Beijing cuisine

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Beijing cuisine
Dry for 5 hours cropped.jpg
Peking duck is a famous duck dish from Beijing
Beijing cuisine in Menkuang Hutong, which is a century-old restaurant Menkuang Luzhu.jpg
Beijing cuisine in Menkuang Hutong, which is a century-old restaurant

Beijing cuisine, also known as Jing cuisine, Mandarin cuisine and Peking cuisine and formerly as Beiping cuisine, is the local cuisine of Beijing, the national capital of China.

Contents

Background

As Beijing has been the capital of China for centuries, its cuisine is influenced by culinary traditions from all over China, but the style that has the greatest influence on Beijing cuisine is that of the eastern coastal province of Shandong. [1] [2] [3] [4] Beijing cuisine has itself, in turn, also greatly influenced other Chinese cuisines, particularly the cuisine of Liaoning, the Chinese imperial cuisine and the Chinese aristocrat cuisine. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Another tradition that influenced Beijing cuisine (as well as influenced by the latter itself) is the Chinese imperial cuisine that originated from the "Emperor's Kitchen" (御膳房; yùshànfáng), which referred to the cooking facilities inside the Forbidden City, where thousands of cooks from different parts of China showed their best culinary skills to please the imperial family and officials. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult to determine the actual origin of a dish as the term "Mandarin" is generalised and refers not only to Beijing, but other provinces as well. However, some generalisation of Beijing cuisine can be characterised as follows: Foods that originated in Beijing are often snacks rather than main courses, and they are typically sold by small shops or street vendors. There is emphasis on dark soy paste, sesame paste, sesame oil and scallions, and fermented tofu is often served as a condiment. In terms of cooking techniques, methods relating to different ways of frying are often used. [1] [4] There is less emphasis on rice as an accompaniment as compared to many other regions in China, as local rice production in Beijing is limited by the relatively dry climate.

Many dishes in Beijing cuisine that are served as main courses are derived from a variety of Chinese Halal foods, particularly lamb and beef dishes, [5] as well as from Huaiyang cuisine.

Huaiyang cuisine has been praised since ancient times in China and it was a general practice for an official travelling to Beijing to take up a new post to bring along with him a chef specialising in Huaiyang cuisine. When these officials had completed their terms in the capital and returned to their native provinces, most of the chefs they brought along often remained in Beijing. They opened their own restaurants or were hired by wealthy locals. [1] [4] The imperial clan of the Ming dynasty, the House of Zhu, who had ancestry from Jiangsu Province, also contributed greatly in introducing Huaiyang cuisine to Beijing when the capital was moved from Nanjing to Beijing in the 15th century, because the imperial kitchen was mainly Huaiyang style. The element of traditional Beijing culinary and gastronomical cultures of enjoying artistic performances such as Beijing opera while dining directly developed from the similar practice in the culture of Jiangsu and Huaiyang cuisines. [1] [2] [3] [4] [6]

Chinese Islamic cuisine is another important component of Beijing cuisine and was first prominently introduced when Beijing became the capital of the Yuan dynasty. However, the most significant contribution to the formation of Beijing cuisine came from Shandong cuisine, as most chefs from Shandong Province came to Beijing en masse during the Qing dynasty. Unlike the earlier two cuisines, which were brought by the ruling class such as nobles, aristocrats and bureaucrats and then spread to the general populace, the introduction of Shandong cuisine begun with serving the general populace, with much wider market segment, from wealthy merchants to the working class.

History

The Qing dynasty was a major period in the formation of Beijing cuisine. Before the Boxer Rebellion, the foodservice establishments in Beijing were strictly stratified by the foodservice guild. Each category of the establishment was specifically based on its ability to provide for a particular segment of the market. The top ranking establishments served nobles, aristocrats, and wealthy merchants and landlords, while lower ranking establishments served the populace of lower financial and social status. It was during this period when Beijing cuisine gained fame and became recognised by the Chinese culinary society, and the stratification of the foodservice was one of its most obvious characteristics as part of its culinary and gastronomic cultures during this first peak of its formation. [1] [2] [3] [4]

