The Food of China

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These notes were made during two weeks in China. These are just our food experiences and you may have a totally different experience depending on your budget, where you travel and where you eat. We spent most of our time in Beijing and Yangshuo.

There are big regional differences in the food of China. What food is availabale will depend on where you visit. In the north bread is a staple, while in the south it is rice. There is northern cuisine, sichuanese, cantonese and Shanghai cuisine - just some of the different regions.

Some Dishes We Enjoyed

• Kung Po Chicken - A peanut and chicken dish, very spicy (an also apparently very different to the North American version).
• Peking Duck - this is the most famous dish in China. Duck slices rolled in pancakes with spring onions, vegetables and a sweet bean sauce. You need to wait for it to be cooked for you, a good sign of freshness, and having to put it all together yourself makes it a special experience.
• Fried Rice (chow fan) - our servings of fried rice were very simialr to the offerings we get back in Australia, and just like back home the quality varies greatly between restaurants.
• Steamed Buns - steamed buns were a staple breakfast for us in Beijing (and for many loclas too), though with the language barrier finding out what was inside was not always easy.
• Dumplings - a popular dish with the kids

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