How well do you know Chinese food?
Chinese cooking is not one cuisine but many. These six questions, from easy to hard, explore famous dishes, techniques and flavours.
Did you know?
- Chopsticks have been used in China for more than 3,000 years. They were first used for cooking and later became the main eating utensil, partly because food was cut into small pieces before serving.
- Hot pot, a simmering pot of broth in the middle of the table, is especially popular in Sichuan and Chongqing. Diners cook their own meat and vegetables, and some broths are packed with dried chillies and Sichuan pepper.
- Mooncakes, round pastries often filled with lotus seed paste and salted egg yolk, are eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Their round shape symbolises family reunion and the full moon.
Many cuisines, one great tradition
China is so large that its cooking varies enormously between regions. Chefs often speak of 'Eight Great Cuisines', including Cantonese, Sichuan, Hunan, Shandong and Jiangsu styles. Rice dominates in the south, while wheat noodles and dumplings are more common in the north, reflecting what farmers could grow in different climates.
Balance and harmony
Traditional Chinese cooking aims to balance flavours, textures and colours in a meal. A table might combine something crispy, something soft, something spicy and something mild. Many dishes are also shared, so a meal is planned as a whole rather than as separate plates for each person.
The power of the wok
Stir-frying in a wok over very high heat cooks food quickly and adds a smoky flavour sometimes called 'wok hei', or 'breath of the wok'. Ingredients are cut into small, even pieces before cooking so they cook in seconds, keeping vegetables crisp and meat tender.
Fermentation and preservation
Soy sauce, fermented bean pastes, pickled vegetables and preserved eggs show how important fermentation is in Chinese cooking. These techniques developed to store food through the seasons and now provide many of the deep, savoury flavours the cuisine is known for.
Chinese food around the world
Chinese communities abroad adapted their cooking to local tastes and ingredients, creating dishes such as chop suey and General Tso's chicken that are rarely found in China. Today Chinese restaurants are among the most common in cities worldwide, and interest in authentic regional dishes keeps growing.
Food and festivals
Many Chinese dishes carry symbolic meanings, especially at festivals. During Lunar New Year, families in northern China make dumplings shaped like old silver ingots to wish for wealth, fish is served because its name sounds like the word for surplus, and long noodles represent long life. These traditions show how food in China connects family, language and hopes for the year ahead.