Regional Chinese cuisines

Many regional Chinese cooking styles are well represented in Shenzhen. Here are several to look out for:

Sichuan (川菜; chuancài)

Spicy and mouth-numbing (málà), thanks to the one-two punch of chillies and Sichuan peppercorns.

Hunan (湘菜;Xiāngcài)

Salty, spicy, oily and sour, characterised by pickled chillies and smoky pork. Big flavors, not for the faint of heart!

Zhejiang (浙江菜; Zhèjiāng cài)

Delicate, mellow, non-greasy cooking centered on the historical capital of Hangzhou. Think shrimp poached in green tea and carp in sweet vinegar.

Yunnan (云南菜; Yúnnán cài)

The aromatic flavors of China's far southwest: rice-noodle soups, mint salads, wild mushrooms, goat's cheese, grilled fish.

Shanghai(本帮菜; Běn báng cài)

Delectable soup dumplings, sweet-and-sour ribs and other mellow, sweet and-savoury fare.

Northeast(东北菜;Dōngběicài)

The hearty, rib-sticking fare of northeastern China: stews, potatoes, dumplings, pickled veggies and cornbread。

Shaanxi (陕西菜; Shǎnxi cài)

Famous for chewy noodles, mutton soups and roujiǎmó, the Chinese version of a pulled-pork “hamburger.”

Northwest (西北菜; xīběi cài)

Silk Road food from China's northwest deserts: hand-pulled Gansu noodles in beef broth, barbecued lamb and wheat-based carbs.

Uyghur(新疆菜; xinjiāng cài)

Far-flung, Central Asian-style cuisine of oven-baked flatbreads, rice pilaf, pulled noodles and juicy lamb skewers.