Zhou dynasty, 1000s BCE
The five flavours
Early Chinese culinary theory establishes sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty as the foundation of balance in cooking, still cited today.
All books
Cuisine book · 4 cities · 11 dishes
China
Eight regional cuisines, one enormous table
Chinese food is not a single cuisine but a family of regional traditions shaped by climate, trade routes and dynastic history. From Cantonese steaming to Sichuan's numbing heat, each region defends its own flavour logic fiercely.
History
Where it all comes from
Tang & Song dynasties, 600-1200s
Regional cuisines diverge
Trade and migration spread rice culture south and wheat noodle culture north, setting the base for today's north-south divide.
Ming & Qing dynasties, 1300s-1900s
Imperial refinement
Court kitchens formalise banquet dishes and techniques; Cantonese trade ports absorb new ingredients via Guangzhou.
20th century
Migration and diaspora
Civil war and emigration spread regional Chinese cuisines worldwide, while Sichuan and Hunan chilli cooking rises in domestic popularity.
Today
Street food and fine dining side by side
Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurants and $2 noodle stalls both thrive, with regional pride stronger than ever.
Jump to a city
City 1 of 4
Beijing
Imperial court cooking and hearty northern wheat staples.
Peking duck
Imperial era, refined 1400s
Crackling lacquered skin carved tableside, wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion and hoisin.
Zhajiangmian
Qing dynasty
Wheat noodles tossed in a salty fermented soybean paste with minced pork.
Jianbing
Street food, 20th century
A crepe-like griddled pancake with egg, crispy wonton and chilli, folded and eaten on the go.
City 2 of 4
Chengdu
Sichuan's fiery, numbing chilli-and-peppercorn cuisine.
Mapo tofu
Qing dynasty, 1860s
Silky tofu in a fiery, mouth-numbing chilli-bean sauce with minced pork and Sichuan peppercorn.
Hotpot
Popularised locally, 1900s
A bubbling communal pot of chilli-oil broth for cooking thin-sliced meat and vegetables at the table.
Dan dan noodles
Street vendor dish, 1900s
Wheat noodles in a spicy sesame-chilli sauce with preserved vegetables and minced pork.
City 3 of 4
Guangzhou (Canton)
The birthplace of dim sum and delicate steaming technique.
Dim sum
Qing dynasty teahouse culture
Small steamed and fried plates — har gow, siu mai, char siu bao — wheeled around on trolleys for Sunday brunch.
Char siu
Centuries-old roasting tradition
Sweet-glazed barbecued pork, roasted hanging in shop windows across the city.
White cut chicken
Classic Cantonese technique
Poached whole chicken served with ginger-scallion oil, prized for its clean, tender simplicity.
City 4 of 4
Shanghai
Delicate, slightly sweet river-delta cooking.
Xiaolongbao
Late Qing dynasty, 1870s
Thin-skinned soup dumplings folded by hand, eaten in one careful, scalding bite.
Hongshao rou
Shanghainese home cooking
Braised pork belly in soy sauce and rock sugar until glossy and fall-apart tender.
Eaten something better?
Add it to your Wealin book — the place, the photo, the plate and the day you had it.