List of Chinese dishes facts for kids

A table full of delicious Chinese dishes.

Chinese food is super popular all over the world! It's known for its amazing flavors, fresh ingredients, and many different cooking styles. From yummy noodles to savory dumplings, Chinese cuisine has something for everyone. This list will show you some of the most famous and interesting dishes from China.

Popular Chinese Dishes

Noodle Dishes

Noodles are a huge part of Chinese food. They come in all shapes and sizes! You can find them in soups, stir-fried, or mixed with tasty sauces.

• Chinese noodles (
  

  Making fresh noodles.
  ) are a basic food in China. They are used in many different dishes.
• Chow mein (
  

  Stir-fried chow mein.
  ) means "stir-fried noodles." They are cooked quickly in a hot pan with veggies and meat.
• Noodle soup (
  

  Warm noodle soup.
  ) is noodles served in a warm, flavorful broth. It's perfect for a cozy meal.
• Zhajiangmian (
  

  Zhajiangmian with sauce.
  ) are noodles mixed with a special sauce, usually made from ground meat and fermented soybean paste.
• Lamian (
  

  Hand-pulled lamian noodles.
  ) are "pulled noodles." Chefs make them by hand, stretching and folding the dough until it forms long, thin strands.
• Liangpi (
  

  Liangpi, a cold noodle dish.
  ) is a cold noodle dish, often served with a spicy, tangy sauce. It's very refreshing.
• Lo mein (
  

  Lo mein noodles.
  ) are tossed noodles, usually with a light sauce and various ingredients.
• Biangbiang noodles (
  

  Broad biangbiang noodles.
  ) are super wide noodles from the Shaanxi region. They have a unique name that comes from the sound of the dough hitting the counter when they are made!
• Sliced Noodles (
  

  Sliced noodles.
  ) are noodles cut directly from a big piece of dough into boiling water.
• Chongqing noodles (
  

  Spicy Chongqing noodles.
  ) are a popular spicy noodle dish from Chongqing.
• Noodles with tomato egg sauce (
  

  Noodles with tomato and egg.
  ) are noodles served with a simple yet delicious sauce of stir-fried tomatoes and scrambled eggs.

Rice Dishes

Rice is another main food in China. It's eaten with almost every meal.

• White rice (
  

  Cooked white rice.
  ) is the most common way to eat rice. It's a simple and filling side dish.
• Fried rice (
  

  Delicious fried rice.
  ) is rice stir-fried with eggs, vegetables, and often meat. It's a great way to use leftover rice.

Pork Dishes

Pork is a very popular meat in Chinese cooking. Many famous dishes use pork.

• Braised pork belly (
  

  Braised pork belly.
  ) is pork cooked slowly in a rich, savory sauce until it's super tender.
• Dongpo pork (
  

  Dongpo pork.
  ) is a famous braised pork dish, known for its rich flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
• Sweet and sour pork (
  

  Sweet and sour pork.
  ) is a classic dish with crispy pork pieces covered in a tangy, sweet sauce.
• Twice cooked pork (
  

  Twice cooked pork.
  ) is pork that's first boiled, then sliced and stir-fried with vegetables and spices.
• Char siu (
  

  Chinese barbecued pork.
  ) is Chinese barbecued pork. It's sweet, savory, and often has a beautiful red color.

Poultry Dishes

Chicken and duck are also very common in Chinese cuisine.

• Century egg (
  

  A sliced century egg.
  ) is a unique snack. It's a preserved egg that has a dark color and a strong flavor.
• Kung Pao chicken (
  

  Spicy Kung Pao chicken.
  ) is a spicy, stir-fried chicken dish with peanuts, vegetables, and chili peppers.
• Peking Duck (
  

  Crispy Peking Duck.
  ) is a super famous dish from Beijing. The duck is roasted until its skin is crispy and golden.
• Soy egg (
  

  Soy-marinated eggs.
  ) are hard-boiled eggs that have been marinated in a sweet soy sauce.
• Tea egg (
  

  Tea eggs with cracked shells.
  ) are eggs boiled with tea leaves and spices, giving them a marbled look and unique flavor.
• Fujian red wine chicken (
  

  Fujian red wine chicken.
  ) is a traditional dish where chicken is cooked in red yeast rice, giving it a special flavor and color.
• Stir-fried tomato and scrambled eggs (
  

  Stir-fried tomato and scrambled eggs.
  ) is a simple and popular homemade dish in China.

