How to Order Authentic Chinese Food: General Who? - Chinese People Don't Order Chinese Take Out

All Chinese people know that Chinese Takeout is not real Chinese food. My parents have never tried General Tso's Chicken, Chop Suey or Crab Rangoon. Chinese takeout restaurants serve cuisine that caters to Americans and differs drastically from authentic Chinese cuisine. Chinese people, unless they are americanized, rarely order from these takeout joints. They don't consider the food at these places Chinese food and in most urban areas, they can buy real Chinese food for less than what they would pay at these "fake" Chinese restaurants. Most Chinese would rather eat street vendor food than order from Chinese takeout. What is interesting is that most Americans when referring to Chinese cuisine would most often be talking about Chinese takeout food. There is a gap between what they perceive as real Chinese food and what real Chinese food really is. They are not aware of the huge differences between food you would get at Panda Express and food you get at a real Chinese restaurant.

Here are some main differences between American Chinese Takeout and Real Chinese Takeout:

• Americans Chinese foods tend to be cooked very quickly with a lot of oil and salt. Frying seems to be the most prevalent cooking technique and MSG is usually a signature of most American Chinese takeout places. Authentic Chinese food tends to be prepared in a variety of ways from steaming to broiling to stir frying. These methods usually require longer cooking times and also fresher foods.

• Vegetables are emphasized as a dish on its own at real Chinese restaurants where as most American Chinese takeout places use vegetables as garnish.

• Menus are written bilingually at authentic restaurants whereas American Chinese takeout places usually only have menus in English (since there is no need to cater to Chinese people because they don't patronize such restaurants). American Chinese takeout menus also have "Lunch Specials" which would look absurd on a bilingual menu at a real Chinese restaurant.

• When entering a real Chinese takeout place, there is usually a butcher that cuts up cooked meats (roast pork, spare ribs, roast duck, etc.) to order. At an American Chinese takeout place, you will see a counter with a large overhead billboard containing pictures of popular dishes such as Sesame Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Egg Foo Young, etc.

• Real Chinese restaurants don't serve fortune cookies nor do they give deep fried "noodles" (the ones that look like fried strips served with egg drop soup) unless you are American.

A sure fire way to test whether or not the Chinese restaurant you patronize is authentic or not, just order Beef with Broccoli. If the broccoli is western, you are at an American Chinese restaurant. If it is Chinese broccoli (Gai-Laan), then you know you're eating at an authentic Chinese restaurant with most likely bilingual menus and oranges awaiting you at the end of your meal.

Some popular authentic Chinese takeout dishes over rice are (I have included Cantonese phonetics if you want to try to order in Chinese) : Spare ribs with black bean sauce (See Jup Pai Kwut Faan), Triple Delight (Roast Pork, Soy Sauce Chicken and Egg) (Saam Bo Faan), Peking Style pork chop (Ging Doe Kwut Faan), Singapore (Amoy) Chow Mei Fun (How Moon Chow Mei), Shrimp with Egg Sauce (Waat Daan Ha Yun Faan) and Satay Beef (Sa Deh Auh Yook Faan).

Feel free to expand the list of authentic Chinese takeout dishes in the comments section.

Secret Tip: Most authentic restaurants have two dine-in menus - One for Chinese people and one for foreigners. The foreigner menus are usually slightly more expensive and exclude some delicacies (liver) that westerners may find unappetizing. Only way around it is to find a fluent speaking Chinese person to go with you.

The Top 10 Reasons Why Chinese People are Skinny

This is more the rule than the exception!

In addition to being good at math, Chinese people and others of Asian descent are also known to be skinny. I have compiled here the Top Ten reasons why I believe Chinese people are skinny along with pictures.

Please feel free to comment!

Top Ten Reasons Why Chinese People are Skinny

Clean and Healthy

1. The average traditional Chinese person eats mainly vegetables, fruits and rice/noodles. They also eat a lot of fish and does not eat much red meat.

2. Chinese food is usually prepared steamed, boiled or stir fried. Never deep-fried unless you go to a Westernized Chinese Take-Out place.    