The official stratification was an integral part of the local culture of Beijing and it was not finally abolished officially after the end of the Qing dynasty, which resulted in the second peak in the formation of Beijing cuisine. Meals previously offered to nobles and aristocrats were made available to anyone who could afford them instead of being restricted only to the upper class. As chefs freely switched between jobs offered by different establishments, they brought their skills that further enriched and developed Beijing cuisine. Though the stratification of food services in Beijing was no longer effected by imperial laws, the structure more or less remained despite continuous weakening due to the financial background of the local clientele. The different classes are listed in the following subsections. [1] [2] [3] [4] [6]

Zhuang

Zhuang (; ; zhuāng; 'village'), or zhuang zihao (庄字号; 莊字號; zhuāng zìhào; 'village brand') were the top-ranking foodservice establishments, not only in providing foods, but entertainment as well. The form of entertainment provided was usually Beijing opera, and establishments of this class always had long-term contracts with an opera troupe to perform onsite or contracts with famous performers, such as national-treasure-class performers, to perform onsite, though not on a daily basis. Establishments of this category only accepted customers who came as a group and ordered banquets by appointment, and the banquets provided by establishments of this category often included most, if not all tables, at the site. The bulk foodservice business was catering at customers' homes or other locations, often for birthdays, marriages, funerals, promotions and other important celebrations and festivals. When catering, these establishments not only provided what was on the menu, but fulfilled customers' requests.

Leng zhuangzi (冷庄子; 冷莊子; lěng zhuāngzǐ; 'cold village') lacked any rooms to host banquets, and thus their business was purely catering.

Tang

Tang (; táng; 'auditorium'), or tang zihao (堂字号; 堂字號; táng zìhào; 'auditorium brand'), are similar to zhuang establishments, but the business of these second-class establishments were generally evenly divided among onsite banquet hosting and catering (at customers' homes). Establishments of this class would also have long-term contracts with Beijing opera troupes to perform onsite, but they did not have long-term contracts with famous performers, such as national-treasure-class performers, to perform onsite on regular basis; however these top performers would still perform at establishments of this category occasionally. In terms of catering at the customers' sites, establishments of this category often only provided dishes strictly according to their menu.

Ting

Ting (; ; tīng; 'foyer'), or ting zihao (厅字号; 廳字號; tīng zìhào; 'foyer brand') are foodservice establishments which had more business in onsite banquet hosting than catering at customers' homes. For onsite banquet hosting, entertainment was still provided, but establishments of this category did not have long-term contracts with Beijing opera troupes, so that performers varied from time to time, and top performers usually did not perform here or at any lower-ranking establishments. For catering, different establishments of this category were incapable of handling significant catering on their own, but generally had to combine resources with other establishments of the same ranking (or lower) to do the job.

Yuan

A Jing Jiang Yuan (Jing Jiang Yuan ) near Beihai, circa 1879. Jing Jiang Yuan .jpg
A Jing Jiang Yuan (京醬園) near Beihai, circa 1879.

Yuan (; ; yuán; 'garden'), or yuan zihao (园字号; 園字號; yuán zìhào; 'garden brand') did nearly all their business in hosting banquets onsite. Entertainment was not provided on a regular basis, but there were stages built onsite for Beijing opera performers. Instead of being hired by the establishments like in the previous three categories, performers at establishments of this category were usually contractors who paid the establishment to perform and split the earnings according to a certain percentage. Occasionally, establishments of this category would be called upon to help cater at customers' homes, but had to work with others, never taking the lead as establishments like the ting.

Lou

Lou (; ; lóu; 'story', 'floor'), or lou zihao (楼字号; 樓字號; lóu zìhào; 'story brand') did the bulk of their business hosting banquets onsite by appointment. In addition, a smaller portion of the business was in serving different customers onsite on a walk-in basis. Occasionally, when catering at customers' homes, establishments of this category would only provide the few specialty dishes they were famous for.

Ju

Ju (; ; 'residence'), or ju zihao (居字号; 居字號; jū zìhào; 'residence brand') generally divided their business evenly into two areas: serving different customers onsite on a walk-in basis, and hosting banquets by appointment for customers who came as one group. Occasionally, when catering at the customers' homes, establishments of this category would only provide the few specialty dishes they were famous for, just like the lou. However, unlike those establishments, which always cooked their specialty dishes on location, establishment of this category would either cook on location or simply bring the already-cooked food to the location.