Vegetable Dishes

Chinese cuisine also has many delicious vegetable dishes.

• Buddha's delight (
  

  Buddha's delight, a vegetarian dish.
  ) is a vegetarian dish popular among Buddhists. It's made with many different vegetables.
• Pickled vegetables (
  

  Assorted Chinese pickles.
  ) are vegetables or fruits preserved with salt or marinated in sauces. They add a tangy crunch to meals.

Cooking Styles and Special Dishes

Cooking Methods

Chinese cooking uses many different techniques to create amazing flavors.

• Double steaming (
  

  Food being double steamed.
  ) is a gentle cooking method where food is placed in a covered jar and steamed for hours. This keeps the flavors and nutrients locked in.
• Red cooking (
  

  Red cooked pork belly.
  ) involves slow-cooking food in soy sauce and sometimes caramelized sugar. This gives the food a rich, reddish-brown color.
• Stir frying (
  

  Stir-fried ginger chicken.
  ) is a fast cooking method where ingredients are quickly cooked in a hot pan with a little oil.

Dumplings and Buns

Dumplings and buns are a favorite in China, often filled with meat or vegetables.

• Baozi (
  

  Steamed baozi buns.
  ) are steamed buns with delicious fillings inside.
• Dim sum (
  

  A variety of dim sum.
  ) are small, bite-sized dishes, often served in Cantonese restaurants.
• Potsticker (
  

  Making potstickers.
  ) are fried dumplings, crispy on one side and soft on the other.
• Jiaozi (
  

  Fried jiaozi dumplings.
  ) are classic Chinese dumplings, usually boiled or steamed.
• Mantou (
  

  Plain steamed mantou buns.
  ) are plain steamed buns, often eaten with meals.
• Wonton (
  

  Wontons in soup.
  ) are sphere-shaped dumplings, usually served in broth or deep-fried.
• Xiaolongbao (
  

  Steaming hot xiaolongbao.
  ) are "soup dumplings" from Shanghai, famous for having hot soup inside!
• Zongzi (
  

  Zongzi wrapped in bamboo leaves.
  ) are sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, often with savory or sweet fillings.
• Tangyuan (
  

  Colorful tangyuan.
  ) are glutinous rice balls, often served in a sweet soup.

Pastries

Chinese pastries can be sweet or savory, and they are enjoyed as snacks or desserts.

• Cha siu bao (
  

  Cha siu bao with BBQ pork.
  ) are steamed buns filled with sweet and savory BBQ pork.
• Scallion pancake (
  

  Crispy scallion pancakes.
  ) are savory, flaky pancakes made with green onions.
• Mooncake (
  

  A mooncake with a decorative pattern.
  ) are sweet pastries often eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. They have various fillings like lotus paste or red bean paste.
• Sachima (
  

  Sweet sachima pastry.
  ) is a sweet pastry made from sugar and flour, similar to a crispy bar.
• Shaobing (
  

  Shaobing, a flaky pastry.
  ) is a flaky baked or pan-fried pastry, often eaten for breakfast.
• Youtiao (
  

  Youtiao, deep-fried dough sticks.
  ) are long strips of deep-fried dough, often eaten with congee or soy milk.

Soups and Porridge

Soups and porridges are comforting and flavorful parts of Chinese meals.

• Congee (
  

  Warm Chinese rice congee.
  ) is a Chinese rice porridge, often eaten for breakfast or when you're feeling unwell.
• Hot and sour soup (
  

  A bowl of hot and sour soup.
  ) is a spicy and tangy soup, very popular in Chinese restaurants.
• Hot pot (
  

  Friends enjoying hot pot.
  ) is a fun way to eat! You cook raw ingredients like meat and vegetables in a simmering pot of broth right at your table.
• Tong sui (
  

  Tong sui, a sweet soup dessert.
  ) means "sweet soup." It's a dessert soup, often served warm.