3. Chinese people have less exposure to sugar - the traditional breakfast is usually rice porridge or noodles not cereals or pancakes that can contain a lot of sugar. Also Chinese people drink a lot of tea as opposed to juices/soda.

Everyone for themselves

4. Chinese people almost always eat family style (sharing of dishes). This pressures them to save some for others and gives them a variety of both healthy and not as healthy foods.

5. Chopsticks - you can only fit so much between those 2 skinny sticks (like Jerry Seinfeld said "Which is more efficient - Pool Cues or a Shovel?". Same goes for the small rice bowl.

We don't need Gym Membership

6. Physically Active - Check out any park around 6am and I'm sure you'll find Chinese people doing Tai Chi or some form of exercise.

7. There is social pressure to stay skinny. Chinese people can be ruthless when talking about the obese especially for Chinese women. Mothers also tend to be tough on their "fat" daughters. 

The Exception!

8. Genes - Who knows, I guess it's possible (but there is always the exception as well)

9. China use to be and is still in some areas very poor so there are no opportunities to overeat. Also when you are poor, meat is a luxury.

You thought your commute was bad

10. Chinese people work hard and we pretty much walk or bike everywhere. Cars only recently came into play in China and many families still do not have access to a car. 

As China is becoming more and more wealthy and Westernized (foods, snacks and lifestyles), it seems that many of these reasons will no longer be valid and I believe we will see a rise in the obesity rate of the Chinese population along with the health problems that come along with it. 

perhaps it has already begun...

The Surprising Truth about Chinese New Year - The US vs. China

We are fast approaching the Chinese New Year holiday for 2011 (February 3, 2011). This year is the year of the Rabbit. I have been lucky enough to spend Chinese New Year in both the United States and China and they are like two different holidays.


For those of you who were born or raised in the US ( I can't speak for other non-Chinese countries), Chinese New Year is one of those elusive holidays where you have no idea when it is until your parents tell you. Usually is involves just dinner at home with family and the most exciting part for the younger generation is the red envelopes (利是"lai see" in Cantonese). For those who don't know what a red envelope is, basically it is just a red envelope (pardon the obvious) that contains money. I will get into more details in a later post. We don't even get a day off for Chinese New Year unless you work for a Chinese owned company. If you live near a Chinatown, you may be lucky enough to join in some of the festivities (parades, lion dancing and fireworks)


In stark contrast, Chinese New Year is by far the biggest and most important holiday in China. Almost everyone gets about 10 days off, some even take extended holidays. Due to the migrant worker situation in China, this is the holiday where everyone makes their annual trek back to there hometown (老家 "lao jia" in Mandarin, "herng ha" in Cantonese). The traditional celebration is very festive. Everyone (I mean everyone) in the family gets together for a huge dinner on Chinese New Year's eve which takes days to prepare for and the full day to cook. Then at night, everyone watches the CCTV New Year's Gala (中国中央电视台春节联欢晚会) which features performances ranging from acrobatics to comedic skits (more details in another post). At midnight, the sky is lit up with fireworks and practically the whole city (I experienced New Year's in Beijing) seems like it's at war. After midnight, people get together an make dumplings, play cards and just hang out together. The next 5-8 days, you are either visiting relatives or they are visiting you ( 拜年 "bai neen" in Cantonese and "bai nian" in Mandarin). 

All in all, celebrating Chinese New Year in China is much better than celebrating it anywhere else. 

Unfortunately, as China is becoming more Westernized, many of these traditions are being watered down. More and more families are going out to eat and according to many Chinese I know, the holiday spirit wasn't what it use to be. 

Feel free to share your experiences of Chinese New Year in the comments section!

To celebrate the upcoming New Year, the next few posts will be on subjects related to Chinese New Year. Topics will include red envelopes, the Chinese Zodiac, lion dance and even dumplings!

