Traditional Chinese Cuisine: The Eight Regions

If you are a foodie like us, you probably have your “go-to” restaurants for the classics.
Chinese dishes such as hotpot, kungpao chicken, and beef noodles rightfully have earned fame, but what if I told you there is more? Historically, there are eight types of traditional Chinese cuisine, collectively known as 中国八大菜系 zhōngguó bādà càixì.

Characteristics: Ingredients often consist of wild plants and animals, including frog, turtle, pork, mountain herbs, and fungi. Cooking methods tend to be simple. As Anhui is a poorer province, huīcài is considered among the traditional Chinese cuisines to be peasant food.

Foods You Might Know:

Sweet potato noodles 红薯粉丝 hóngshǔ fěnsī
Preserved pork and bamboo shoots 火腿炖鞭笋 huǒtuǐ dùn biān sǔn

Characteristics: Seafood! Jiangsu is coastal, so it makes sense that chefs would utilize the resources at their disposal. Soups are a key dish, and plated food often employs fancy cutting techniques.

Within sūcài, there are six substyles: Huaiyang (most popular substyle of sūcài and the usual style for banquets), Nanjing, Yangzhou, Suzhou, Xuzhou, and Haizhou.

Foods You Might Know:

Lion's Head Meatballs 狮子头 shīzi tóu
Soup Dumplings 小笼包 xiǎo lóng bāo

Characteristics: Zhècài is comprised of much fish and seafood. Flavors tend to be mellow and food is often served raw or almost raw. Chefs favor fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Within Zhècài, there are three substyles: Hangzhou, Ningbo (famous for its “salty brine” stewing process), and Shaoxing.

Foods You Might Know:

Dongpo Pork 东坡肉 dōngpō ròu
West Lake Sweet and Sour Fish 西湖醋鱼 xīhú cù yú

Characteristics: Mǐncài sources ingredients from both seafood and mountain plants. Red rice wine is a popular cooking ingredient (hence the “drunken” dishes that are so famous). There is also a heavy emphasis on soup.

Within mǐncài, there are three substyles: Western Fujian, Southern Fujian, and Fuzhou.

Foods You Might Know:

Oyster Pancakes 蚵仔煎 hézǐ jiān
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall 佛跳墙 fútiàoqiáng

Where to Find It: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau

Characteristics: Yuècài focuses on seafood and rice dishes. Ingredients include lightly cooked fresh vegetables and meat, and sweet sauces. Flavors tend to be sweeter and popular cooking methods include braising and stewing.

Foods You Might Know:

Roast Pork Buns 叉烧包 chāshāo bāo
Egg Tarts 蛋塔 dàn tǎ