ExploFood · Asia
What to eat in China
Five dishes to try in China, the most typical first.
Five dishes to try in China
Peking duck 北京烤鸭
Roast duck with crisp skin, carved and wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion and sauce.
How to have it: Book at a Beijing roast-duck house; one duck feeds two to four people.
Xiaolongbao 小笼包
Steamed pork dumplings filled with hot soup.
How to have it: A Shanghai speciality; nibble a hole, sip the soup, then dip in black vinegar with ginger.
Mapo tofu 麻婆豆腐
Soft tofu and minced beef or pork in a numbing, spicy Sichuan pepper sauce.
How to have it: Order it with plain rice in Chengdu; it is hot and tingly, so ask for 'wei la' for mild.
Hot pot 火锅
Simmering pot of broth at the table for cooking sliced meat, tofu and vegetables.
How to have it: Chongqing and Chengdu serve it fiery; a split pot (yuanyang) gives you one mild side.
Jiaozi 饺子
Boiled or pan-fried dumplings, usually filled with pork and cabbage.
How to have it: Ordered by weight in northern China; eaten at Lunar New Year and dipped in vinegar.
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Questions
What food is China famous for?
Peking duck (roast duck with crisp skin, carved and wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion and sauce) comes first on our list, followed by Xiaolongbao, Mapo tofu, Hot pot and Jiaozi.
What is the national dish of China?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for China is Peking duck: roast duck with crisp skin, carved and wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion and sauce. Book at a Beijing roast-duck house; one duck feeds two to four people.
Which dishes in China are vegetarian?
None of the five dishes on this page is vegetarian as usually made. Ask locally: many places have meat-free versions.
What street food should I try in China?
Xiaolongbao (steamed pork dumplings filled with hot soup) and Jiaozi (boiled or pan-fried dumplings, usually filled with pork and cabbage).
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.