How to Eat on a Budget - Hong Kong Mini Cakes

With food prices rising so quickly, it is hard to find anything for a dollar. Even the "dollar menu" at McDonalds has become the $1.39 menu with a few exceptions (like my favorite 2 for $1 apple pie super deal). Anyways, I digress. Having grown up in New York City, I've always had a thing for Hong Kong Mini Cakes. I'm not sure if they're sold anywhere else but I can only assume that they have them in Hong Kong. For the longest time, the mini cake cart on the intersection of Grand St. and Bowery St. had what seemed like exclusive rights to these easy-to-make yet delicious-to-eat snacks. I remember having to constantly wait on line for these cakes. Even now, there is only one other rival cart on Pell St. and Bowery St., who in my opinion, makes inferior mini cakes. Perhaps Hong Kong mini cakes are just not a lucrative business.

Anyways these mini cakes deserve recognition since they are popular among all Chinese people, young and old. They are not only light, tasty and seemingly healthy but also so damn cheap. Right now, they go for, I think, 15 for $1 (feel free to correct me in the comments section) but with rising food and oil prices I wouldn't be surprised if its 10 for $1. Still these snacks can't be beat. The key to enjoying these cakes is to eat them while they're hot. If you let them get cold, they pretty much taste like crap, so eat them while they're hot.

Hong Kong Mini Cakes- Perfect Recession Snack!

Yeet Hay - A Practical Explanation

For those who don't know Cantonese, yeet hay literally means "hot air" (I think in mandarin it's huo qi da - "fire air big"). This is a concept that all Chinese people learn from an early age and is prevalent throughout our lives. The interesting thing is that outside of Chinese people, no one has any idea or any similar representation of the concept of yeet hay. I always thought yeet hay was an Asian idea but after many frustrating discussions with my Korean, Japanese and Indian friends, I realize this ideology is exclusively Chinese. Even after a thorough explanation, non-Chinese people just can't relate (I can't understand why!) and even have the audacity to question yeet hay's existence. For those of you who have never heard of yeet hay, you're about to learn one of the most important ideologies of Chinese society.

Yeet hay is a term used in Chinese medicine to indicate a state of being too "hot" (You can also be too cold, wet or dry). Yeet hay, from my experience, is brought upon by eating lots of fried and greasy foods such as potato chips, fried chicken, pizza and barbecue foods. Hot spices, Chinese Hot Pot (Shabu Shabu) and lack of sleep can also cause someone to be yeet hay. The symptoms of yeet hay can vary depending on how yeet hay you are. If you are only slightly yeet hay, you will probably have a slight sore throat and some pimples but if you are overly hay, mouth sores and nose bleeds are not uncommon. The ease with which you can become yeet hay also varies from person to person. Some people are just more susceptible than others in becoming yeet hay.

Now that you know the causes and symptoms of yeet hay, it is only fair to talk about some cures. Chinese philosophy is dominated by the idea of balance so it is only natural that Chinese medicine revolves around the same concept. When you are "too hot" (yeet hay), the cure will be to eat or drink something "cool". The most common drink for balancing yeet hay are "leurng chahs" (literally meaning "cool teas") such as Chrysanthemum tea, "yah-sei mei" (24-flavor tea) and "gum mo cha" (influenza tea). Other cooling drinks include green bean soup, sour plum soup and even beer. A good night's sleep also goes a long way in helping someone who is yeet hay.

For those who never heard of yeet hay until this article, next time you eat something fried and greasy and feel sort of strange, you might just be experiencing some yeet hay. For Chinese readers, feel free to send this article to all your yeet hay doubting friends.

If you know of any other causes, symptoms and cures of yeet hay, please share in the comments section below.

How to Use Chopsticks in 5 Minutes - Short and Sweet Guide

Chopsticks, the preferred eating utensil by all Chinese people, is very strongly associated with Chinese and other Asian cultures. Some non-Asians may never use chopsticks within their lifetime, although the popularity of sushi restaurants have spurred an unprecedented increase in chopstick usage. The picture to the right is the way I have been holding chopsticks ever since I could remember. I always had the impression that the instructions for using chopsticks were imprinted in the genes of Chinese people so naturally I never gave it another thought. Recently, I was with some friends discussing the proper usage of chopsticks and it has come to my attention that my method was wrong. Although I have heard similar passing comments in the past, I never thought to change it because my method was working just fine and no one really pressed me to do so...until now.

