Kineska kuhinja - Chinese cuisine

Podrijetlo kineski kuhinja može se pratiti tisućljećima unazad. Kineska kuhinja izuzetno je raznolika sa širokim regionalnim varijacijama, a nerijetko čak i sami Kinezi smatraju da im je kuhinja iz druge regije potpuno strana. Sjeverni Kinezi mogli bi zamisliti da se kantonska kuhinja sastoji samo od prženih jaja s rajčicom, dok bi južnjaci mogli biti zapanjeni veličinom posluživanja okruglica u sjevernoj Kini.

Shvati

Obrok u Suzhou

Kroz Carska Kina, Kineska je kultura utjecala na zemlje poput današnje Mongolija i Vijetnam. Kineska je kuhinja već dugo poznata u drugim azijskim državama poput Koreja i Japan.

U moderno doba, kineska dijaspora proširila je kinesku kuhinju u dalje dijelove svijeta. Ipak, velik dio ovoga prilagođen je lokalnim uvjetima, pa ćete često u prekooceanskim kineskim zajednicama naći jela koja se ne mogu naći u Kini ili su u velikoj mjeri modificirana u odnosu na njihove izvorne kineske verzije. Malezija, Tajland, Vijetnam i Singapur posebno su izvrsna mjesta za probavanje takve kuhinje zbog duge povijesti tamošnjih kineskih zajednica i slasnosti tradicionalnih lokalnih sastojaka i načina kuhanja. Suprotno tome, povratak Kineza iz inozemstva također je imao utjecaja na kulinarsku scenu matice, možda najopjetnije u Guangdong, Fujian i Hainan.

Mnogi gradovi zapadnih zemalja imaju Kineska četvrt četvrt, pa čak i manji gradovi često imaju nekoliko kineskih restorana. U tim se mjestima uvijek nalazila uglavnom kantonska hrana, ali drugi su stilovi postali češći.

Kineska kuhinja može se kretati od jednostavne, ali obilne ulične hrane do vrhunske fine kuhinje, koristeći samo najekskluzivnije sastojke, s odgovarajućim cijenama. Hong Kong općenito se smatra glavnim svjetskim središtem Kineza otmjena večera, iako Singapur i Taipei također nisu zaostali, a kontinentalni kineski gradovi Šangaj i Pekingu također polako, ali sigurno sustižu.

Vrijeme obroka u Kini su na ranoj strani kako zemlje idu - bliže američkim obrocima nego europskim. Doručak je obično između 07:00 i 09:00, a često uključuje stvari kao što su rezanci, lepinje na pari, konge, pržena peciva, sojino mlijeko, povrće ili okruglice. Vrhunac ručka je 12: 00–13: 00, a večera je često negdje oko 17: 30–19: 30.

Regionalne kuhinje

Kineska kuhinja uvelike varira ovisno o tome u kojem se dijelu zemlje nalazite. "Četiri izvrsne kuhinje" (四大 菜系) su Sečuan (Chuan), Shandong (Lu), Guangdong (Kantonski / yue) i Jiangsu (Huaiyang) kuhinja i druge regije također imaju svoje stilove, s izrazito različitim kulinarskim tradicijama u područjima etničkih manjina kao što su Tibetu i Xinjiang.

Nije teško probati neke od regionalnih kuhinja Kina čak i ako ste daleko od njihovih podrijetla - Sečuanaca málà (麻辣) jedaće začinjena hrana može se naći svugdje, na primjer, kao i znakovi oglašavanja Lanzhou rezanci (兰州 拉面, Lánzhōu lāmiàn). Slično tome, iako je pekinška patka (北京 烤鸭) tobože lokalna specijalnost Pekingu, također je široko dostupan u mnogim kantonskim restoranima.

Sičuanski mapo tofu

Raznolikost pekarskih proizvoda karakteristična je za kuhinju muslimanskih naroda sjeverozapadne Kine

• Pekingu (京 菜 Jīng Cài ): rezanci u domaćem stilu i baozi (包子 pogače od kruha), pekinška patka (北京 烤鸭 Běijīng Kǎoyā), prženi rezanci s umakom (炸酱面 zhájiàngmiàn), jela od kupusa, sjajni kiseli krastavci. Može biti ukusno i zadovoljavajuće.
• Carski (宫廷菜 Gōngtíng Cài): hrana pokojnog dvora Qing, koju je proslavila carica udovica Cixi, može se probati u vrhunskim specijaliziranim restoranima u Pekingu. Kuhinja kombinira elemente manchu granične hrane poput divljači i jedinstvene egzotike poput devine šape, peraje morskog psa i ptičjeg gnijezda.