Dishes from Different Regions

China is a huge country, and each region has its own special foods and cooking styles!

Beijing Cuisine

Beijing is the capital of China, and its food is famous for dishes like:

• Peking Duck (
  

  Peking Duck ready to be served.
  ) is the most famous dish from Beijing, known for its crispy skin.
• Zhajiangmian (
  

  Zhajiangmian, a Beijing noodle dish.
  ) is a popular noodle dish in Beijing, often served with fresh vegetables.
• Crullers (
  

  Making fresh youtiao.
  ) are deep-fried dough strips, often eaten for breakfast.

Cantonese Cuisine

Cantonese food comes from the Guangdong province. It's known for its fresh ingredients and lighter flavors.

• Braised abalone (
  

  Braised abalone.
  ) is a fancy dish with abalone, a type of shellfish, cooked in a rich sauce.
• Shaved ice (
  

  Refreshing shaved ice.
  ) is a cool dessert made from shaved ice with sweet toppings.
• Beef chow fun (
  

  Beef chow fun noodles.
  ) is a popular stir-fried noodle dish with beef and wide rice noodles.
• Bird's nest soup (
  

  Edible bird's nest.
  ) is a very special and expensive soup made from the nests of swiftlets.
• Black sesame soup (Image:BlacksesameSoup.jpg) is a sweet, thick soup made from black sesame seeds.
• Cantonese seafood soup (
  

  Cantonese seafood soup.
  ) is a flavorful soup filled with various kinds of seafood.
• Crispy fried chicken (
  

  Crispy fried chicken.
  ) is chicken fried until its skin is super crispy.
• Guilinggao (
  

  Guilinggao jelly.
  ) is a dark, jelly-like dessert, often served with honey.
• Little pan rice (
  

  Little pan rice cooked in a clay pot.
  ) is rice cooked in a clay pot, often with meat and vegetables on top.
• Red bean soup (
  

  Sweet red bean soup.
  ) is a sweet dessert soup made from red beans.
• Roast squab is roasted young pigeon, known for its tender meat.
• Roast suckling pig is a whole young pig roasted until its skin is incredibly crispy.
• Sea cucumber (
  

  Cooked sea cucumber.
  ) is a seafood delicacy, often braised in a rich sauce.
• Seafood with bird's nest (
  

  Seafood with bird's nest.
  ) combines seafood with the special bird's nest ingredient.
• Shark fin soup (
  

  Shark fin soup.
  ) is a traditional soup, though it's now less common due to concerns about shark conservation.
• Snow fungus soup (
  

  Snow fungus.
  ) is a sweet soup made with snow fungus, often with other ingredients like red dates.
• Sour spare ribs are spare ribs cooked with a tangy, sour flavor.
• White cut chicken (
  

  White cut chicken.
  ) is a simple, boiled chicken dish, served cold with a dipping sauce.
• Winter melon soup (
  

  Winter melon soup.
  ) is a light and refreshing soup made with winter melon.
• Wonton noodles (
  

  Wonton noodles in soup.
  ) are wontons and noodles served in a delicious broth.
• Yeung Chow fried rice (
  

  Yeung Chow fried rice.
  ) is a famous type of fried rice with various ingredients like shrimp, char siu, and eggs.
• Zhaliang (
  

  Zhaliang, a Cantonese snack.
  ) is a Cantonese snack made of fried dough wrapped in rice noodle rolls.

Fujian Cuisine

Fujian cuisine is known for its light, flavorful dishes and use of seafood.

• Buddha jumps over the wall (
  

  Buddha jumps over the wall soup.
  ) is a very famous and expensive soup with many different ingredients, cooked for a long time.
• Fried rice in Fujian style (
  

  Fujian style fried rice.
  ) is a version of fried rice, often with a thicker, gravy-like sauce.
• Oyster omelette (
  

  Oyster omelette.
  ) is a savory omelette made with fresh oysters and eggs.
• Popiah (
  

  Popiah, a fresh spring roll.
  ) is a fresh spring roll filled with vegetables and sometimes meat.
• Yanpi (
  

  Yanpi, a type of dumpling skin.
  ) is a special kind of dumpling skin made from pork.