Zhai

Zhai (; ; zhāi; 'study'), or zhai zihao (斋字号; 齋字號; zhāi zìhào; 'study brand') were mainly in the business of serving different customers onsite on a walk-in basis, but a small portion of their income did come from hosting banquets by appointment for customers who came as one group. Similar to the ju, when catering at customers’ homes, establishments of this category would also only provide the few specialty dishes they are famous for, but they would mostly bring the already-cooked dishes to the location, and would only cook on location occasionally.

Fang

Fang (; fǎng; 'workshop'), or fang zihao (坊字号; 坊字號; fǎng zìhào; 'workshop brand'). Foodservice establishments of this category generally did not offer the service of hosting banquets made by appointment for customers who came as one group, but instead, often only offered to serve different customers onsite on a walk-in basis. Establishments of this category or lower would not be called upon to perform catering at the customers' homes for special events.

Guan

Guan (; ; guǎn; 'restaurant'), or guan zihao (馆字号; 館字號; guǎn zìhào; 'restaurant brand'). Foodservice establishments of this category mainly served different customers onsite on a walk-in basis, and in addition, a portion of the income would be earned from selling to-goes.

Dian

Dian (; diàn; 'shop'), or dian zihao (店字号; 店字號; diàn zìhào; 'shop brand'). Foodservice establishments of this category had their own place, like all previous categories, but serving different customers to dine onsite on a walk-in basis only provided half of the overall income, while the other half came from selling to-goes.

Pu

Pu (; ; ; 'store'), or pu zihao (铺字号; 鋪字號; pù zìhào; 'store brand'). Foodservice establishments of this category ranked next to the last, and they were often named after the owners' last names. Establishments of this category had fixed spots of business for having their own places, but smaller than dian, and thus did not have tables, but only seats for customers. As a result, the bulk of the income of establishments of this category was from selling to-goes, while income earned from customers dining onsite only provided a small portion of the overall income.

Tan

Tan (; ; tān; 'stand'), or tan zihao (摊字号; 攤字號; tān zìhào; 'stand brand'). The lowest ranking foodservice establishments without any tables, and selling to-goes was the only form of business. In addition to name the food stand after the owners' last name or the food sold, these food stands were also often named after the owners' nicknames.