• kantonski / Guangzhou / Hong Kong (广东 菜 Guǎngdōng Cài, 粤菜 Yuè Cài): stil većini zapadnih posjetitelja već poznat (iako u lokaliziranom obliku). Nije previše začinjeno, naglasak je na svježe kuhanim sastojcima i plodovima mora. To je rečeno, autentična kantonska kuhinja također je među naj avanturističnijim u Kini u pogledu raznolikosti sastojaka jer su kantonci poznati, čak i među Kinezima, po svojoj izuzetno širokoj definiciji onoga što se smatra jestivim.
  • Dim Sum (点心 diǎnxīn na mandarinskom, dímsām na kantonskom), mali zalogaji koji se obično jedu za doručak ili ručak, vrhunac su.
  • Pečeno meso (烧 味 shāowèi na mandarinskom, sīuméi na kantonskom) također su popularna u kantonskoj kuhinji, što uključuje neka jela popularna u kineskim četvrtima na zapadu, poput pečene patke (烧鸭 shāoyā na mandarinskom, sīu'aap na kantonskom), piletina od sojinog umaka (豉 油 鸡 chǐyóujī na mandarinskom, sihyàuhgāi na kantonskom), svinjetina s roštilja (叉烧 chāshāo na mandarinskom, chāsīu na kantonskom) i svinjski trbuh hrskave kože (烧肉 shāoròu na mandarinskom, sīuyuhk na kantonskom).
  • Suhomesnati proizvodi (腊味 làwèi na mandarinskom, laahpméi na kantonskom) su druga specijalnost kantonske kuhinje, a uključuju kineske kobasice (腊肠 làcháng na mandarinskom, laahpchéung na kantonskom), jetrene kobasice (膶 肠 rùncháng na mandarinskom, yéunchéung na kantonskom) i očuvana patka (腊鸭 làyā na mandarinskom, laahp'aap na kantonskom). Uobičajeni način prehrane je u obliku suhe mesne riže od glinenog posuđa (腊味 煲仔饭 làwèi bāozǎi fàn na mandarinskom, laahpméi bōujái faahn na kantonskom).
  • Congee (粥 zhōu na mandarinskom, jūk na kantonskom) popularan je i u kantonskoj kuhinji. Kantonski stil congee uključuje rižu koja se kuha dok žitarice više ne budu vidljive, a sadrži i druge sastojke poput mesa, morskih plodova ili iznutrica, kuhanih s rižom, kako bi se okus okusio.
• Huaiyang (淮揚菜 Huáiyáng Cài): Kuhinja Šangaj, Jiangsu i Zhejiang, koji se smatraju dobrom kombinacijom sjevernog i južnog kineskog stila kuhanja. Najpoznatija jela su xiaolongbao (小笼 包 Xiǎolóngbāo) i knedle od vlasca (韭菜 韭菜 Jiǔcài Jiǎozi). Ostala jela s potpisom uključuju pirjani svinjski trbuh (红烧肉 hóng shāo ròu) i slatko-kisela svinjska rebra (糖醋 排骨 táng cù pái gǔ). Šećer se često dodaje prženim jelima, dajući im slatki okus. Iako se šangajska kuhinja često smatra predstavnikom ovog stila, kuhinje obližnjih gradova kao što su Hangzhou, Suzhou i Nanjing imaju svoja jedinstvena jela i okuse i svakako ih vrijedi probati.
• Sečuan (川菜 Chuān Cài): Poznato vruće i začinjeno. Popularna je izreka da je tako začinjeno da će vam usta utrnuti. Međutim, nisu sva jela napravljena od živih chilisa. Utrnulost zapravo dolazi od sečuanske paprike (花椒 huājiāo). Široko je dostupan izvan Sečuana, a podrijetlom je i iz Chongqinga. Ako želite stvarno autentičnu sečuansku hranu izvan Sečuana ili Chongqinga, potražite male ugostiteljske objekte u kojima se pojavljuju likovi sečuanske kuhinje u četvrtima s puno radnika migranata. Oni su obično puno jeftiniji i često bolji od sveprisutnih modernih sečuanskih restorana.
• Hunan (湖南菜 Húnán Cài, 湘菜 Xiāng Cài): kuhinja regije Xiangjiang, jezera Dongting i zapadne provincije Hunan. Slična, na neki način, i sečuanskoj kuhinji, ona zapravo može biti „začinjenija“ u zapadnom smislu.
