25 National Dishes of China For First Time Tourists - According To Me! (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 can also cook over a hundred dishes myself.👨🏻🍳
I’m back in China and frequently explore new dishes, with an aim to recommend them to family and friends.
I have hand-picked these dishes to give you a balanced perspective of traditional Chinese cuisine. It barely scratches the surface, however.
This list is what I define as the essential list for a first time tourist to China + a reminder for those who have visited before.
It’s really difficult to narrow it down to 25 national dishes. The aim is a balance between familiarity and novelty.
No, this is not a list for Chinese locals. Most will appear in that list but there will be subtle differences.
Indeed, this is my personal opinion. Everyone will have their own opinion.
But if you ask someone to consider all of the regional cuisines and decide which ones will be the most popular among tourists from all over the world, it will look very similar to this.
Just some of the main highlights. Literally hundreds more.
You may have tried a few of the dishes like xiaolongbao or char siu pork in your home country.
I hope you’ll become an even bigger fan of Chinese cuisine.
I challenge you to “collect” as many of these tasty dishes as you can. Wishing you an amazing food journey throughout China! 🥢
1. Peking duck | běi jīng kǎo yā | 北京烤鸭
2. hotpot | huǒ guō | 火锅 (the most popular types are Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan)
3. soup dumplings | xiǎo lóng bāo | 小笼包
4. meat or vegetable dumplings | jiǎo zǐ | 饺子
5. pan-fried dumplings | guō tiē | 锅贴
6. barbecued char siu pork | chā shāo | 叉烧
7. red braised pork | hóng shāo ròu | 红烧肉
8. won ton noodles | yún tūn miàn | 云吞面
9. pan fried crepe | jiān bing | 煎饼
10. meat flatbread | ròu jiā mó | 肉夹馍
11. fried dough stick and soy milk | yóu tiáo + dòu jiāng | 油条 + 豆浆
12. congee (many varieties) | zhōu | 粥
13. Lanzhou beef noodle soup | lan zhou niú ròu miàn | 兰州牛肉面
14. tofu in spicy sauce | má pó dòu fu | 麻婆豆腐
15. kung pao chicken | gōng bǎo jī dīng | 宫保鸡丁
16. sweet and sour squirrel fish | sōng shǔ guì yú | 松鼠桂鱼
17. steamed fish | qīng zhēng yú | 清蒸鱼
18. Yangzhou fried rice | yáng zhōu chǎo fàn | 扬州炒饭
19. claypot rice | bāo zǎi fàn | 煲仔饭
20. roast goose | shāo é | 烧鹅
21. shrimp dumplings + pork dumplings | xiā jiǎo + shāo mai | 虾饺 + 烧卖
22. pan-fried pork buns | shēng jiān bāo | 生煎包
23. hand pulled noodles in spicy sauce (from Xi’an) | biáng biáng miàn | 𰻞𰻞面/油泼面
24. minced pork noodles with chili oil and Sichuan pepper | dàn dàn miàn | 担担面
25. scrambled eggs and tomatoes | fān qié chǎo dàn | 番茄炒蛋
