The Eight Chinese Cuisines

China is large, how many Chinese cuisines are there? Chinese cuisines have been divided into ‘Eight Great Cuisines’ (八大菜系bā bǎo cài xì). Each cuisine represents a certain region.

1, Shangdong Cuisine

With the longest history, Lu Cuisine is ranked #1 of the eight cuisines!

Lu Cai – 鲁菜 lǔ cài
Shandong Province (jinan, qingdao)
Two predominant styles: Jiaodong and Jinan.

Salty and crispy, using shallots & garlic, favoring braising and seafood.
chinesecuisine

 

糖醋鲤鱼
Sweet and Sour Carp

德州扒鸡
Dezhou Braised Chicken

 

 

 

2, Sichuan Cuisine

Chuan Cai – 川菜
Sichuan Province (chongqing, chengdu)

Spicy, mouth-numbing, using lots of chili, fermented bean paste, Sichuan peppercorn.

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四川火锅
Sichuan Hot Pot

麻婆豆腐
Mapo Tofu

 

 

 

3, Cantonese Cuisin

Yue Cai – 粤菜 yuè cài
Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macau

Sweeter, fresh, mild and natural taste.
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清蒸鱼
Cantonese Steamed Fish

虾饺
Cantonese-style shrimp dumplings

 

 

 

 

4, Jiangsu Cuisine

Su Cai – 苏菜 Sūcài
Jiangsu Province (Nanjing, Huai’an, Suzhou)

Umami, mild, slightly sweet, and natural, delicate dish appearance.

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松鼠桂鱼
Sweet and Sour “Squirrel” Fish

 

 

5, Hunan Cuisine

Hunan Cai- 湘菜 Xiāngcài
Hunan Province (Changsha)

Quite spicy, hot, salty, preference for chili & fermented soya beans.

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剁椒鱼头
Fish Head with Chopped Chili

 

 

 


6, ZheJiang Cuisine

ZheJiang Cai – 浙菜 zhè cài
Zhejiang Province (Ningbo, Hangzhou,shaoxing)

Light and fresh, crisp and tender; good at controlling fire heat;
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西湖醋鱼
West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy

叫花童鸡
Beggars’ Chicken

 

 

 


7, Anhui Cuisine

Hui Cai-徽菜Huīcài
Anhui Province (the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers)

Salty and fresh, light, preserving the original flavor of ingredients;

huicuisine

 

臭鲑鱼
Marinate Mandarin fish

 

 

 


8, Fujian/Min Cuisine

Min Cai-闽菜 Mǐncài
Fujian Province (Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Xiamen)

Umami, sweet and sour; special condiment red vinasse, sea food widely used.
mincuisine

 

佛跳墙
Buddha/Monk Jumps Over the Wall

 

 

佛跳墙 (fó tiào qiáng) suggests that it’s so tantalizing that a monk would break all restraint and jump over the monastery wall to have a taste!

Which type of cuisine is your favorite? What other popular Chinese dishes and do you know? Let us know!
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