• Teochew / Chiuchow / Chaozhou (潮州菜 Cháozhōu Cài): podrijetlom iz Chaoshan područje u istočnom Guangdongu, jedinstveni stil koji će unatoč tome biti poznat većini Kineza iz jugoistočne Azije i Hong Konga. Poznata jela uključuju pirjanu patku (卤鸭 Lǔyā), desert od yam paste (芋泥 Yùní) i riblje loptice (鱼丸 Yúwán).
  • Rižina kaša (粥 zhōu na mandarinskom, 糜 muê⁵ in Teochew) je ugodno jelo u Teochew kuhinji. Za razliku od kantonske verzije, verzija Teochew ostavlja zrna riže netaknutima. Teochew kaša obično se poslužuje obično s ostalim slanim jelima sa strane, iako riblja kaša Teochew često ima rižu kuhanu u riblju juhu i kuhanu s kriškama ribe.
• Hakka / Kejia (客家 菜 Kèjiā Cài): kuhinja naroda Hakka, raširena po raznim dijelovima južne Kine. Usredotočuje se na konzervirano meso i povrće. Poznata jela uključuju punjeni tofu (酿 豆腐 niàng dòufǔ, punjena mesom naravno), punjena gorka dinja (酿 苦瓜 niàng kǔguā, također punjeno mesom), svinjsko slanstvo od gorušice (梅菜 扣肉 méicài kòuròu), svinjsko meso s tarom (芋头 扣肉 yùtóu kòuròu), piletina pečena u soli (盐 焗 鸡 yánjújī) i mljeveni čaj (擂茶 léi chá).
• Fujian (福建 菜 Fújiàn Cài, 闽菜 Mǐn Cài): koristi sastojke uglavnom s obalnih i estuarijalnih plovnih putova. Fujian kuhinju možemo podijeliti na najmanje tri različite kuhinje: Južni Fujian kuhinja, Fuzhou kuhinja, i Zapadni Fujian kuhinja.
  • Rižina kaša (粥 zhōu na mandarinskom, 糜 biti u Minnanu) popularno je jelo u južnom Fujianu. Slična je verziji Teochew, ali obično se kuha s kriškama batata. Također je vrlo popularno na Tajvanu, gdje je osnovno jelo za doručak.
• Guizhou (贵州 菜 Guìzhōu Cài, 黔菜 Qián Cài): kombinira elemente sečuanske i ksiang kuhinje, liberalno upotrebljavajući začinjene, paprene i kisele okuse. Osebujni zhergen (折耳根 Zhē'ěrgēn), regionalno korijensko povrće, dodaje nepogrešiv kiselkasto-paprikast okus mnogim jelima. Jela za manjine kao što je vruća posuda od kisele ribe (酸汤鱼 Suān Tāng Yú) su široko uživani.
• Zhejiang (浙菜 Zhè Cài): uključuje hranu Hangzhou, Ningbo i Shaoxing. Nježno začinjena, laganog okusa morska hrana i povrće često se poslužuje u juhi. Ponekad blago zaslađena ili ponekad slatko-kisela, jela iz Zhejianga često uključuju kuhano meso i povrće u kombinaciji.
• Hainan (琼 菜 Qióng Cài): poznat među Kinezima, ali strancima još uvijek relativno nepoznat, karakterizira velika upotreba morskih plodova i kokosa. Specijaliteti s potpisom su "Četiri poznata jela Hainana" (海南 四大 名菜 Hǎinán Sì Dà Míngcài): Wenchang piletina (文昌鸡 Wénchāng jī), Koza Dongshan (东 山羊 Dōngshān yáng), Patka Jiaji (加 积 鸭 Jiājī yā) i rak Hele (和 乐 蟹 Hélè xiè). Wenchang piletina na kraju će stvoriti hainanese pileću rižu u Singapuru i Maleziji, khao man kai (ข้าวมัน ไก่) na Tajlandu i Cơm gà Hải Nam u Vijetnamu.
• Sjeveroistočna Kina (东北 Dōngběi) ima svoj stil prehrane. Naglašava pšenicu nad rižom i, poput sjeverozapada, uključuje razne kruhove i jela s rezancima te ćevape (串 chuàn; imajte na umu kako lik izgleda kao ćevap!). Područje je posebno poznato jiǎozi (饺子), vrsta knedle usko povezana s japanskom gyoza a slični raviolima ili perogijama. Mnogi gradovi južnije imaju jiaozi restorani, a mnoge od njih vode ljudi iz Dongbeija.

