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China Recipes

Eight great culinary traditions inside one border. Not sure what to eat in China? Start with Zhajiangmian (Fried Sauce Noodles), Xiaolongbao, Nian Gao (New Year Rice Cake) and Youtiao and Soy Milk. Here are 11 authentic China recipes, each from a specific region, with cultural context and dietary substitutions for every table.
11 recipes
Mapo TofuSichuan, China · easy · 30 minSilken tofu in a glowing, numbing-hot chili bean sauce, Chengdu’s most famous export.
Char Siu (Cantonese BBQ Pork)Guangdong, China · medium · 60 minLacquered, honey-glossed barbecue pork with burnished edges, Guangdong’s roast-shop crown jewel, oven-adapted.
Dapanji (Big Plate Chicken)Xinjiang, China · medium · 65 minA heroic platter of chicken, potatoes, and peppers in a star-anise chili sauce, with wide noodles for the gravy.
Hongshao Rou (Red-Braised Pork)Shanghai, China · medium · 105 minPork belly lacquered in caramel, soy, and rice wine until it trembles, Shanghai’s definition of home.
Zhajiangmian (Fried Sauce Noodles)Beijing, China · easy · 40 minThick wheat noodles under a savory fried soybean-paste pork sauce, ringed by crisp raw vegetables you fold in yourself.
Kung Pao ChickenSichuan, China · easy · 30 minDiced chicken stir-fried with dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, and peanuts in a sweet-sour-savory sauce with real má-là kick.
Youtiao and Soy MilkSichuan, China · medium · 35 minCrisp, airy fried dough sticks dunked into a bowl of warm fresh soy milk, a classic Chinese breakfast.
XiaolongbaoShanghai, China · advanced · 75 minDelicate steamed dumplings with a thin pleated skin and a burst of hot pork soup inside, a Shanghai treasure.
TangyuanShanghai, China · medium · 45 minChewy glutinous rice balls with a sweet black sesame center in warm ginger syrup, a Chinese symbol of family reunion.
Nian Gao (New Year Rice Cake)Shanghai, China · medium · 65 minA dense, chewy steamed cake of glutinous rice flour and dark brown sugar, studded with jujube and walnut, eaten at Lunar New Year because its name puns on rising higher each year.
Jiaozi (Pork and Cabbage Dumplings)Beijing, China · medium · 75 minHand-folded wheat dumplings filled with pork, napa cabbage and ginger, boiled until plump, and eaten at Lunar New Year because their ingot shape promises good fortune.
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