Notable dishes and street foods

Meat and poultry dishes

Bao du (top) Bao Du .jpg
Bao du (top)
Hot and sour soup Hot-and-Sour-Soup-Bowl.jpg
Hot and sour soup
Jing jiang rou si Jing Jiang Rou Si 01.jpg
Jing jiang rou si
Luzhu huoshao Luzhu Huoshao at Puhuangyu (20211114180041).jpg
Lǔzhǔ huǒshāo
Moo shu pork Mu xu rou.jpg
Moo shu pork
Prepared and sliced Peking duck Peking Duck 3.jpg
Prepared and sliced Peking duck
Shao yang rou, a mutton dish Shao Yang Rou at Xiangyunxuan, Niujie (20220923174540).jpg
Shao yang rou, a mutton dish
Stir-fried tomato and scrambled eggs TOMATOANDEGG GGSLDWT.jpg
Stir-fried tomato and scrambled eggs
EnglishTraditional ChineseSimplified ChinesePinyinNotes
Beef wrapped in pancake門釘肉餅门钉肉饼méndīng ròubǐng
Beggar's Chicken 富貴雞富贵鸡fùguì jīThe dish's name literally means "rich chicken" or "wealthy chicken". It is also known as jiaohua ji (叫化鸡; 叫化雞; jiàohuā jī). [7]
Cold pig's ears in sauce拌雙脆拌双脆bàn shuāngcuì
Dried soy milk cream in tight roll with beef fillings炸卷果炸卷果zhá juǎnguǒ
Fried dry soybean cream with diced meat filling炸響鈴炸响铃zhá xiǎnglíng
Fried meatballs炸丸子炸丸子zhá wánzǐ
Fried pig's liver wrapped in Chinese small iris炸卷肝炸卷肝zhá juǎngān
Fried triangle炸三角炸三角zhá sānjiǎo
Fried wheaten pancake with meat and sea cucumber fillings褡褳火燒褡裢火烧dālián huǒshāo
Glazed fried egg cake金絲糕金丝糕jīnsīgāo
Goat/sheep's intestine filled with blood羊霜腸羊霜肠yáng shuāngcháng
Hot and sour soup 酸辣湯酸辣汤suānlà tāng
Instant-boiled mutton 涮羊肉涮羊肉shuàn yángròuA variant of hot pot which usually features boiled water as base (no additional spices) and mutton as the main type of meat.
Lard with flour wrapping glazed in honey 蜜汁葫蘆蜜汁葫芦mìzhī húlú
Lotus ham蓮棗肉方莲枣肉方liánzǎo ròufāng
Lotus-shaped cake with chicken蓮蓬雞糕莲蓬鸡糕liánpéng jīgāo
Meatball soup 清湯丸子清汤丸子qīngtāng wánzǐ
Meat in sauce醬肉酱肉jiàngròu
Meat wrapped in thin mung bean flour pancake煎餅餜子煎饼馃子jiānbǐng guǒzǐ
Moo shu pork 木須肉木须肉mùxūròuLiterally "wood shavings meat"
Napa Cabbage Hot pot酸白菜火鍋酸白菜火锅suān báicài huǒguōA variant of hot pot of Northeast China origin. Its main ingredients are pickled Napa cabbage, cooked pork belly and other meats, and other typical dishes include leaf vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, egg dumplings, tofu, and seafood. The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce.
Peking barbecue北京烤肉北京烤肉Běijīng kǎoròu
Peking duck 北京烤鴨北京烤鸭Běijīng kǎoyāUsually served with pancakes
Peking dumpling北京餃子北京饺子Běijīng jiǎozǐ
Peking wonton 北京餛飩北京馄饨Běijīng húndùn
Pickled Chinese cabbage with blood-filled pig's intestines酸菜血腸酸菜血肠suāncài xuěcháng
Pickled meat in sauce清醬肉清酱肉qīngjiàngròu
Plain boiled pork白肉白肉báiròu
Pork in broth蘇造肉苏造肉sūzào ròu
Pork shoulder水晶肘子水晶肘子shuǐjīng zhǒuzǐ
Quick-fried tripe 爆肚爆肚bàodù
Roasted meat燒肉烧肉shāoròuCould be either beef, pork or mutton
Shredded mung bean skin salad拌皮絲拌皮丝bànpísī
Soft fried tenderloin 軟炸里脊软炸里脊ruǎnzhá lǐjī
Stewed pig's organs燉吊子炖吊子dùn diàozǐ
Stir-fried tomato and scrambled eggs 西紅柿炒雞蛋西红柿炒鸡蛋xīhóngshì chǎo jīdàn
Sweet and sour spare ribs糖醋排骨糖醋排骨tángcù páigǔ
Sweet stir-fried mutton / lamb它似蜜它似蜜tāsìmì
Wheaten cake boiled in meat broth 滷煮火燒卤煮火烧lǔzhǔ huǒshāo
Pea Flour Cake碗豆黄碗豆黄wǎn dòu huáng

Fish and seafood dishes

EnglishTraditional ChineseSimplified ChinesePinyinNotes
Abalone with peas and fish paste蛤蟆鮑魚蛤蟆鲍鱼hāmǎ bàoyúThe dish's name literally means "toad abalone".
Boiled fish in household-style家常熬魚家常熬鱼jiācháng áoyú
Braised fish酥魚酥鱼sūyú
Egg and shrimp wrapped in corn flour pancake糊餅糊饼húbǐng
Fish cooked with five kinds of sliced vegetable五柳魚五柳鱼wǔlǐu yú
Fish cooked with five-spice powder 五香魚五香鱼wǔxiāng yú
Fish in vinegar and pepper醋椒魚醋椒鱼cùjiāo yú
Fish soaked in soup乾燒魚干烧鱼gānshāo yú
Sea cucumber with quail egg烏龍吐珠乌龙吐珠wūlóng tǔzhūThe dish's name literally means "the black dragon spits out pearls".
Shrimp chips with egg金魚戲蓮金鱼戏莲jīnyú xìliánThe dish's name literally means "the goldfish playing with the lotus".
Soft fried fish軟炸魚软炸鱼ruǎnzhá yú