Kuhinje Hong Kong i Makao su u osnovi kantonska kuhinja, premda s britanskim i portugalskim utjecajem, dok kuhinja od Tajvan je sličan onome iz Južni Fujian, iako s japanskim utjecajima, kao i utjecaji iz drugih dijelova Kine koji su rezultat recepata koje su donijeli nacionalisti koji su pobjegli s kopna 1949. To je reklo, kao što su mnogi poznati kuhari bježali iz kontinentalne Kine u Hong Kong i Tajvan komunističke revolucije, na tim je područjima dostupna visokokvalitetna kuhinja iz različitih dijelova Kine.

Sastojci

• Meso, posebno svinjetina, je sveprisutna. Perad poput patke i piletine također je popularna, a govedine ne nedostaje. Janjetina i koza popularni su kod muslimana i općenito u zapadnoj Kini. Ako znate kamo ići, možete probati i neobičnije meso poput zmije ili psa.

• šunka - Iako su europski i američki šunki možda poznatiji u međunarodnim okvirima, Kina je također tradicionalna država koja proizvodi šunku, a neke od svojih vrhunskih šunki imaju povijest koja datira stoljećima ili čak tisućljećima. Kineske šunke obično se suše suho i često se koriste kao baza za juhu ili kao sastojak raznih jela. Najslavnija kineska šunka je šunka Jinhua (金華 火腿 jīn huá huǒ tuǐ) iz grada Jinhua godine. Zhejiang pokrajina. Osim šunke Jinhua, šunka Rugao (如皋如皋rú gāo huǒ tuǐ) iz Rugaa u Jiangsu provincije i šunke Xuanwei (宣威 火腿 xuān wēi huǒ tuǐ) iz mjesta Xuanwei u Yunnan pokrajina zaokružila kineska "Tri velika šunka". Među ostale poznate šunke ubraja se šunka Anfu (安福 ā ān fú huǒ tuǐ) iz Anfua u Jiangxi provincija, koja je bila predstavljena na međunarodnoj izložbi Panama-Pacifik 1915. godine, i šunka Nuodeng (诺 邓 火腿 nuò dèng huǒ tuǐ) iz Nuodenga u provinciji Yunnan, što je posebnost etničke manjine Bai.

• Riža je arhetipska osnovna hrana, posebno u južnoj Kini.
• Rezanci su također važna osnovna hrana, s pšeničnim rezancima (面, miàn) češćim u sjevernoj Kini i rižinim rezancima (粉, fěn) češćim na jugu.
• Povrće obično se kuhaju na pari, kisele, pržene ili kuhane. Rijetko se jedu sirove. Mnogi imaju višestruka imena i prevode se i krivo prevode na različite načine, što stvara puno zabune kada pokušate smisliti jelovnik. Neki od omiljenih uključuju patlidžan, izbojke graška, korijen lotosa, izbojke daikona i bambusa. Tikvice uključuju kalabaš, gorku dinju, buču, krastavac, spužvastu tikvu i zimsku dinju. Lisnato povrće je raznoliko, ali mnogima je englesko govorno osoblje manje-više nepoznato i može se prevesti kao neka vrsta kupusa, salate, špinata ili zelenila. Tako ćete pronaći kineski kupus, zelenu salatu, vodeni špinat i zelje batata, da nabrojimo samo neke.
• Gljive - puno različitih vrsta, od gumeno crnog "drvenog uha" do žvakaćih bijelih "gljiva zlatne igle".
• Tofu u Kini nije samo zamjena za vegetarijance, već jednostavno druga vrsta hrane, koja se često poslužuje pomiješana s povrćem, mesom ili jajima. Dolazi u mnoštvu različitih oblika, od kojih će mnogi biti potpuno neprepoznatljivi ako ste se jednostavno navikli na pravokutne bijele blokove koji su međunarodno dostupni.