Holding chopsticks the wrong way can be considered bad etiquette so I have decided to go on a 90 day program, starting today, to try to rewire my brain to correctly handle chopsticks. I have also added a new poll on the right sidebar that will last exactly 90 days as a good way to keep track of time. During these 90 days, I will try my best to use the correct form for every meal involving chopsticks. My initial tries have been pretty tiring on my fingers but my friends assure me that this transition is possible.

For those who don't know the proper chopstick technique, here is a brief tutorial and an image taken from Wikipedia.

1. Place one chopstick (thicker side) between the palm and the base of the thumb, using the ring finger to support the thinner side. Using the thumb, squeeze the chopstick down while pushing the chopstick up using the ring finger. The chopstick should be stationary and stable.
2. Using the tips of the thumb, index and middle fingers, hold the other chopstick like a pen. It is important to make sure that the tip of the two chopsticks line up.
3. Pivot the upper chopstick up and down while keeping the bottom chopstick still.
4. With enough practice, the chopsticks act like pincers.

So comparing my way to the correct way, here are some sure signs that you are holding your chopsticks the WRONG WAY:

• The thick part of the chopsticks cross. This basically happens when you move both chopsticks as opposed to keeping one stationary.

• It is extremely hard for you to pick up thin things lying flat on a plate.

• People tell you that you are holding chopsticks the wrong way.

Here are some proper Chinese etiquette concerning chopsticks:

1. Do not use chopsticks to make noise during normal dining circumstances.
2. Do not use chopsticks to stab food unless it is to help cut large food items.
3. NEVER leave chopsticks standing vertically in any bowl of rice or food because stick-like objects standing vertically are used for offerings to deceased family members.
4. The thick end of the chopsticks may be used to transfer food from a common dish to one's bowl although this may be rude in other cultures.
5. When rice is in a bowl, the Chinese will hold the bowl to one's mouth and use chopsticks to push rice directly into the mouth whereas Koreans find it rude to pick up the bowl from the table and eat from it (no wonder they use metal rice bowls!).

I'm sure there are other rules concerning chopsticks, so feel free to post in the comments section on anything chopsticks related. Wish me luck!

How to Fight for the Bill Against a Chinese Person

If you ever go to a Chinese restaurant for dinner and take a look around, I am positive that you will see at least one table where people are wrestling for the check. This may seem paradoxical since Chinese people are usually pretty frugal (check out the Dishwasher Article) but in Chinese culture, there is one thing that trumps all other Chinese-related behavior. For the Chinese it is all about "face" (面子, pronounced mian zi in mandarin and Meen Ji in Cantonese). Treating for dinner makes you the BMATT (Big Man at the Table) and you are usually showered with thanks and appreciation after the rival part concedes. The fights are especially fierce among parents of children who are dating. Distant relatives or adult acquaintances dining together also have their fair share of check wrestling. Most of the time the battle is between the main "representative" of each group or family, which is usually the father although these duties may be handled by the oldest son/daughter.

So what is the best way to secure the bill? The most common and popular strategy to secure the bill is to grab it from the waiter's/waitresses' hand and then immediately put the check behind your back while fending off the other arms trying to grab for the check. Another more effective strategy is to just approach the cashier and pay for the bill before the dinner ends during one of your "bathroom breaks". For me, I personally like to just sit and watch the action and wait for my chance to shower my appreciation and thanks on the victorious party. Although as I become older and have my own family, I'm sure I will have my share of "end of dinner at a Chinese restaurant" battles.

Good luck to all the people fighting to pay for dinner (what a weird blessing)! May the tips in this article give you the upper hand at your next fight for the bill.

Don't Get Hurt Eating Fish - It is Not Worth It

 For most Americans (pardon the generalization), fish is served usually in a boneless form (fillet, fish sticks, fish steaks, etc). If you order fish at an American restaurant or other western style cuisines, it will most likely be served without the bones or the head.

