The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Chinese Foods. If you manage to be in an Chinese restaurant or you are visiting China, I recommend the following:
1. Kung Pao Chicken
This dish from the Sichuan region is one of the spiciest dishes in Chinese gastronomy. The preparation consists of pieces of marinated chicken, which is put in a stir-fry prepared with chili peppers and Sichuan pepper in a wok. Then, the chicken meat is sautéed with vegetables and peanuts or cashew nuts. For those who love spicy flavor and are not afraid of it, this is the dish to try.
2. Sweet and Sour Pork
Sweet and sour pork is one of the classics of Chinese cuisine. Its taste mixes sour and sweet flavors and its appearance is bright. Some people do not eat pork, so some restaurants change their meat for chicken.
3. Ma Po Tofu
It is one of the most traditional and popular dishes in Sichuan. Its main characteristic is the spicy flavor it offers as a result of the use of Sichuan pepper in its preparation. The main ingredient of this food is tofu, with which a stew is prepared, to which ground meat and chopped green onion are sometimes added, in addition to the usual pepper for the spicy touch.
4. Hot Pot
This is a type of stew that contains a variety of East Asian ingredients. This type of hot pot is consumed both at home and in restaurants. Its cooking method has similarities with fondue. This typical dish of the country has ingredients such as tofu, seafood, thinly sliced meat, mushrooms, octopus, crab and noodles. This hot pot has been used by cities such as Chongqing as one of the main tourist attractions.
5. Chow Mein
If there is a versatile dish in Chinese cuisine, it is Chow Mein. Anything with Chinese fried noodles is chow mein and many ingredients can be added to it, although it usually has noodles, meat, cabbage and other vegetables. The Cantonese version includes crispy fried egg noodles, green bell pepper, pea pods, Chinese cabbage, bamboo, water chestnuts, shrimp and three types of meat: char siu (pork), chicken and beef. It is accompanied by a thick sauce.
6. Fried Rice
It is basically Chinese fried rice: a complete meal that feeds the whole family. The combination of ingredients can be anything from protein (chicken, pork, shrimp) to vegetables (carrots, mixed vegetables). It is a healthy meal for dinner. It is also simple and quick to make at home and is certainly one of the most popular dishes in China.
7. Peking Duck
It is originally from Beijing, hence its name. Its fame has spread all over the world and it is considered “China’s National Dish”. The curious thing is that not just any duck can be used, but it must be one whose weight exceeds three kilos. This typical Chinese meal is served in two parts. First, only the crispy skin is served. In a second dish, slices of meat cut including part of the skin are added, which are bathed in a sweet bean sauce and placed on a crepe.
8. Wonton
Wontons have been present in the festivities celebrating the winter solstice since the Tang Dynasty. It is one of the oldest Chinese dishes, with more than 1000 years of history. It is a simple rectangular triangle of stuffed pasta, similar to Italian tortellini. Wontons are usually boiled and served in soup or sometimes fried. The wonton filling can be minced pork or diced shrimp.
9. Spring Rolls
Spring rolls are mainly consumed as an appetizer. They originated in Canton and are cylindrical in shape. They can be filled with meat or vegetables, sweet or savory. Once elaborated, they are fried in abundant oil. It is one of the typical foods in China, prepared and tasted especially at the arrival of spring and the Chinese New Year festivities.
10. Dumplings
Chinese dumplings consist of minced meat and chopped vegetables wrapped in a thin layer of rice flour dough. With a long history of more than 1,800 years, dumplings are a popular traditional food in northern China, steamed in a traditional steaming pot.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Asian Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.