Deep Dive: Making Chinese Pickles and Ferments
Welcome to our culinary odyssey through the diverse flavors of China, where we invite you to delve further into the distinct cooking styles and ingredients of various Chinese regions. Explore a rich tapestry of specialty regional flavors as you navigate through provinces, from the numbing and firey Southwest to the delicate and seafood-driven nuances of Southern and Eastern cuisine. Here you’ll find traditions, techniques, and tastes that define each unique part of China’s culinary map.
Regional Chinese Gastronomy
China can be geographically and culturally divided into six cardinal regions, which we use as a rough guideline for categorizing our recipes. You may also be familiar with the eight famous cuisines, each shaped by the geography, climate, and cultural influences of its surroundings:
- Lu (Shandong): 魯菜, lǔcài; representative of the culinary North
- Chuan (Sichuan): 川菜, chuāncài; representative of the culinary West
- Yue (Guangdong): 粵菜, yuècài; representative of the culinary South
- Su (Jiangsu): 蘇菜; sūcài; including Huaiyang cuisine, representative of the culinary East
- Xiang (Hunan): 湘菜; xiāngcài
- Hui (Anhui): 徽菜, huīcài
- Min (Fujian): 閩菜; mǐncài
- Zhe (Zhejiang): 浙菜; zhècài

Chinese Cuisine by Region
Southwest China (Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan)
Sichuan cuisine dates back over 2,000 years and is known for its use of numbing Sichuan pepper, spicy chili peppers, fresh vegetables, and bold flavors. The mountain-locked, humid Sichuan basin is ideal for growing produce, earning it the nickname “Land of Abundance”. Chongqing, a separate municipality since 1997, is geographically part of the same region.
Yunnan cuisine developed in the Yunnan plateau, a diverse cultural and physical landscape known for its high mountains, subtropical forests, and extraordinary biodiversity. The variety of fresh, local ingredients matches its wide range of flavors, which reflect the many ethnic groups living in Yunnan (home to 25 of China’s official 55 ethnic minorities). Culinarily, the region is particularly famous for its abundance of wild mushrooms and being the birthplace of tea.

Beef, Lamb & Game
The Queen of Mapo Doufu Recipes (Mapo Tofu)
Deep Dive: Making Chinese Hotpot and Drypot
Sichuan Mala Hotpot, From Scratch (Mala Huoguo With Tallow Broth)
Southern/South-Central China (Guangdong, Hunan)
Guangdong province, the origin of Cantonese cooking, is known for its fresh seafood and vegetables and its light, sweet flavor profile. This is the home of dimsum, a variety of small, steamed dishes that are typically served for breakfast or brunch. Today Guangdong food in some shape or form is the most prevalent form of Chinese food outside China, in large part due to the earliest waves of Chinese immigrants abroad coming from within Guangdong province.
Hunan cuisine is known for being even hotter than Sichuan cuisine. Hunan people love chilies even more than Sichuan people, but the distinction is that they don’t combine it with huajiao. To be even more specific, fresh or pickled chili is prolific in Hunan cuisine, whereas Sichuan cuisine often relies on doubanjiang (fermented chili broad bean paste) and dried chilies.

How to Cook With Chinese Noodles
Cantonese Beef Chow Fun (Ft. Dried Ho Fun Noodles)
How to Cook With Douchi (Fermented Soybeans)
Hunan Pan-Fried Tofu With Black Bean Sauce (Jiaxiang Doufu,家乡豆腐)
Bao & Dumplings
Chasiubao (叉烧包) BBQ Pork Buns: From Scratch
Eastern China (Jiangnan, Shanghai, Zhejiang)
Eastern Chinese cuisine is a broad term that encompasses the cuisines of the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, and Jiangxi. These cuisines share some common characteristics, such as the use of fresh, seasonal ingredients, light flavors, and delicate cooking techniques.
Jiangnan cuisine encompasses cities south (南, nán) of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River, like Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuxi, Hangzhou and Suzhou. It is one of the most popular and influential cuisines in Eastern China, known for its subtle sophistication and creative mastery of the region’s fresh seafood, vegetables, and herbs. The light and delicate flavors lend itself well to steaming and braising.

Bao & Dumplings
Danjiao (蛋饺) Egg Dumplings ft. Pork and Ramps
Bao & Dumplings
Changzhou’s Small Foot Zongzi (Xiaojiao Zongzi, 小脚粽子)
Northern China (Shanxi, Beijing)
From the vast North China Plain comes Northern Chinese cuisine, a major wheat-producing and wheat-consuming region. As such, wheat is a staple ingredient here, found morning through night in some form of noodle, dumpling, and bun. Northern China is also home to a large number of livestock, like sheep, goats, and cattle. In the cold winters, vegetables are scarce save for hardier types like cabbage, so you’ll find many hearty and filling dishes based on these availabilities.

Northwest China (Xinjiang, Sha’anxi/Xi’an)
Northwest China is heavily influenced by its nomadic origins, arid climate and border with Central Asia. As home to a large number of sheep, lamb is a staple ingredient here. Many Northwest Chinese dishes, such as lamb skewers and hand-ripped noodles, are similar to dishes that are found in Central Asia.

Beef, Lamb & Game
Xinjiang Cumin Lamb (Ziran Yangrou, 孜然羊肉)
How to Cook With Chinese Noodles
Spicy Cumin Beef on Knife-Cut Noodles (Ft. Dried Daoxiaomian)
Deep Dive: Making Sichuan Shaokao BBQ
Sichuan-Style Shaokao (Chinese BBQ, 烧烤)
How to Cook With Chinese Noodles
Gansu Vegetarian Hand-Pulled Noodles (Chao Latiaozi, 炒拉条子)
All Specialty Regions
Deep Dive: Making Chinese Hotpot and Drypot
Mala Dry Pot With Shrimp, Tofu and Pork Belly (Ganguo 干锅/Mala Xiangguo 麻辣香锅)
Deep Dive: Making Chinese Hotpot and Drypot
Sichuan Dry Pot With Chicken Wings and Shrimp (Ganguo Jichi Xia 干锅鸡翅虾)
Cold Dishes
Qianlong Cabbage (Qianlong Baicai, 乾隆白菜)
How to Cook With Douchi (Fermented Soybeans)
Cantonese Chicken With Black Bean Sauce (Douchi Ji, 豆豉鸡)
How to Cook With Douchi (Fermented Soybeans)
Hunan Pan-Fried Tofu With Black Bean Sauce (Jiaxiang Doufu,家乡豆腐)
How to Cook With Chinese Noodles
Southern Yunnan-Style Beef Noodle Soup (Niurou Mixian, 牛肉米线)
How to Cook With Chinese Noodles
Chongqing Blanket Noodles With Stewed Beef (Niurou Pugaimian, 牛肉铺盖面)
Restaurant Classics
Weeknight Hong Kong Clay Pot Rice (Bo Zai Fan, 煲仔饭)
Southwest (Sichuan, Yunnan)
Yunnan-Style Quick-Cooked Pork With Scallions and Garlic Chives (Xiaochao Rou; 小炒肉)
Bao & Dumplings