Noodles (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian)

EnglishImageTraditional ChineseSimplified ChinesePinyinNotes
Naked oats noodle莜麵搓魚莜面搓鱼yóumiàn cuōyú
Noodles with thick gravy Dalumian at Changranju Restaurant, Beijing (20211117173259).jpg 打滷麵打卤面dǎlǔmiàn
Sesame Sauce Noodles Noodles with sesame sauce before stirring (20220726112356).jpg 麻醬麵麻醬面májiàngmiànA popular noodle dish in Northern China. The sesame sauce is mainly made of sesame paste and sesame oil. In American cooking, the sesame paste is often substituted by peanut butter.
Zhajiangmian Noodles with diced meat soybean paste with 8 toppings (20210112174522).jpg 炸醬麵炸酱面zhájiàngmiàn

Pastries

EnglishImageTraditional ChineseSimplified ChinesePinyinNotes
Fried butter cake奶油炸糕奶油炸糕nǎiyóu zhágāo
Fried cake with fillings燙麵炸糕烫面炸糕tàngmiàn zhágāo
Fried sesame egg cake 開口笑开口笑kāikǒuxiàoThe dish's name literally means "open mouth and laugh/smile".
Fried tofu with egg wrapping鍋塌豆腐锅塌豆腐guōtà dòufǔ
Jiaoquan Jiaoquan.jpg 焦圈焦圈JiāoquānShaped like a fried doughnut, but has a crispier texture
Steamed egg cake碗糕碗糕wǎngāo
Sachima 沙琪瑪沙琪玛sàqímǎ Chinese pastry of Manchu origin similar looking to Rice Krispies Treats but different in taste

