|
Other
must-try Chinese
regional specialties
by an established authority

Click a regional name to jump to its location on this page.


Fukien
famous dishes

Popia
This is Fukien's best known specialty and is often used as a party dish. A
medley of
ingredients are slow-cooked in a large pot. Guests use this food as a filling
for thin pancakes, which are rolled and eaten with the fingers.

Buddha
Jumps Over The Wall
Various meats and vegetables are marinated and slowly cooked in seasoned wine. Legend has it
that it smells so good that a vegetarian Buddhist monk jumped over a wall to
taste it.


Culinary
personality
Fukien (pronounced foo-kee-en) is situated along the fish-and-shellfish-rich
East China Sea coast just north of Canton. It excels in clear soups and dishes
made with fish from the sea and mountain rivers. Seasoning is subtle and
freshness is emphasized.



Hunan

General
Tso's Chicken
Deep fried,
batter-encrusted chicken cubes are coated with a spicy, sweet-and-sour
garlicky sauce.

Smoked
duck
The bird flavored with the rising fumes of smoking tea leaves or camphor wood.


Seasoning
Hunan is known for its strong, fragrant, palate-scorching seasonings. It
vies with Sichuan for being China's chili-hottest cusine.



Jiangsu

Beggar's
Chicken
Centuries ago, a clever beggar wrapped a stolen chicken in wet clay, then cooked it buried
with hot coals in the ground so that the owner wouldn't notice the smoke. Cooks
today wrap the bird in lotus leaves before encasing it in clay - and use a regular oven.

Cha
Chiang Mein
This simple dish made with egg noodles with stir fried pork becomes outstanding
when made by a Jiangsu cook.

  

Salted
duck
It's prepared in many ways and in a variety of venues, from gourmet to street
stall. As with most salt-preserved foods, you need a salt-less accompaniment.
Steamed rice is perfect.


Geographic
influences
Jiangsu Province is situated just west of Shanghai. It has the latter's tendency
to slightly sweeten dishes but, also, has the Cantonese desire to bring out
natural flavors. Top Jiangsu cooks are noted for their enticing food
presentations.



Shandong

Sweet-and-Sour
Carp
You can find versions of this dish throughout China, but seldom will they be as
subtly delicious as found in Shandong.

Dezhou
Chicken
Cooked in a variety of ways, including roasting and braising. Long cooking
enriches the flavor of this celebrated chicken.


Shandong
cooking
It strives for freshness and simplicity - and has become a favorite
among Beijing denizens.



Tibetan

Yak
meat
It can be fried, stewed or grilled (or cooked in many other ways). There are
even yak burgers for Westerners.

Yak
Butter
Butter made from yak milk can be blended into tea (called Yak Butter Tea) or
used as a flavoring agent.


The
Yak
It not only plays a very important work role on the farm, its milk products
are dietary mainstays (and its meat is a treat to non-vegetarians).



Yunnan Province

Crossing The Bridge Noodles
This soup is Yunnan's most famous specialty. It is made with long
rice noodles, chicken and vegetables. The name "Crossing The Bridge Noodles"
refers to the act of a wife who was able to cross a bridge and deliver the soup
to her scholar husband before it became cold.

Steam-Pot
Chicken
The meat is steamed in a special pot with an open tube in its center.

Yunnan
Ham
Cured in the cool mountain air. Somewhat akin to the Smithfield Ham of Virginia.


Varied
local cuisines
Yunnan in southwestern China has extremely varied climates (tropical to
Himalayan) and a multi-cultural environment (25 ethnic
nationalities). This produces a wide range of local cuisines.



Click a Chinese region to
learn about its cuisine
and famous dishes












|