Određena kineska jela sadrže sastojke koje bi neki ljudi radije izbjegavali, poput pasa, mačaka, zmija ili ugroženih vrsta. Međutim, jeste vrlo malo vjerojatno da ćete pogrešno naručiti ova jela. Pas i zmija obično se poslužuju u specijalnim restoranima koji ne skrivaju svoje sastojke. Očito će proizvodi od ugroženih sastojaka imati astronomske cijene i ionako ne bi bili navedeni na redovnom jelovniku. Također gradovi Šenžen i Zhuhai zabranili su jesti meso mačaka i pasa, a planira se da se ta zabrana proširi na cijelu zemlju.

Također, prema mišljenju tradicionalne kineske medicine, navodno je da previše jesti psa, mačku ili zmiju ima negativne učinke, pa ih zato Kinezi ne jedu često.

Široko govoreći, riža je glavna osnovna hrana na jugu, dok je pšenica, uglavnom u obliku tjestenine, glavna namjernica na sjeveru. Te su spajalice stalno prisutne i možda ćete otkriti da niti jedan dan ne provedete u Kini, a da ne jedete rižu, rezance ili oboje.

Lepinje na pari (baozi) dolaze u velikom izboru slanih i slatkih nadjeva. Šangajski poznati xiǎolóngbāo, ovdje prikazane, uz vruću juhu i polpetu u tankom papiru.

Kruh je teško sveprisutan u usporedbi s europskim zemljama, ali u sjevernoj Kini ima puno dobrih somuna bāozi (包子) (kantonski: bao) - lepinje na pari punjene slatkim ili slanim nadjevom - sastavni su dio kantonski dim sum i popularan i drugdje u zemlji. Žemlje bez nadjeva poznate su pod nazivom mántou (馒头 / 饅頭), a popularno su jelo za doručak u sjevernoj Kini; mogu se poslužiti ili na pari ili u dubokom prženju. Tibetanska i ujgurska kuhinja snažno imaju somun koji je sličan onome na sjeveru Indija i bliski istok.

Osim u nekim područjima etničkih manjina poput Yunnan, Tibetu, Unutarnja Mongolija i Xinjiang, mliječni proizvodi proizvodi nisu česti u tradicionalnoj kineskoj kuhinji. Globalizacijom se mliječni proizvodi ugrađuju u nekoliko namirnica u ostatku zemlje, pa ćete možda vidjeti baozi punjene kremom, ali to i dalje predstavljaju iznimke. Mliječni proizvodi također se pojavljuju nešto češće u kuhinjama Hong Konga, Macaua i Tajvana od onih u kontinentalnoj Kini zbog jačih utjecaja Zapada.

Jedan od razloga zbog kojih mliječni proizvodi nisu česti jest taj što većina odraslih Kineza ne podnosi laktozu; nedostaje im enzim potreban za probavu laktoze (mliječni šećer), pa je umjesto toga probavljaju crijevne bakterije, stvarajući plin. Velika doza mliječnih proizvoda stoga može uzrokovati znatnu bol i puno neugodnosti. Ovo se stanje javlja u manje od 10% sjevernih Europljana, ali preko 90% stanovništva u dijelovima Afrike. Kina je negdje između i postoje regionalne i etničke razlike u stopama. Jogurt je prilično čest u Kini; ne stvara problem jer su bakterije u njemu već razgradile laktozu. Općenito je jogurt lakše pronaći nego mlijeko, a sir je skupi luksuzni predmet.

Posuđe

Kineska odojka, Kolkata

U Kini ćete pronaći sve vrste jela od mesa, povrća, tofua i rezanaca. Evo nekoliko poznatih, prepoznatljivih jela:

