Know what to eat, where it belongs, and how to order it.

Peking Duck 北京烤鸭

Beijing's best-known banquet dish: roast duck carved into crisp skin and tender meat, eaten in thin pancakes with sweet bean sauce, scallion and cucumber.

Zhajiangmian 炸酱面

A Beijing staple of wheat noodles topped with a deeply savory fermented-bean and minced-pork sauce, balanced by crisp seasonal vegetable strips.

Jianbing 煎饼

A made-to-order savory breakfast crepe layered with egg, bean sauce, scallion, herbs and a crisp fried cracker, then folded for eating on the move.

Copper-Pot Lamb Hotpot 铜锅涮羊肉

A communal Beijing meal built around paper-thin lamb swished in a clear broth inside a chimney-shaped copper pot, then dipped in a rich sesame sauce.

Xiaolongbao 小笼包

Shanghai's signature steamed soup dumpling — thin-skinned, pleated, and filled with hot pork broth and minced pork; traditionally associated with the Nanxiang area.

Roughly 20-50 yuan per basket (6-8 pieces); crab-roe versions higher.

Shengjianbao 生煎包

Shanghai's beloved pan-fried bun — a crispy browned bottom, soft top, sesame and scallion, and a hot juicy pork filling inside. A classic breakfast and street snack.

Roughly 8-20 yuan per portion (4-6 buns).

Benbang 本帮菜

Shanghai's indigenous home-style cuisine — characterized by 'nong you chi jiang' (浓油赤酱): heavy oil, red soy sauce, and a sweet-savory balance that uses more sugar than northern or western Chinese cooking.

Casual benbang meal roughly 60-150 yuan per person; upscale restaurants higher.

Congyou Banmian 葱油拌面

Wheat noodles dressed with scallion-infused oil and a soy-based seasoning — deceptively simple, with the quality resting entirely on the scallion-oil technique. A cheap, satisfying Shanghai staple.

Roughly 12-25 yuan a bowl.

Hongshao Rou 红烧肉

The quintessential Shanghai home dish: pork belly red-braised in soy sauce, sugar, and Shaoxing wine until meltingly tender with a sweet-savory glaze.

Roughly 40-80 yuan for a shared portion at a casual restaurant.

Yangrou Paomo 羊肉泡馍

Xi'an's signature comfort dish: dense hand-broken flatbread simmered in a rich beef or mutton broth with meat, vermicelli and garlic. The bread-breaking ritual makes it as much an experience as a meal.

Roughly 30-50 yuan a bowl

Roujiamo 肉夹馍

Often called China's oldest 'burger': a crisp baked wheat bun stuffed with slow-braised, finely chopped meat. Cheap, fast and everywhere in Xi'an.

Roughly 8-20 yuan each

Liangpi 凉皮

Cool, springy noodles made from washed wheat or rice flour, dressed with vinegar, chili oil and sesame — Xi'an's go-to hot-weather dish.

Roughly 8-15 yuan a bowl

Biangbiang Noodles biangbiang面

Wide, hand-pulled 'belt' noodles finished with sizzling oil-splashed chili — a hearty Shaanxi classic famous for its almost unwritable character.

Roughly 15-30 yuan a bowl

Sichuan Hot Pot 四川火锅

Chengdu/Sichuan-style (川西) hot pot — a communal, simmering málà (numbing-spicy) broth built on vegetable oil (清油) and a dozen-plus compound spices, typically served as a yuānyāng (split spicy/clear) pot; diners cook shared ingredients at the table and dip at a self-serve sauce bar.

Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐

A málà-forward Sichuan classic of silky tofu in a glossy red sauce of chili oil and Pixian doubanjiang (郫县豆瓣酱), numbing with Sichuan peppercorn and studded with minced beef — classically described by the seven-character formula má là tàng xiān nèn xiāng sū.

Dan Dan Noodles 担担面

A dry-style Chengdu noodle: wheat noodles in a concentrated sesame-paste-and-chili base brightened by black vinegar and the salty-funky crunch of preserved mustard greens (芽菜), one of the seven canonical Sichuan flavour types.

Zhong Dumplings 钟水饺

A Chengdu heritage snack (小吃, founded at 荔枝巷 in 1893): pork-filled wheat dumplings dressed in a distinctive sweet-savory-spicy red-oil sauce with fùzhì sweet soy and garlic — gentle heat, not a fiery mála challenge.

Long Chaoshou 龙抄手

Chengdu wonton (抄手 = Sichuan term for wonton): thin-wrapper, tender pork-filled parcels in a pure pork-foot-and-chicken broth (clear/原汤) or tossed red-oil (红油) with a hint of Hanyuan pepper — milder and more balanced than heavy mála dishes.

Chuan Chuan Xiang 串串香

Hot pot's street-food cousin: the same málà broth but ingredients are threaded on thin bamboo skewers, cooked in a shared simmering pot; pay-by-skewer (often a few cents each), self-service fridge, bill counted by sticks. Originated in Chengdu in the 1980s.

Chongqing Hotpot 重庆火锅

A communal, intensely aromatic hotpot centered on beef tallow, dried chilies and Sichuan pepper, with diners cooking ingredients at the table.

Chongqing Xiaomian 重庆小面

A compact bowl of wheat noodles whose character comes from a layered seasoning base rather than a heavy topping.

Suanla Fen 酸辣粉

Springy sweet-potato noodles in a sharp, spicy and sour broth, commonly finished with peanuts, greens and preserved vegetables.

Jianghu Cuisine 江湖菜

A broad Chongqing style of bold, informal dishes known for assertive seasoning, generous portions and restaurant-specific specialties.

Douhua Rice 豆花饭

Soft tofu served with rice and a powerful dipping sauce, offering a comforting, less elaborate counterpoint to Chongqing's famous hotpot.

Dim Sum and Yum Cha 点心与饮茶

Small steamed, baked and fried dishes shared over tea, forming one of Guangzhou's defining social meals.

Rice Noodle Rolls 肠粉

Silky steamed rice sheets wrapped around fillings or served plain with a light soy-based sauce.

Cantonese Wonton Noodles 云吞面

Fine egg noodles in a clear broth with small shrimp-and-pork wontons, valued for springy texture and clean flavor.

Siu Mei Roast Meats 烧味

Cantonese roast meats displayed in shop windows, including char siu, roast goose and crispy pork.

White-Cut Chicken 白切鸡

Poached chicken served at room temperature with glossy skin and clean meat flavor, usually accompanied by ginger-scallion sauce.

Cantonese Sweet Soups 糖水

A broad family of light Cantonese desserts served warm or chilled, from sesame soup and tofu pudding to mango and sago combinations.