The 10 Best Cities for Food in China
Today, a short article for food-loving travelers offering an overview of the Chinese cities where the food is best.
Today, a short article for food-loving travelers offering an overview of the Chinese cities where the food is best.
Beyond its ancient history and traditions, China stands out for its gastronomy, recognized worldwide. Each region enjoys incomparable local specialties and can offer unforgettable culinary experiences and discoveries during your trip to China.
To ensure you don't miss any of the best Chinese dishes and specialties, here is a list of 10 must-visit culinary cities in China.
1/ Shanghai
Beyond its modernity and Western character, Shanghai reigns as the queen of Chinese snacks. At every street corner you'll find small stands with local specialties perfect for a quick bite. Among the specialties are the famous steamed dumplings called Xiaolong Bao, as well as hairy crabs, Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao dumplings, or even Sheng Jian Man Tou (meat buns). You'll find sautéed Shanghai bok choy with mushrooms in practically every restaurant, a delicious dish to share.
Due to its proximity to the sea, Shanghai offers countless fish and seafood dishes. You may find it hard to stop eating with such a wide and appetizing selection!
2/ Beijing
Influenced by the culinary traditions of all of China, the capital has nonetheless managed to stand out with a few unique dishes. The famous Peking roast duck is now an attraction in itself. It's impossible to pass through Beijing without tasting it.
In Beijing, you'll find many wheat-based dishes with stuffed pancakes, fritters, and meat buns (baozi). Noodles made from flour and water are also essential fare, whether served in soup or fried.
If hunger strikes during the day, you'll always find small street stands where you can taste Beijing barbecue specialties.
3/ Guangzhou
It is said that Cantonese cuisine is the best in China. More refined and elaborate, Cantonese cuisine offers a multitude of colorful dishes with enticing aromas. Of course, in Guangzhou you can taste the famous Cantonese fried rice, but also enjoy Changfen, a rice paste filled with pork, beef, or shrimp that Cantonese people eat for breakfast.
Dim sum holds a very important place in Guangzhou. All day long, dim sum restaurants are fully booked. It would nonetheless be a shame not to stop to experience this type of authentic restaurant.
A Chinese proverb says that anything that flies, walks, or swims can be eaten. From snakes to organ meat to pig's head, Cantonese gastronomy often offers surprising fare!
4/ Changsha
Changsha is the best place to discover and appreciate Hunan cuisine, one of China's most famous regional cuisines. Hunan cuisine is known for its spicy flavors, freshness, and use of color in dishes.
Changsha benefits from a wide variety of ingredients, allowing it to vary its culinary habits with the seasons. In summer, cold dishes made with salted and dried meats are preferred over Chinese hot pot, which is served more in winter.
Stinky tofu is one of the culinary specialties found in Changsha. Despite its unpleasant odor, this spicy and delicious dish will awaken flavors in your mouth that you didn't know existed.
5/ Hong Kong
Cuisine is an art form in Hong Kong. This city is known as the "Gourmet's Paradise". Beyond its Chinese specialties and delicious dim sum, Hong Kong is a concentration of wonderful restaurants from around the world. Italy, Japan, Thailand, France, Russia... You'll find all the world's finest cuisines in Hong Kong.
6/ Wuhan
Wuhan cuisine or more generally Hubei cuisine has its distinctive character from the combination of fish with other ingredients like chicken. Steamed or stewed, many dishes are prepared with sugar.
The specialty is Wuhan bream, a freshwater fish found at Liangzi Lake. Lotus roots are also very often used in soups or as accompaniments to goose liver.
7/ Chongqing
Chongqing could easily deserve the nickname "Little Gourmet's Paradise" given how the city's streets overflow with small restaurants and stands where you can taste local specialties.
You can take advantage of your stay in Sichuan to try the Sichuan hot pot that originated in Chongqing, blending chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, meat, and vegetables.
8/ Chengdu
We remain in Sichuan with Chengdu, the capital, and its striking spicy dishes. Chengdu cuisine possesses unique flavors and offers more than 200 varieties of small snacks that you'll find for sale in the city's streets and alleys.
Sichuan peppercorn, omnipresent in Sichuan cuisine, will envelop your palate alongside deep-fried or steamed ingredients.
9/ Xi'an
Xi'an is famous for its Terracotta Warriors but also for its many culinary specialties found throughout the streets and Chinese restaurants.
If you spend a short stay in Xi'an, you must try Yang Rou Pao Mo, small crumbled flatbreads in mutton or beef broth, or Liang pi, a variety of Chinese noodles eaten cold.
10/ Taiwan
Taiwanese cuisine reflects the island's history with typical Hakka dishes, Aboriginal influences, as well as offshoots of Chinese cuisine.
Taiwanese cuisine is very simple and often composed of multiple small dishes. You'll find them everywhere in the streets and at markets. Rather sweet or composed of seafood, Taiwanese cuisine is very appealing to food lovers. You'll surely find in restaurants or on market stalls oyster omelets, shrimp or meat balls, or Baobings, finely shaved ice accompanied by various ingredients: peanuts, fruit, syrups, sweet beans...
Frequently asked questions
It's difficult to designate a single city, but Guangzhou is often cited as the gastronomic capital of China thanks to its refined Cantonese cuisine and dim sum culture. Shanghai, Chengdu, and Beijing are also essential for food-loving travelers.
Among the must-tries: Peking roast duck from Beijing, Xiaolong Bao (steamed dumplings) from Shanghai, dim sum from Guangzhou, Sichuan hot pot from Chongqing, and Yang Rou Pao Mo (flatbread dipped in mutton broth) from Xi'an.
Yes, Sichuan cuisine is renowned for its intensive use of Sichuan peppercorn and chili peppers. It produces a unique tingling and numbing sensation in the mouth. Chengdu and Chongqing are the best cities to discover it.
Absolutely! Street food is omnipresent in major Chinese cities. Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an, and Chengdu offer countless small stands where you can taste local specialties for just a few yuan. It's often one of the best ways to discover authentic cuisine.
Northern cuisine (Beijing, Xi'an) is largely based on wheat: noodles, steamed buns, pancakes. Southern cuisine (Guangzhou, Hong Kong) is more centered on rice and seafood, with milder and more refined flavors. In the west (Sichuan, Hunan), dishes are significantly spicier.
Yes, Hong Kong is often called the 'Gourmet's Paradise'. You'll find excellent dim sum, fresh seafood, and an extraordinary diversity of cuisines from around the world. The city boasts several Michelin-starred restaurants and a lively night market.
