Food is the foundation of life. Each country has its own traditional diet culture and each region has unusual eating habits and a propensity of taste. American people like French fries and hotdogs, and Europeans love steak. Chinese food is constantly attracting billions of people with different, special ingredients and spices.

Chinese Custom of Diet

The traditional customary diet of China is plant-based food. The staple food is a grain with all kinds of complementary vegetables, as well as a small amount of meat. Eating warm and cooked food is another major Chinese dietary custom. This is related to the early civilization of China and the development of cooking techniques. A melon can be cooked over ten ways, a dish can have dozens of tastes and a meal can get all kinds of collocations.

Eight Major Cuisines in China

China has a long history of food culture. The formation of cuisine is inseparable from its long history and unique cooking characteristics. Moreover, it is also affected by geography, climatic conditions, natural resources and eating habits in this area. There are eight major cuisines in China: Lu, Chuan, Yue, Su, Min, Zhe, Xiang, and Hui. Some people describe the “eight cuisines” by anthropomorphic portrayal: “Su” and “Zhe” look like the graceful beauty girls who are from the south of China; “Lu” and “Hui” are strong and simple men from north; “Yue” and “Min” resemble romantic and elegant boys; “Chuan” and “Xiang” are like celebrities with morality and talent. The cooking methods of the eight cuisines have their own charms and features.

 1. Lu (Shandong)

“Lu,” the top of the eight cuisines, originates in Shandong with a long history. The characteristics of this cuisine are fresh, crisp, and original tastes.

2. Hui (Anhui)

“Hui,” also known as “Wan,” cooks ham and bone soup as the main food. The soup includes rich bones’ original flavors and abundant nutrition.

3.Su (Jiangsu)

Jiangsu cuisine is known for stewing, braising, steaming, and frying, which pays attention to keeping original vegetable juice. Its tastes are flavorful rather than greasy and light rather than insipid.

4. Zhe (Zhejiang)

“Zhe” is a neighbor of “Su.” The food is popular through the north and south of China, and the most famous cooking is “Dongpo.” “Dongpo” cooks with half of the fat pork and a half of lean pork. The final product is bright red, such as agate, and the taste is that soft instead of rotten, and fat instead of greasy.

5-6. Chuan (Sichuan) and Xiang (Hunan)

“Chuan” and “Xiang” are “twin sisters” because they are both very hot and spicy. If you have a meal in Sichuan or Hunan, you will experience delightfully spicy food, and keep drinking water. However, you will not want to stop eating and will fall in love with them. The differences between them are that “Chuan” is pungent and spicy, such as Hotpot, and “Xiang” is sour and spicy.

7. Min (Fujian)

Different from the spicy of “Chuan” and “Xiang,” “Min” is fresh and mellow and is good at cooking a variety of seafood; especially, soup is the essence of “Min.” The most famous cooking is “Fo Tiao Qiang,” which is made of 18 pricey ingredients, including shark fin, abalone, sea cucumber, ginseng, and scallops, all together for hours with premium Shaoxing rice wine.

8. Yue (Guangdong)

Most of the Chinese restaurants all over the world are “Yue.” “Yue” is good at frying and requires chefs to master the fire, cooking temperature and cutting skills perfectly. Yue’s seafood, soup, vegetables, and sweet dishes are the best.

Traveling in China, you can taste the hot and spicy Hotpot, sour and spicy Sliced Fish, original Steamed Crabs, flavorful Roasted Lamb, fresh Garlic Vegetables, delicious Meatball soup, and many of HongKong’s desserts. From spicy to sweet and sour, salty to light, skilled cooking to the original flavor, China shows its own unique cuisines. Chinese profound culture is spread to all around the world.