Where to Eat in China for a Foodie Like You
China is every gastronome’s fantasy, yet with so many divergent styles, where do you go? As much as you yearn for a spicy, a country classic, a seafood, a vegetable delicacy, there’s a part in China where your taste suits. Where you should go, find with our guide.
If You Love Spicy Food – Head to Sichuan and Hunan
If your tongue buzzes with excitement when you utter hot stuff, Sichuan and Hunan are where you’ll be. Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, is known for being the hometown where mala originated – a numbing, spicy mixture of Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers. Local delicacies such as mapo tofu, hotpot, and twice-cooked pork can’t be missed.
Changsha, in Hunan, serves a different type of heat – dry, pungent, with less numbing yet no less spicy. Spicy frog stir-fry, chili fish head sliced, smoked pork with Hunan spice are among their specialties. Hunan cooking also uses a lot of aromas and pungent flavors, so there is an experience in every bite.
If You Love Mild and Savory Flavors – Visit Shanghai or Hangzhou
You don’t prefer hot foods? Then you’ll have a easy time in eastern China, particularly in Shanghai and Hangzhou. Delicate, moist, subtle flavors are preferred in these cities, with an emphasis on the intrinsic taste in foods.
You can also taste the following Shanghai specialties: xiao long bao, soup dumplings, braised pork belly, drunk chicken. Local culinary trend likes soy sauce, rice wine, mild seasoning.
Scenic in landscape, refined in palate, Hangzhou is no exception either. Do pay a visit to West Lake vinegar fish, Dongpo pork, Longjing shrimp – carefully prepared with a skilled hand.
If You Love Fresh Seafood – Head to Qingdao or Xiamen
For ocean-fresh dining, Shandong Province’s Qingdao City and Fujian Province’s Xiamen City are incomparable in experiences. Both cities are coast-side cities, yet with totally different flavors.
Owing to its history of German colonialism and northern Chinese cuisine, Qingdao has light, crunchy, and beery dishes. Watch the sea over steamed clams in garlic, fried squid and beer marinated prawns.
By comparison, Xiamen Fujianese cuisine is highly umami, often blending seafood with fermented condiments and soup stocks. Sea worm jelly, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and oyster omelets are a must. Flavour profiles are robust,more complex, with rice wine and sugar being added in many instances.
If You Crave Street Food – Explore Xi’an and Chongqing
Irresistible for people with inquiring tastes and street-food addicts, these cities are.
Capital of ancient kingdoms, Xi’an, is an absolute mixture of Muslim and Han flavors. Make your way towards the Muslim Quarter, where you can get a roujiamo (Chinese burger), cold noodle, biangbiang noodle, and skewered lamb over charcoal. It’s meaty, belly-bursting, yet oh-so-satisfying stuff.
Chongqing, birthplace of legendary spicy hotpot, is a paradise for gastrophiliacs. In addition to hotpot, try spicy noodles (xiao mian), beef offal skewers, and suanlafen (sizzling, sour glass noodles) from night market stands, much earlier in life than you would think.
If You Enjoy Rice-Based Dishes – Go South to Guilin and Nanning
While the north leans towards wheaten foods such as noodles and dumplings, the south are rice paradises.
The Guilin rice noodles are the famous dish of Guilin, Guangxi Province, made in a rich broth or into a stir-fry with toppings added. The tastes are fragrant but gentle, usually boosted by pickle vegetables, chili oil, and garlic sauce.
There is snail rice noodles, or Lao You Fen, in nearby Nanning, which is fermented and brine-flavored, and with a diverse and varied texture. It’s a favorite among locals, only worth a try when you are adventurous.
If You’re a Dessert Lover – Sample Beijing and Suzhou
Chinese desserts are never syrupy-sweet, but well-signposted and classic. Eat sugar-coated hawthorns (tanghulu), almond tofu and red bean pastries in Beijing. A lot of the desserts in this area are seasonal in nature and are associated with festivals.
Suzhou, well-known for canals, gardens, is in no way less classy when it’s about delicacies. Savor osmanthus rice cakes, sweetened lotus seed soup, rose-steamed, and jujube-steamed sponge cakes.