This is in contrast to how fish is usually served in traditional Chinese homes and "authentic" Chinese restaurants ("Chinese People Don't Order Chinese Take Out" article). Usually what you'll find is the entire fish, descaled and steamed (sometimes fried) with the head and tail fully intact. Growing up, this was the norm and I never realized that some non-Chinese have never seen the head of the fish served for dinner before. (This goes for the head of the chicken and duck that you'll sometimes find as garnish in a Chinese restaurant). Not only is it repulsive for some people, but for those who have never eaten fish with bones, it can be a very dangerous undertaking.

I have seen unsuspecting people take a bite out of what looked like a fillet of fish at a Chinese restaurant just to grimace in pain and find out the hard way that there are fishbones. Then they go into a hacking cough frenzy trying to get the bone out (which is not appetizing at all to see or hear). I guess this is to be expected if all the other foods you've ever eaten have either all been boneless (hamburgers, chicken breast, hot dogs) or had obvious bones (steak, ribs, chicken leg).

Don't be fooled by the fillet form - There are still bones!!!

Remember: In China and probably other asian countries, fish is usually served with the bone (Japanese sushi excluded although the Japanese do serve fish with bones as well) so be forewarned.

I'll leave you with one last tip: when you get steam fish with the fish head intact, the best part of the fish's meat is actually its............*drum roll*...................cheek.   Try it!

3 Things You Need to Know Before Drinking with the Chinese

"Gan Bei!"

Drinking in America is easy. You just drink.

The only rule I can think of is to not spill your drink.

But even if you do, it's not that serious. You'll just be "penalized" (with more alcohol).

This type of fun-loving behavior is fine in the US but in China, it can get you into some real trouble.

To help you avoid trouble, here are some things you should know before you lift your glass and yell "干杯" ( pronounced "Gan Bei" in Mandarin and is used during toasts. It literally means "dry cup".)

Respect Your Host and Elders

If you're invited to a banquet, wedding or drinking party, you need to be aware of who your host is and any elders or persons of respect (your boss, government official, etc.) You do this because sometime during the event, you MUST remember to toast these people and to say a few words of appreciation. If you don't, they will be deeply offended.

In addition to remembering to toast them, there are some rules surrounding the actual toast itself. Anytime you are toasting a superior, an elder or your host, you need to make sure:

1. Your cup is at least as full as theirs
2. Your cup is lower than theirs when you touch glasses during the toast. This means having the lip of your cup touch the middle of their cup.
3. You drink more than they do during the toast. If the person you are toasting goes bottoms up and finishes everything in the cup, you better go bottoms up as well. It can be really offensive if you don't.
4. You match the type of alcohol they toast you with. If they toast you with hard liquor and you're drinking beer, you're being rude.
5. To make eye-contact with the person you are toasting while you are drinking.  

Around a large banquet table, it may be tough to individually toast people so tapping the bottom of your glass against the Lazy Susan is an acceptable form for group toasts. When in doubt, just follow what everyone else is doing.

Prepare Yourself

If you are male and you are invited to a drinking event, prepare to get drunk. This is especially true if you are a foreigner because your Chinese associates will want to test your drinking prowess. If you agree to participate, you're pretty much in it until the end. There is no such thing as giving up. The silver lining is that if you get drunk with the Chinese, it shows that you trust them enough to do so and it can help you build deeper relationships and goodwill.

Another thing to prepare yourself for is 白酒 ("Bai Jiu" in Mandarin which stands for white liquor). This is the drink of choice in China and it tastes like rubbing alcohol mixed with turpentine. It's strong and can really hit you hard if you decide to drink it fast. If that's your cup of tea, then great. If not, I'm sorry to say that if you are in China, drinking bai jiu is unavoidable. 

It's Different for Women

Remember that drinking is only "required" of men. Women are usually let off the hook unless they really want to take part in the drinking. Although they don't have to drink alcohol, women still need to toast the host and their elders with a non-alcoholic drink. 

So if you're a man, don't pressure women to drink thinking that is the norm. If you're a woman, the sure-fire way to get out of drinking is to claim that you are pregnant. 

Despite all of these rules, drinking with the Chinese can be very enjoyable. Alcohol is usually accompanied by many course of tasty food and once people start getting some alcohol in their system, even the most straight laced become entertainers. At these drinking events, I've seen singing, dancing, joke-telling and unfortunately... vomiting.

