umami depth from fermented broad bean and black bean pastes.

What does Wikipedia say about this dish?

It states that the dish “consists of tofu set in a spicy sauce, typically a thin, oily, and bright red suspension, based on douban (fermented broadbean and chili paste) and douchi (fermented black beans), along with minced meat, traditionally beef.“

Link here

Variations exist with other ingredients such as water chestnuts, onions and other vegetables.

One account indicates that the dish existed as early as 1862, in a suburb of the sub-provincial city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province.

The character la (麻) signifies this dish is at least a bit spicy and the recipe calls for Sichuan peppercorns and chili oil.

DID YOU KNOW – This popular and comforting Sichuan dish pairs excellently with rice.

This dish is also a vegetarian’s dream! People think living in China as a veggies is really not possible, but it is… and if you don’t believe us check out Hannah and Evelyn’s story in China!

Traditional Food in China #9 – Táng cù zhūròu 糖醋猪肉

More sweet and sour goodness here.

糖醋猪肉 is not too dissimilar from 宫保鸡丁.

This kind of dish has many names throughout China which also include 咕噜肉 Gūlū ròu.

In fact when I lived in Shenyang (in the north-east of China) they have a slightly alternate version of this known as dōngběi guō bāo ròu 东北鍋包肉.

The 东北 meaning north-eastern and the guō bāo ròu being the actual name of the dish.

It was one of the first dishes I fell in love with in China itself.

All around China there are genuinely hundreds of variants so this entry is more a shout-out to that sweet, sour and pork combination!

Flavour profile: a bright balance of sweet and sour from sugar and vinegar, layered with garlic, ginger and scallions and a crisp fried coating on the pork.

All those classic Chinese flavours come into this kind of dish.

Vinegar, garlic, scallions, ginger: super strong and powerful flavours that leave the taste buds on your tongue dancing with glee!

HAVE YOU SEEN OUR FREE CHEAT SHEET – have you seen our amazing Chinese menu cheat-sheet!? We know ordering food in China can feel intimidating when the menu makes no sense so that inspired us to do this…

Traditional Food in China #10 – Lánzhōu lāmiàn 兰州拉面

I hold my hands up, this should be much higher up the list, but hey.

Food is just so good in China!

Lanzhou Beef Noodles is a classic – and one I’ve consumed more times than I can count.

Hailing from, shockingly, Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, this would be the most famous dish from the province.

A big bowl, a meaty broth, handmade noodles, scallions and any other local treats to garnish.

Flavour profile: clean, savoury beef broth with warm aromatic spices, brightened by chilli oil, coriander, and hand-pulled wheat noodles with real bite.

The dish is simple but perfected.

Prepared in front of your eyes in seconds if you visit the local eateries, this is packed full of flavour and leaves you rolling out of the restaurant ready for a nap!

Bonus Dish: Fried Rice 炒饭 (Chǎofàn)

炒饭 (chǎofàn) is one of those dishes that sounds simple right up until you taste a truly great version.

The key is day-old rice: fresh rice is too moist and clumps in the wok. Day-old grains stay separate, soaking up soy sauce, egg, and aromatics without turning soggy. The best versions are finished with spring onion and a splash of sesame oil.

Flavour profile: savoury, lightly smoky, umami-forward.

Yangzhou fried rice (扬州炒饭, Yángzhōu chǎofàn) is probably the most famous regional variety, loaded with prawns, ham, egg, and vegetables, and is widely considered the benchmark.

You will find it on menus across China, which is exactly why knowing how to order it in Mandarin is one of the first useful restaurant phrases our students pick up.

Bonus Dish: Chow Mein 炒面 (Chǎomiàn)

No list of traditional Chinese food is complete without mentioning 炒面 (chǎomiàn), stir-fried noodles.

The name literally means ‘fried noodles’ and that is exactly what you get: wheat noodles tossed in a wok over high heat with vegetables, egg, and your choice of meat or tofu.

The wok hei (镬气, huò qì), that faintly smoky, charred flavour you only get from a screaming-hot wok, is what makes street-side chow mein so memorable.

Flavour profile: savoury, slightly smoky, with a satisfying chew from the noodles.

You will find regional variations across China.

Northern versions tend to be simpler and saltier; Cantonese-style chow mein uses thinner, crispier noodles and lighter sauces.

Either way, it is one of the most satisfying fast meals you can grab from a street stall for under 15 RMB.

Bonus Dish: Dim Sum 点心 (Diǎnxīn)

点心 (diǎnxīn) literally translates as ‘touch the heart’, and anyone who has sat down to a proper dim sum brunch will tell you the name is earned.

Dim sum is a Cantonese tradition, most closely associated with Guangzhou and Hong Kong, involving a large spread of small steamed, fried, and baked dishes served alongside tea (a practice called 饮茶, yǐn chá, ‘drinking tea’).

Classic items include har gow (虾饺, xiājiǎo, prawn dumplings), siu mai (烧卖, shāomài, pork and prawn dumplings), and char siu bao (叉烧包, chāshāo bāo, barbecue pork buns).

Flavour profile: ranges from delicate and savoury (har gow) to sweet and sticky (egg tarts, 蛋挞, dàntǎ).

Dim sum is best experienced as a social meal. Go with a group, order generously, and keep the tea coming.

Bonus Dish: Xiaolongbao 小笼包 (Xiǎolóngbāo)

We already mentioned dumplings but we love these so much, we had to give them their own category!

小笼包 (xiǎolóngbāo) are steamed soup dumplings, and they deserve their own mention entirely separate from 饺子 (jiǎozi).

Originally from Shanghai, each dumpling is a thin wrapper folded around a pork filling and, here is the magic, a small cube of aspic that melts into rich broth during steaming. Bite in too fast and you will burn your tongue. The correct technique: rest the dumpling on a spoon, make a tiny hole, sip the broth, then eat the rest.

Flavour profile: rich, porky broth with a delicate, slightly sweet wrapper.

The best xiaolongbao in Shanghai are found at Din Tai Fung and at the older local spots around the Old City.

If you are studying in Shanghai, trying xiaolongbao within your first 48 hours is practically mandatory.

More For Foodies

So there you have it – some amazing dishes you simply have to try when coming to China.

We haven’t stopped there though:

• Visit our Taiwan blog and find out the best Taiwanese traditional foods.
• Likewise, for vegans and vegetarians, we’ve also got you covered.
• Worried about dining etiquette in China and how you’ll get by?
• It’s easy to worry about eating in a foreign country when you have an allergy such as a peanut allergy. No fear, we’ve got you covered.

We love Chinese food, but we also think Asian cuisine is just too good to be true. With that being said…

We covered 6 amazing Vietnamese Street Foods here – 3 from the north, and 3 from the south. We’ve also covered Korean cuisine and the top 10 dishes that must be sampled.

Finally, to top it all off here are the best Japanese foods to binge on when travelling to Japan. It’s not all about Sushi!

OK, that’s enough food talk for today… Hope you’re hungry!

Food in China || FAQs