Vegetarian

Bingtanghulu Bingtanghulu.JPG
Bingtanghulu
A bowl of douzhi (left) with breakfast items Douzhi.JPG
A bowl of douzhi (left) with breakfast items
Nai lao (Beijing yogurt) Suan Nai  - Yoghurt - Iogurt @Wangfujing Food Market (9466868922).jpg
Nai lao (Beijing yogurt)
Liangfen MungBeanJelly.jpg
Liangfen
Shaobing Shaobing5.jpg
Shaobing
Traditional tangyuan with a sweet sesame filling Chinese Tangyuan.jpeg
Traditional tangyuan with a sweet sesame filling
Wotou Wo Wo Tou  (7376312092).jpg
Wotou
Xi gua lao Watermelon Agar Jelly.jpg
Xi gua lao
Zongzi both ready to eat (left) and still wrapped in a bamboo leaf (right) Zongzi.jpg
Zongzi both ready to eat (left) and still wrapped in a bamboo leaf (right)
EnglishTraditional ChineseSimplified ChinesePinyinNotes
Baked sesame seed cake 燒餅烧饼shāobǐng
Baked wheaten cake火燒火烧huǒshāo
Bean jelly 涼粉凉粉liángfěn
Bean paste cake涼糕凉糕liánggāo
Beijing yoghurt 奶酪奶酪nǎilào
Buckwheat cake扒糕扒糕pāgāo
Cake with bean paste filling豆餡燒餅豆馅烧饼dòuxiàn shāobǐng
Candied fruit蜜餞蜜饯mìjiàn
Chatang / Miancha / Youcha茶湯 / 麵茶 / 油茶茶汤 / 面茶 / 油茶chátāng / miànchá / yóuchá
Chestnut broth栗子羹栗子羹lìzǐ gēng
Chestnut cake with bean paste栗子糕栗子糕lìzǐ gāo
Chinese cabbage in mustard芥末墩芥末墩jièmò dūn
Crisp fritter麻頁麻页máyè
Crisp fritter with sesame薄脆薄脆báocuì
Crisp noodle饊子馓子sǎnzǐ
Crisp thin fritter twist排叉排叉páichā
Deep-fried dough cake油餅油饼yóubǐng
Dried fermented mung bean juice麻豆腐麻豆腐má dòufǔ
Dried soy milk cream in tight rolls腐竹腐竹fǔzhú
Fermented mung bean juice 豆汁豆汁dòuzhī
Freshwater snail-shaped cake 螺螄轉螺蛳转luósī zhuǎn
Fried cake炸糕炸糕zhágāo
Fried cake glazed in malt sugar 蜜三刀蜜三刀mìsāndāo
Fried dough twist麻花麻花máhuā
Fried ring焦圈焦圈jiāoquān
Fried sugar cake糖耳朵糖耳朵táng ěrduō
Fuling pancake sandwich 茯苓夾餅茯苓夹饼fúlíng jiábǐng
Glazed / candied Chinese yam拔絲山藥拔丝山药básī shānyào
Glazed steamed glutinous rice cake水晶糕水晶糕shuǐjīng gāo
Glazed thin pancake with Chinese yam and jujube stuffing糖卷果糖卷果táng juǎnguǒ
Glutinous rice ball艾窩窩艾窝窝àiwōwō
Glutinous rice cake切糕切糕qiēgāo
Glutinous rice cake roll卷糕卷糕juǎngāo
Hawthorn cake京糕京糕jīnggāo
Honeycomb cake蜂糕蜂糕fēnggāo
Iced fruit 冰果冰果bīngguǒ
Jellied beancurd豆腐腦豆腐脑dòufǔ nǎo
Kidney bean roll 芸豆卷芸豆卷yúndòujuǎn
Lama cake喇嘛糕喇嘛糕lǎmā gāo
Millet zongzi 粽子粽子zòngzǐ
Mung bean cake綠豆糕绿豆糕lǜdòu gāo
Noodle roll 銀絲卷银丝卷yínsījuǎn
Pancake 烙餅烙饼làobǐng
Pease pudding 豌豆黃豌豆黄wāndòu huáng
Preserved fruit果脯果脯guǒpú
Purple vine cake藤蘿餅藤萝饼téngluó bǐng
Rice and jujube cake甑糕甑糕zènggāo
Rice and white kidney bean cake with jujube盆糕盆糕péngāo
Rice cake with bean paste花糕花糕huāgāo
Shortening cake牛舌餅牛舌饼níushé bǐng
Soybean flour cake豆麵糕豆面糕dòumiàn gāo
Stir fried hawthorn 炒紅果炒红果chǎohóngguǒ
Stir-fried starch knots燒疙瘩炒疙瘩chǎo gēdā
Suncake 太陽糕太阳糕tàiyáng gāoNot to be confused with Taiwanese suncake, whose name in Chinese is (太阳饼; 太陽餅; tàiyáng bǐng) translates more literally as "sun cookie".
Sweet flour cake墩餑餑墩饽饽dūnbōbō
Sweet hard flour cake硬麵餑餑硬面饽饽yìngmiàn bōbō
Sweet potato starch jelly粉皮粉皮fěnpí
Sweetened baked wheaten cake糖火燒糖火烧táng huǒshāo
Tanghulu 糖葫蘆糖葫芦táng húlú
Tangyuan 湯圓汤圆tāngyuán
Thin millet flour pancake 煎餅煎饼jiānbǐng
Thin pancake薄餅薄饼báobǐng
Thin pancake of lard油皮油皮yóupí
Thousand-layered cake千層糕千层糕qiāncéng gāo
Veggie roll春餅卷菜春饼卷菜chūnbǐng juǎncàiNot to be confused with spring rolls.
Watermelon jelly 西瓜酪西瓜酪xīguā lào
Wotou 窝头窝头wōtóu
Xing ren cha 杏仁茶杏仁茶xìngrén chá
Xingren doufu 杏仁豆腐杏仁豆腐xìngrén dòufǔ
Yellow cake黃糕黄糕huánggāo

Beijing delicacies

Restaurants known for Beijing cuisine

Numerous traditional restaurants in Beijing are credited with great contributions in the formation of Beijing cuisine, but many of them have gone out of business. [1] [2] [3] [4] [6] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] However, some of them managed to survive until today, and some of them are:

The introduction board at the Bianyifang describes the restaurant's history Bianyifang.jpg
The introduction board at the Bianyifang describes the restaurant's history

