Food of China

Roast duck with crackling skin, carved and wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion and sweet sauce.

Sichuan stir-fry of diced chicken, dried chilies and peanuts in a tangy-sweet sauce.

Silky tofu and minced meat in a spicy, numbing sauce of chili bean paste and Sichuan pepper.

Crisp pork pieces glazed in a bright, tangy-sweet sauce with pineapple and peppers.

Honey-glazed roast pork with a sticky, caramelized crust, sliced over rice or in buns.

Sichuan dish of boiled then stir-fried pork belly with leeks and chili bean paste.

Hangzhou-style braised pork belly cubes, meltingly tender in a sweet soy sauce.

Shanghai-style pork belly braised slowly in soy, sugar and spices until glossy.

A homey, quick dish of soft eggs and juicy tomatoes served over rice.

Fish-fragrant eggplant in a garlicky, sweet-sour-spicy sauce, with no fish in it.

Cantonese-style fish steamed with ginger and finished with hot oil and soy.

Stir-fried noodles with vegetables and meat in a savory sauce.

Day-old rice wok-fried with egg, scallions and vegetables.

Northern noodles topped with savory fried soybean paste and pork, with fresh cucumber.

Fluffy steamed buns with pork, vegetable or sweet fillings.

Thin egg crepe with sauce and a crispy cracker, folded hot on the street.

Creamy rice porridge with toppings like ginger, scallions and shredded chicken.

Small plates of dumplings, buns and rolls shared with tea.

Long golden fried dough sticks dipped in warm soy milk.

Eggs simmered in tea, soy and spices so the cracked shells leave a marbled pattern.

Steamed soup dumplings with a burst of hot broth inside.

Spicy Sichuan noodles with minced pork and sesame sauce.

Xi'an's crisp flatbread stuffed with chopped braised pork, often called a Chinese hamburger.

Skewered, spiced and grilled meat, popular at night food stalls.

Skewered fruits coated in a hard, glassy sugar shell.

Layered, flaky flatbread fried until crisp, with scallions folded in.

Pan-fried pork buns with a crisp bottom and soupy filling.

Fermented tofu fried and served with chili and pickles; bold in aroma, mild in taste.

Simmering broth at the table for cooking thin meats, vegetables and tofu.

Hand-pulled noodles in a clear beef broth with radish and chili oil.

Shrimp and pork dumplings floating in a light, clear broth.

Peppery, tangy soup with tofu, mushrooms and egg ribbons.

Simple, silky chicken broth with wisps of beaten egg.

Clear soup of tender winter melon, often cooked with pork ribs or dried scallops.

Crushed cucumbers dressed with garlic, vinegar and chili oil.

Cold, chewy wheat or rice starch noodles in a spicy, tangy dressing.

Chilled noodles in a creamy sesame-soy sauce with cucumber.

Plain steamed bread rolls, soft and slightly sweet, served with meals.

Sesame-topped baked flatbread, sometimes stuffed with savory fillings.

Round pastries filled with lotus seed paste and salted egg yolk.

Glutinous rice balls with sweet sesame filling in ginger syrup.

Warm, sweet soup of simmered adzuki beans, sometimes with tangerine peel.

Flaky or shortcrust shells filled with smooth egg custard.

Chilled dessert of mango, pomelo and tapioca pearls in coconut milk.

Green tea scented with jasmine blossoms, floral and light.

West Lake green tea from Hangzhou, nutty and gently sweet.

Freshly made, warm soy milk served sweet or savory at breakfast.

Light, floral infusion enjoyed warm or cooled, often with rock sugar.

Smoky-sour plum drink served ice-cold in summer.

Juicy, floral white-fleshed fruit with a bumpy red skin.

Sweet orange fruit eaten fresh or dried in autumn.

Giant, mild citrus with thick rind and sweet-tart segments.

Small round fruit with translucent, sweet flesh; sometimes called dragon eye.

Easy-peel sweet citrus grown across southern China.

Chewy red date used fresh, dried and in sweet soups and teas.

Golden spring fruit with sweet-tangy juicy flesh.

Deep red, tart-sweet summer berry from southern China.