Discover China

Taste China with context

Understand signature dishes, ingredients and ordering choices before deciding what belongs on your table.

Meet China one dish at a time

Follow local flavors from city to city and discover the dishes, traditions and everyday moments worth tasting for yourself.

12 food guides

Beijing

Crisp skin and tender duck wrapped in thin pancakes with sweet bean sauce, cucumber and scallions make an easy shared Beijing meal.

Beijing

Wheat noodles are mixed with a rich soybean paste and crisp vegetable toppings. The key notes are fermented-bean savouriness and salt.

Beijing

Thin lamb cooks quickly in a clear copper pot, then meets a thick sesame dipping sauce. The lamb and sauce lead the meal.

Beijing

Douzhi is a fermented Beijing drink usually served with fried jiaoquan rings and pickles. It is worth approaching with curiosity, not obligation.

Beijing

Chao gan is a thick, garlicky Beijing breakfast stew made with pork liver and pork intestines. The ingredients should be clear before ordering.

Beijing

Flatbread, tofu and pork offal simmer in a long-cooked broth. Luzhu is among Beijing's richest, most assertive street foods.

Beijing

Hawthorn coated in a hard sugar shell gives you crunch, sweetness and tart fruit in one skewer. It is sweeter than it looks.

Beijing

Jianbing is a hot, portable breakfast crepe layered with egg, sauce, vegetables and a crisp cracker. It is best straight from the griddle.

Shanghai

Thin wrappers hold pork and piping-hot broth. Move one to a spoon, open a small hole and let the steam escape before drinking the soup.

Shanghai

Fine noodles meet fried scallion oil and soy sauce. This pictured bowl also has dried shrimp, which adds savouriness and means it is not vegetarian.

Shanghai

Skin-on pork belly cooks slowly with soy sauce, sugar and Shaoxing wine. The sweet-savoury sauce works best shared with rice and greens.

Shanghai

Picked crab meat, roe or paste becomes a rich noodle topping. Similar menu names can refer to different mixtures and prices.