Guangxi Cuisine

Guangxi food has influences from both southern and northern China.

• Luosifen (
  

  Luosifen noodles with pork.
  ) are spicy and sour noodles from Liuzhou, famous for their unique smell from fermented bamboo shoots.
• Ningmeng ya (
  

  Guangxi lemon duck.
  ) is a lemon duck dish, known for its tangy and savory flavor.

Hainan Cuisine

Hainan is an island province, and its food often features fresh seafood and chicken.

• Hainanese chicken rice (
  

  Hainanese chicken rice.
  ) is a very popular dish with tender chicken and flavorful rice cooked in chicken broth.
• Wenchang chicken (
  

  Wenchang chicken.
  ) is a famous type of chicken from Hainan, known for its tender meat.

Hakka Cuisine

Hakka food is known for its hearty, savory dishes, often using preserved ingredients.

• Meigan vegetable (
  

  Meigan cai, a preserved vegetable.
  ) is a type of preserved dried mustard green, used in many Hakka dishes.
• Stuffed bitter melon is bitter melon filled with meat or other ingredients.
• Stuffed tofu (
  

  Stuffed tofu.
  ) is tofu filled with a savory mixture, often pork and fish paste.

Hunan Cuisine

Hunan food is famous for being spicy and flavorful!

• Changsha stinky tofu (
  

  Changsha stinky tofu.
  ) is a famous street snack from Changsha, known for its strong smell but delicious taste.

Hubei Cuisine

Hubei cuisine is known for its use of freshwater fish and soups.

• Hot dry noodles (
  

  Hot dry noodles.
  ) are a popular breakfast dish from Wuhan, served with a rich sesame sauce.

Sichuan Cuisine

Sichuan food is famous for its bold, spicy, and numbing flavors, often using chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns.

• Chongqing spicy deep-fried chicken (
  

  Chongqing spicy deep-fried chicken.
  ) is a very spicy dish with crispy chicken pieces and lots of dried chilies.
• Dandan noodles (
  

  Dandan noodles.
  ) are spicy noodles topped with a savory meat sauce.
• Fuqi Feipian (
  

  Fuqi Feipian, a spicy beef dish.
  ) is a cold dish of sliced beef and offal, dressed in a spicy sauce.
• Sichuan hotpot (
  

  Sichuan hotpot.
  ) is a super popular hot pot style with a very spicy and numbing broth.
• Mapo tofu (
  

  Spicy Mapo tofu.
  ) is a classic dish with soft tofu in a spicy, savory sauce with ground meat.
• Shuizhu (
  

  Shuizhu fish.
  ) is a cooking method where meat or fish is poached in a large bowl of spicy broth with chili oil.
• Zhangcha duck (
  

  Zhangcha tea-smoked duck.
  ) is a tea-smoked duck dish, known for its smoky flavor.

Yunnan Cuisine

Yunnan food is diverse, with influences from many ethnic groups.

• Crossing the bridge noodles (
  

  Crossing the bridge noodles.
  ) is a famous noodle soup where hot broth and ingredients are served separately and combined at the table.

Zhejiang Cuisine

Zhejiang cuisine is known for its fresh, light, and delicate flavors.

• Beggar's Chicken (
  

  Beggar's Chicken.
  ) is a whole chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and clay, then baked until incredibly tender.
• Dongpo Braised Pork (
  

  Dongpo braised pork.
  ) is a famous braised pork dish, known for its rich flavor.
• Fried Shrimps with Longjing Tea (
  

  Shrimps with Longjing tea.
  ) is a delicate dish combining fresh shrimp with the famous Longjing green tea.
• Fried Sweet and Sour Pork (
  

  Sweet and sour pork.
  ) is a popular dish with crispy pork in a sweet and sour sauce.
• West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce is a famous fish dish from Hangzhou, known for its sweet and sour vinegar sauce.

Other Interesting Dishes

• Guokui is a type of flatbread, often baked or pan-fried, with various fillings.

See also

• List of Chinese desserts
• List of Chinese restaurants
• List of Chinese sauces
• List of Chinese soups
• List of restaurants in China