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American Chinese cuisine is a cuisine derived from Chinese cuisine that was developed by Chinese Americans. The dishes served in many North American Chinese restaurants are adapted to American tastes and often differ significantly from those found in China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of China

Chinese cuisine comprises cuisines originating from China, as well as from Chinese people from other parts of the world. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has profoundly influenced many other cuisines in Asia and beyond, with modifications made to cater to local palates. Chinese food staples such as rice, soy sauce, noodles, tea, chili oil, and tofu, and utensils such as chopsticks and the wok, can now be found worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peking duck</span> Chinese cuisine dish

Peking duck is a dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the Imperial era. The meat is characterized by its thin, crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook. Ducks bred especially for the dish are slaughtered after 65 days and seasoned before being roasted in a closed or hung oven. The meat is often eaten with spring onion, cucumber, and sweet bean sauce, with pancakes rolled around the fillings. Sometimes pickled radish is also inside. Crispy aromatic duck is a similar dish to Peking duck and is popular in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hong Kong cuisine</span> Cuisine originating from Hong Kong

Hong Kong cuisine is mainly influenced by Cantonese cuisine, European cuisines and non-Cantonese Chinese cuisines, as well as Japanese, Korean and Southeast Asian cuisines, due to Hong Kong's past as a British colony and a long history of being an international port of commerce. Complex combinations and international gourmet expertise have given Hong Kong the labels of "Gourmet Paradise" and "World's Fair of Food".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foodservice</span> Catering industry

The foodservice or catering industry includes the businesses, institutions, and companies which prepare meals outside the home. It includes restaurants, grocery stores, school and hospital cafeterias, catering operations, and many other formats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goubuli</span> Brand of stuffed Chinese bun

Goubuli, also sometimes transcribed as Go Believe, is a brand of stuffed baozi from Tianjin, China. Founded in 1858, it is one of China's longest established brands. Each Goubuli bun has eighteen wrinkles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Chinese cuisine</span> Chinese cuisine developed by Chinese Canadians

Canadian Chinese cuisine is a cuisine derived from Chinese cuisine that was developed by Chinese Canadians. It was the first form of commercially available Chinese food in Canada. This cooking style was invented by early Cantonese immigrants who adapted traditional Chinese recipes to Western tastes and the available ingredients, and developed in a similar process to American Chinese cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cantonese restaurant</span> Type of Chinese restaurant

A Cantonese restaurant is a type of Chinese restaurant that originated in Southern China. This style of restaurant has rapidly become common in Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henan cuisine</span> Native cooking styles of the Henan province in China

Henan or Yu cuisine is an umbrella term used to define the native cooking styles of the Henan province in China. Henan is a province located in Central China and is often also referred to by the names Zhongzhou or Zhongyuan, which means ‘midland’. Being landlocked on all sides, the influence of localized culinary styles are plentiful to be observed in Henan cuisine. It incorporates a blend of culinary styles from Jiangsu and Beijing, which gives it a unique mix of taste. Henan cuisine is well known for its taste variety including a blend of sour, sweet, bitter, spicy and salty. There are a wide variety of Henan dishes, including carp with fried noodles in sweet and sour sauce, grilled head and tail of black carp, Bianjing roasted duck, stewed noodles with mutton, and spicy soup. Despite its mix of flavours within its culinary forms, Henan cuisine is not known to take them to the extreme. Rather, Henan cuisine is known for inducing a very moderate and balanced mix of flavours in its dishes. Henan has a long cultural history, which not only left precious cultural relics and historical sites but also Henan cuisine. Henan cuisine, has the honor of being one of China's oldest and most traditional cooking styles. There are more than 50 kinds of cooking methods in preparing Henan cuisine. The history of the province shows its relation to the affinity towards food culture among the people of Henan, where the motive to bring together the different tastes from the north and the south to blend it into one dish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese aristocrat cuisine</span>

Chinese aristocrat cuisine traces its origin to the Ming and Qing dynasties when imperial officials stationed in Beijing brought their private chefs and such different varieties of culinary styles mixed and developed over time to form a unique breed of its own, and thus the Chinese aristocrat cuisine is often called private cuisine. The current Chinese aristocrat cuisine is a mixture of Shandong cuisine, Huaiyang cuisine and Cantonese cuisine. As Beijing was the capital of the last three Chinese dynasties, most of the Chinese aristocrat cuisine originated in Beijing. Currently, there are a total of nine varieties of Chinese aristocrat cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairwood (restaurant)</span> Hong Kong fast food chain

