I’ve often heard people say that China has eight different regional cuisines but it seems very few people can actually name them or their unique characteristics. It’s no wonder people find it confusing; China is a huge country with many different peoples, foods and subcultures. You can eat hearty northern food in Beijing, tropical food in Yunnan province in the south, lamb kebabs and flatbreads in the predominantly Muslim province of Xinjiang, light soups in Guangdong province, Portuguese fusion food in Macao, and simple vegetarian food in Tibet. To make sense of it all, Chinese food scholars have divided the country’s main culinary traditions into eight genres of cuisines originating in eight different regions: Fujian, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Hunan and Anhui. The flavours and cooking techniques that define each genre have been influenced by local tastes, crops available in the region, climate, bordering countries and provinces, and history.

 
Buddha Jumps over the Wall 佛跳墙

1) Fujian cuisine 福建菜/闽菜
Also called “Min cuisine,” Fujian cuisine is noted for its great seafood dishes and vegetable dishes and the recipes draw on the food found in Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Xiamen. Many dishes have a faintly sweet and sour flavour and are never oily. Buddha Jumps over the Wall (佛跳墙) is a famously complicated Fujian Cuisine dish. In it, sea cucumbers, abalone, shark’s fin, chicken, pork tendons, duck meat, pigeon eggs and lamb is stewed in a light sauce seasoned with Shaoxing rice wine.

Lion’s Head 狮子头

2) Jiangsu cuisine 江苏菜/苏菜
This cuisine is influenced by the food of Nanjing, Suzhou, and Yangzhou. Many dishes use the method of braising meat or seafood and chefs place a great influence on the quality of the braising sauce. Lion’s Head Meatballs (狮子头) are a typical Jiangsu dish. The meatballs are simmered in a light broth and then topped with crab roe. Presentation of dishes is also very important and chefs carve melons and gourds to great effect. Some chefs will spend hours carving an ornate pattern on the skin of a winter melon to serve as a beautiful bowl for a soup or a braised stew.

 
Braised abalone原壳鲍鱼

3) Shandong cuisine 山东菜/鲁菜
This genre of food is influenced by the chefs in Jinan City, the local flavours of the  Jiaodong peninsula and the fresh seafood available along the coast of Shandong province. Shandong cuisine is known for its clean, delicate and fresh flavors and foods contain little oil. Aromatics like garlic and scallions are often added to dishes and seafood is cooked in light sauces. A good example of Shandong cuisine is braised abalone (原壳鲍鱼). The abalone are simmered in a light sauce and served in their shells.

Gongbao jiding (Kung Pao Chicken) 宫保鸡丁

4) Sichuan cuisine 四川菜/川菜
This cuisine is influenced by the flavors of Chengdu and Chongqing. Sichuan province is made of extremely fertile land and cooks draw on the abundance of local produce. In the 16th century, chili peppers were imported into Sichuan for the first time and they became very popular in Sichuan province. When the chili peppers are combined with Sichuan peppercorns in a dish, the resulting flavour is known as ma la, or “mouth numbing spicy.” An example of Sichuan Cuisine is gongbao jiding 宫保鸡丁 (Kung Pao Chicken). Chicken pieces are stir-fried with chili peppers and scallions to create a spicy, aromatic dish.

 
Steamed Mandarin fish 清蒸桂鱼

5) Guangdong cuisine (Cantonese food) 广东菜/粤菜
Guangdong cuisine is probably the most respected and refined cuisine within China and immigrants have also widely spread it throughout the rest of the world. Guangdong cuisine dishes have a light and fresh flavour and cooks often steam or stir-fry ingredients to preserve their original flavours. Steamed Mandarin fish (清蒸桂鱼) in a clear soup is a good example of a Guangdong cuisine dish. The fish is first steamed in a bamboo steamer and then served in a soup made of chicken stock flavoured with orange slivers.

West Lake Sour Fish 西湖醋鱼

6) Zhejiang cuisine 浙江菜/浙菜
Zhejiang province is known as “the land of rice and fish” due to its long coastline, many rivers and lakes, and abundant fertile land. Chefs in Zhejiang draw on abundant freshwater fish to create light and flavourful dishes that rely on the natural flavours of ingredients. West Lake Sour Fish (西湖醋鱼) is a good example of a Zhejiang cuisine dish. In the dish, a whole carp fish is simmered in a vinegar and soy sauce broth. Recipes from Hangzhou, Ningbo and Shaoxing have influenced this genre of Chinese cuisine.

Dong’an Chicken 东安鸡

7) Hunan cuisine 湖南菜/湘菜
Also known as “Xiang cuisine,” Hunan cuisine was the favourite cuisine of Chairman Mao Zedong and can be indentified by a liberal use of seasonings like ginger, chili and bits of smoke-cured bacon. Hunan province has one of the oldest recorded histories in China and its cuisine has had a great influence on the rest of China and Chinese food around the world. One famous Hunan cuisine dish is Dong’an Chicken (东安鸡). In the dish, a very young chicken (less than one year old) is chopped up and then fried with chili, ginger and other spices until the meat is cooked and aromatic.

Caocao Chicken 曹操鸡

8) Anhui cuisine 安徽菜/徽菜
Also called “Hui cuisine,” this cuisine is influenced by the recipes found in Huizhou and also cities in Anhui province along the Yangtze River and Huai River. Anhui province is landlocked so Anhui cuisine relies heavily on freshwater fish, shrimp and fresh local poultry. Particular attention is paid to cutting and slicing techniques and chefs use colour to create eye-catching presentations. Caocao Chicken (曹操鸡) is an example of Anhui cuisine. In the dish, a whole chicken is roasted with eighteen other ingredients that have medicinal qualities like Chinese black mushrooms, cucommia bark, star anise and winter bamboo shoots. It has a strong aromatic flavour and is eaten with thin wheat pancakes.
 

Related links
Foods that Make Women Beautiful (According to Chinese Medicine)
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Eat Your Vegetables: Chinese Style

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Keywords: characteristics of chinese cuisine eight Chinese regional cuisines chinese cuisines