The next time you're invited to a Chinese event, remember these rules.

For you experienced folks, was there a rule that I miss?

What was your experience drinking with the Chinese?

The Chinese Person's Guide to Dim Sum Etiquette: Tapping to Say Thanks!

Old people like dim sum too!

Being born in Hong Kong and growing up in a predominantly Cantonese culture in New York City, I have always looked forward to and still enjoy going to Yum Cha (literally "drink tea" in Cantonese). Most foreigners recognize this as "dim sum" and I have heard some even describe it as Chinese brunch (Quick Note: In Chinese, one would never say "Let's go to dim sum". It would always be "Let's go drink tea".  - this does not really translate well in English).


For those who still have no idea what I am talking about, "dim sum" is basically brunch (9am-2:30pm) usually at a noisy Chinese restaurant (not sure if there are really any quiet Chinese restaurants ... if there are, there were probably no Chinese people in it). At more traditional restaurants, the food is served on push carts heated by hot water to keep the food warm. Smaller restaurants may offer dim sum items off of a menu. Typical foods you will find are usually all types of dumplings, rice noodle, tripe, shumai, pheonix claws (the glorified name for chicken feet) and many other Cantonese style foods. The word "dim sum" (点心 - "dian xin" in Mandarin and of course "dim sum" in Cantonese) literally means small snack. 

Dim sum literally means "snack"

There are always people having dim sum. During the weekdays, you'll see the older retired crowd. During the weekends, restaurants will be crowded with families and other groups looking to spend their late-morning eating tasty food, drinking tea and catching up with friends. It is a very Chinese experience that I recommend for everyone to try. It'll definitely help if you have a Chinese friend to help navigate but it is not necessary as most restaurants cater to non-Chinese.      

2 finger for 2 legs

Now, if you ever been to dim sum or if you ever decide to go, one thing that you'll notice is people tapping their fingers on their table. Usually, it is a 2 finger tap (pointer and middle) and you will observe this when another person is pouring tea for the finger tapper. At first glance, this seems like a very rude gesture as it naturally looks like you are trying to hurry the tea pourer but in actuality, it is a sign of appreciation. 

So how did finger tapping become a sign for thank you? Well, according to one of my colleagues when I was working in China, this finger tapping goes way back during the era of Chinese dynasties when China had emperors. The story goes like this:

There once was an Emperor who wanted to experience the common life and to observe the commoners in there natural state so he disguised himself (how cliche, I know) and went into the city. Still being the emperor, he had to be accompanied by his top officials and bodyguards. One day as they stopped at a restaurant, the Emperor wanted to pour tea for his companions but the general rule was that you had to bow to the Emperor when in the presence of the Emperor and especially if the Emperor is doing something for you. In order to stay incognito but still allow his subjects to abide by the rules, the Emperor ordered his companions to "bow" to him every time he poured them tea by tapping 2 fingers on the table with the fingers signifying the bended knees. This custom has carried on since and ahs expanded outside of the dim sum context (it's pretty much anytime when someone is pouring something for someone else). 

So, if you want to impress your Chinese friends, let them see you tap your fingers whenever someone is pouring you something to express "Thanks!". 

If you know of another version of the story that explains the finger tapping, feel free to share in the comments section. 

You can find dim sum in almost all Cantonese restaurants. If you are ever in NYC, some excellent dim sum places I recommend are (email me if you can't find it on google):

1. Golden Unicorn (Manhattan Chinatown - 18 East Broadway)
2. East Harbor Seafood Restaurant (Brooklyn Chinatown - 65th Street and 7th Ave)
3. Ping's Seafood Restaurant (Manhattan Chinatown - Mott Street)

If you know of any good dim sum restaurants in your city or country, please feel free to list it in the comments section. I am always looking for good dim sum restaurants!

There are 8 Chinese Cuisines?? - What a Chinese American Didn't Know About Chinese Food

Ever since I was born, I ate Chinese food. I ate it at home and I ate it when I went out so naturally I thought I've seen and tasted it all.

That all changed when I moved to China for work.