Fairwood is a fast food chain offering Chinese and Western food. Founded in December 1972 in the Tsuen Wan district of Hong Kong, its current headquarters are located in North Point. Since that time, the company has grown to 98 outlets all over Hong Kong and 13 locations in Mainland China including major cities such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Beijing. Behind Café de Coral, Fairwood is the second largest fast food chain in Hong Kong and serves over 100,000 customers each day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bianyifang</span> Restaurant in Beijing, China

Bianyifang is a restaurant in Beijing, China, known for its signature dish, Peking duck. The restaurant Bianyifang was established in 1416 during the Ming dynasty, but its name dates back to roughly 1552. Several other branches of the restaurant also operate in Beijing and across China, under Bianyifang Group. Bianyifang is one of the most popular restaurants in China and has been reported on by a range of media outlets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heichinrou</span> Chinese restaurant in Yokohama, Japan

Heichinrou, is a Chinese restaurant located in the Chinatown of Yokohama, Japan. It is privately held and is the oldest operating Chinese restaurant in Japan. The Zhang (張) family first started the restaurant and operated for it for two generations, then the Bao (鮑) family for three generations until Tatsuo Hayashi (林達雄) took over. Today his son, Yasuhiro Hayashi (林康弘) operates as the seventh president. Heichinrou Japan and Heichinrou Hong Kong are separate entities with no financial association but both represented by Yasuhiro Hayashi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suanmeitang</span> Chinese beverage made from smoked plums

Suanmeitang or sour prune drink is a traditional Chinese beverage made from smoked plums, rock sugar, and other ingredients such as sweet osmanthus. Due to the sour plums used in its production, suanmeitang is slightly salty in addition to being sweet and rather sour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China Time-honored Brand</span>

China Time-honored Brand is a title granted by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China to Chinese enterprises that existed before 1956, sell products, techniques or services passed down through generations, have distinct Chinese cultural characteristics and are widely recognized by society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xiaochi</span> Category of street food

Xiaochi is an important category of Chinese street food, commonly found in Chinese populated communities around the world. Xiaochi are substantial snacks, which can be eaten together or with more substantial dishes like the Spanish tapas or Middle Eastern Levantine meze, or alone as a light meal or snack like the French goûter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dashilan Subdistrict</span> Subdistrict in Xicheng, Beijing

Dashilan Subdistrict is a subdistrict on eastern side of Xicheng District, in Beijing, China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tianjin cuisine</span>

Tianjin cuisine, also known as Jin cuisine, refers to the native cooking styles of Tianjin, the largest port city in Northern China. Though heavily influenced by Beijing cuisine, Tianjin cuisine differs by being more focused on seafood. It is categorized by its freshness, saltiness and soft and crispy textures. Cooking methods include grilling, simmering, sautéing and steaming. With more than 300 years of history, the development of the Tianjin cuisine was highly dependent on the diet of boatmen and the salt trades due to its geographical location. Tianjin Food Street is a place where cross-cultural Chinese dishes may be found. Popular dishes include Eight Great Bowls, Four Great Stews, Tianjing goubuli, and Four Winter Delicacies, among others. Eight Great Bowls is a combination of eight different meat dishes. The Four Great Stews refers to a very large number of stews, including chicken, duck, seafood, beef, and mutton. Tianjin also has several famous snack items. Goubuli (狗不理包子) is a classic steamed stuffed bun (baozi) that is well-known throughout China. Guifaxiang (桂发祥麻花) is a traditional brand of mahua.

Restaurants in Guangzhou serves a wide range of food items, with each pertaining to specific ingredients or dishes. Most commercial restaurants in the city were established in the late Qing period and boomed in the early Republican period. The city came under siege in 1938, during the Second Sino-Japanese War. In this period, many restaurants ceased operation or were destroyed from warfare. Following the 1945 Chinese victory, the restaurant industry in Guangzhou once again boomed, pertaining to the city's population and economy boom.

References

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