Ultimate China Bucket List: 60 Food Items You Should Try On Your Trip (2026)
Introduction
This list has been curated by me, a person who has worked part-time for 8 years in Chinese restaurants and takeouts in a European country.
Yes, I’m from a restaurant family. 👨🏻🍳
I am now in China permanently and frequently explore new dishes, with an aim to recommend them to family and friends.
I have hand-picked these dishes to suit the tastes of those most familiar with Westernised Chinese dishes.
As someone passionate about food, I know how to cook around half of the dishes on this list.
I recommend you prioritise the local dishes in the city you’re visiting first.
But you should be able to find excellent versions of the other dishes in any major city.
So, don’t fret. You won’t run out of options. 🍜
The items mostly originate from 5 major regions of China and only contains a few highlighted dishes for each region. You may have heard of some of them.
There are dozens more dishes for each cuisine and many more regional cuisines that have not been covered here.
Wishing you an amazing food journey throughout China! Do your best to “collect” all of these dishes during your trip! 🥢
Beijing cuisine
1. Peking duck | běi jīng kǎo yā | 北京烤鸭 ⭐
2. noodles with fried bean sauce | zhá jiàng miàn | 炸酱面
3. meat or vegetable dumplings🥟| jiǎo zi | 饺子 ⭐
4. mutton hotpot | shuàn yáng ròu | 涮羊肉
5. candied hawthorns | táng hú lu | 糖葫芦
Shanghai and Jiangsu cuisine (Huaiyang)
6. steamed soup dumplings | xiǎo lóng bāo | 小笼包 ⭐
7. pan-fried pork buns | shēng jiān bāo | 生煎包
8. red braised pork belly | hóng shāo ròu | 红烧肉
9. squirrel fish in sweet and sour sauce | sōng shǔ guì yú | 松鼠桂鱼
10. Yangzhou fried rice | Yáng zhōu chǎo fàn | 扬州炒饭
11. Shanghai fried noodles | Shàng hǎi Chǎo miàn | 上海炒面
❗Check out my list of 60 Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou dishes.
12. kung pao chicken | gōng bǎo jī dīng | 宫保鸡丁
13. twice cooked pork | huí guō ròu | 回锅肉
14. tofu in spicy sauce | má pó dòu fu | 麻婆豆腐
15. Sichuan/ Chongqing hotpot | Sì chuān huǒ guō/ Chóng qìng huǒ guō | 四川火锅/ 重庆火锅 ⭐
16. minced pork noodles with chili oil and Sichuan pepper | dàn dàn miàn | 担担面 ⭐
17. dry chili chicken | là zǐ jī | 辣子鸡
❗Check out my list of 33 spicy dishes.
Xi’an and Shaanxi cuisine
18. meat flatbread | ròu jiā mó | 肉夹馍 ⭐
19. hand pulled noodles in spicy sauce | biáng biáng miàn | 油泼扯面 ⭐
20. shredded flatbread soaked in lamb soup | yáng ròu pào mó | 羊肉泡馍
21. cold noodles in chili and vinegar sauce | liáng pí | 凉皮
22. grilled meat skewers | kǎo ròu chuàn | 烤肉串
All over China
23. sweet and sour pork (various styles) | táng cù lǐ jǐ / gū lū ròu | 糖醋里脊/咕噜肉
24. scrambled eggs and tomatoes | fān qié chǎo dàn | 番茄炒蛋
25. scallion pancake | cōng yóu bǐng | 葱油饼
Soups
26. hot and sour soup | suān là tāng | 酸辣汤
27. winter melon soup | dōng guā tāng | 冬瓜汤
28. pork ribs with carrots and sweetcorn soup | pái gǔ tāng | 玉米排骨汤
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Cantonese cuisine (Cantonese / Mandarin pronunciation)
29. shrimp dumplings | har gow / xiā jiǎo | 虾饺
30. pork dumplings | siu maai / shāo mài | 烧卖
31. rice noodle rolls | cheung fun / cháng fěn | 肠粉
32. barbecued pork buns | cha siu bao / chā shāo bāo | 叉烧包
33. custard buns | naai wong baau / nǎi huáng bāo | 奶黄包
34. barbecued pork | char siu / chā shāo | 叉烧
35. Cantonese roast goose | siu ngo / shāo é | 广式烧鹅 ⭐
36. roast pigeon | siu yu gap / shāo rǔ gē | 烧乳鸽
37. won ton noodles | wan tan min / yún tūn miàn | 云吞面⭐
38. stir fried beef rice noodles | gān chǎo níu hé | 干炒牛河
39. spring rolls | chūn juǎn | 春卷
40. deep fried won ton | zhá yún tūn | 炸云吞
41. pan fried dumplings | guō tiē | 锅贴
42. salt and pepper prawns | jiāo yán xiā | 椒盐虾
43. steamed fish | qīng zhēng yú | 清蒸鱼
44. claypot rice | bāo zǎi fàn | 煲仔饭
❗Check out my list of 80 Cantonese dishes.
Rice and Noodles
45. chow mein | chǎo miàn | 炒面
46. fried vermicelli | chǎo mǐ fěn | 炒米粉
47. beef noodle soup | niú ròu miàn | 牛肉面
48. egg fried rice | dàn chǎo fàn | 蛋炒饭
❗Check out my list of 30 noodle dishes.
49. crepe with various fillings (many varieties) | jiān bǐng | 煎饼 ⭐
50. deep fried dough | yóu tiáo | 油条
51. congee (many varieties) | zhōu | 粥
52. steamed buns (many varieties) | bāo zi | 包子 ⭐
53. beef pastry | niú ròu bǐng | 牛肉饼
All dumplings and buns on this page are suitable for breakfast. Don’t limit yourself to this little section. Go crazy while you’re here.
❗For more breakfast items, see this article.
54. pineapple bun | bō luó bāo | 菠萝包 ⭐
55. tofu pudding | dòu huā | 豆花
56. red bean soup | hóng dòu shā | 红豆沙
57. rice flour dumplings | tāng yuán | 汤圆
58. mango sago | yáng zhī gān lù | 杨枝甘露
59. egg tart | dàn tǎ | 蛋挞⭐
60. double-skin milk | shuāng pí nǎi | 双皮奶
❗For more desserts and snacks, see this article.