It was there where I learned that I've only been eating a very specific Chinese cuisine. I didn't even know there were different cuisines. What's interesting is that they're all significantly different from each other. Since then, I've tried each type and learned to appreciate the qualities of each one.

This is probably not a shocker for anyone from China but for any Chinese-Americans out there, here is the list of the Eight (yes, eight!) Chinese cuisines conveniently named for the region they come from:

Zhejiang

This is the cuisine from my parent's hometown in Hangzhou. The taste is light and the popular ingredients is fresh fish, bamboo shoots and seafood. The major cooking methods are stir-frying, braising and steaming. Vinegar and sugar is the most popular marinade for meat and fish.

Hangzhou is also known for it's Longjing Tea.

Popular dishes: Shrimp in Longjing Tea and Dongpo Pork

Also known as Zhe Cai (Cai means cuisine in Chinese)

Jiangsu

Jiangsu cuisine comes from a region not too far from Hangzhou. The food is more flavorful than Zhe Cai and the major flavors are salty and sweet. There is an emphasis on freshness and the use of soup. The main cooking methods are braising, stir-frying and stewing. Presentation is also an important element in Jiangsu cuisine.

Popular dishes: Salted Dried Duck, Thin Tofu Skin, Lion's Head (meatball in crab shell powder)


Also known as Su Cai.

Fujian

We now head south to the Fujian region. The popular flavor is sweet and sour. The major cooking method is to cut up the food and then to stir-fry them or put them in soup. Common ingredients include seafood, pork, duck, chicken and beef. 

Popular dishes: Fried Xi Shi's Tongue (Mussels), Buddha Jumps Over the Wall (Sharkfin Soup), Jade Pearl Abalone

Also known as Min Cai.

Shandong

Shandong cuisine is crispy and salty. Since Shandong is in Northern China, there is a much higher use of Chinese bread than rice. Onion and garlic are common seasoning and most food are cooked through braising, stir frying and frying. Soups are also part of this cuisine. The common ingredients are seafood and vegetables.

Popular dishes: Braised Abalone, Crispy Carp, Sea Cucumber with Meatballs, Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea (Braised Shark Fin Soup)

Also known as Lu Cai.

Guandong

Growing up in New York, Guandong cuisine was by far the most popular cuisine. The flavor is sweet and the food can be both light and heavy. Ingredients include almost anything. Southern China has always been known to eat anything that flies, crawls, walks or swims. Foods are cooked by braising, sauteing, steaming or stewing and seasonings used are sugar and spiced salt.

Popular dishes: Suckling Pig, Won Ton, Dim Sum (spring rolls), Egg Custards


Also known as Cantonese Food or Yue Cai.

Sichuan

When people hear Sichuan (sometimes spelled Szechuan), they think spicy. The flavors are bold and there is alot of chili, garlic, peppers, gingers and peppercorns used. Peanut is also used as a common ingredient. Food is prepared with braising, stewing or stir-frying.

Popular dishes: Ma-Po Tofu (Stir-fried tofu with minced beef in spicy bean sauce), Twice-Cooked Pork, Kung Pao Chicken and Tea-Smoke Duck


Also know as Chuan Cai.

Hunan

Hunan cuisine is also spicy and food is commonly sauteed, stir-fried, stewed, steamed or smoked. The flavors are strong and common ingredients are meats, cabbage and frogs' legs. There is heavier use of oil and the colors are strong.

Popular dishes: Crispy Duck, Dong'an Chicken and Orange Beef.

Also known as Xiang Cai.

Anhui

Foods are commonly braised or stewed and considered healthier than other cuisines because there is less frying. Often-used ingredients include ham, mushrooms, berries and bamboo shoots. Seasoning is mainly sugar based.

Popular dishes: Braised Turtle with Ham, Fuliji Grilled Chicken, Dried Mushrooms, Stinky Tofu

Also known as Hui Cai.

So there it is, a short guide to different cuisines. Most restaurants will have on their signs or menus the type of cuisine they serve so I encourage you to try all the different foods.

Feel free to talk about your own experiences with these different Chinese cuisines in the comments section.