• Buda preskače zid (佛跳墙, fótiàoqiáng) - skupo Fuzhounese juha od peraje morskog psa (鱼翅, yúchì), uška i mnogi drugi nevegetarijanski premium sastojci. Prema legendi, miris je bio toliko dobar da je budistički redovnik zaboravio svoje vegetarijanske zavjete i preskočio zid hrama kako bi ih dobio. Obično je potrebno naručiti nekoliko dana unaprijed zbog dugog vremena pripreme.
• Guōbāoròu (锅 包 肉) - slatko i kiselo svinjsko meso iz Sjeveroistočna Kina.
• Pileće noge (鸡爪, jī zhuǎ) - kuhano na mnogo različitih načina, mnogi u Kini smatraju ih najukusnijim dijelom piletine. Poznate kao kandže feniksa (凤爪 fuhng jáau na kantonskom, fèng zhuǎ na mandarinskom) u područjima koja govore kantonski, gdje je popularno jelo dim sum, a najčešće se radi s umakom od crnog graha.
• Mapo tofu (麻 婆 豆腐, mápó dòufu) - a Sečuanski tofu i mljeveno svinjsko jelo koje je vrlo začinjeno i ima klasični Sečuan málà bockajuća / umrtvljujuća pikantnost.
• Pekinška patka (北京 烤鸭, Běijīng kǎoyā) - pečena patka, najpoznatije jelo karakteristično za Pekingu.
• Smrdljivi tofu (臭豆腐, chòu dòufu) - baš kako to zvuči. Nekoliko različitih regija ima različite tipove, iako je najpoznatija Changshastil, izrađen u pravokutnim blokovima koji su izvana pocrnjeni. Ostali istaknuti stilovi jela uključuju Shaoxing-stila i Nanjing-stil. Također je vrlo popularno ulično jelo u Hrvatskoj Tajvan, gdje je dostupan u raznim različitim stilovima.
• Punjeni tofu (酿 豆腐, niàng dòufu na mandarinskom, ngiong⁴ têu⁴ fu⁴ in Hakka) - hakka jelo, prženi tofu punjen mesom, poznat kao yong tau foo u jugoistočnoj Aziji, iako često uvelike modificirana u odnosu na izvornik.
• Xiǎolóngbāo (小笼 包) - male okruglice punjene juhom od Šangaj, Jiangsu i Zhejiang.
• Slatka i kisela svinjetina (咕噜 肉 gūlūròu na mandarinskom, gūlōuyuhk na kantonskom) - kantonsko jelo, izumljeno kako bi odgovaralo nepcima Europljana i Amerikanaca sa sjedištem u Guangdongu tijekom 19. stoljeća. Jedno od najpopularnijih kineskih jela u zemljama engleskog govornog područja.
• Vruće i kisela juha (酸辣 汤 suānlà tāng) - gusta, škrobna juha koja se pravi začinjena crvenom paprikom i kisela s octom. Posebnost sečuanske kuhinje.
• Omlet od kamenica (海 蛎 煎 hǎilì jiān ili 蚝 煎 háo jiān) - jelo od jaja, svježih kamenica i škroba od batata, podrijetlom iz Južni Fujian i Chaoshan, iako s različitim varijacijama. Možda najpoznatija međunarodna inačica je tajvanska verzija koja je sveprisutna na noćnim tržnicama na otoku. Ostale varijacije mogu se naći i u područjima s velikim zajednicama dijaspore iz gore spomenutih regija, poput Singapura, Penanga i Bangkoka. Poznat kao 蚵仔煎 (ô-á-chiān) u govornim područjima Minnana (uključujući Tajvan, gdje je mandarinsko ime gotovo nepoznato) i 蠔 烙 (o⁵ luah⁴) u govornim područjima Teochewa.

Rezanci

Rezanci potječu iz Kine: najraniji pisani zapis o njima datira prije oko 2000 godina, a zabilježeni su i arheološki dokazi o konzumaciji jufke prije 4000 godina u Lajii na istoku Qinghai. Kineski nema niti jednu riječ za rezance, već ih dijeli na miàn (面), napravljen od pšenice, i fěn (粉), napravljen od riže ili ponekad drugog škroba. Rezanci se razlikuju ovisno o regiji, s raznim sastojcima, širinama, načinima pripreme i preljevima, ali obično se poslužuju s nekom vrstom mesa i / ili povrća. Mogu se poslužiti s juhom ili suhe (samo s umakom).

Umaci i arome koji se koriste s rezancima uključuju sičuanski začinjeni ljutkasti (麻辣, málà) umak, umak od sezama (麻酱, májiàng), umak od soje (酱油 jiàngyóu), ocat (醋, cù) i mnogi drugi.

Restoran Lánzhōu lāmiàn u Šangaju. Primijetite znak halal u gornjem desnom kutu.

• Rezanci Biangbiang (面, biángbiáng miàn) - gusti, široki, žvakaći, ručno rađeni rezanci od Shaanxi, čije je ime napisano tako složenim i malo korištenim znakom da nije navedeno u rječnicima i ne može se unijeti na većinu računala (kliknite znak da biste vidjeli veću verziju). Mogli biste ih vidjeti i na popisu kao 油泼 面 yóupō miàn na izbornicima koji nisu mogli ispravno ispisati znak.
• Rezanci iz Chongqinga (重庆 小 面, Chóngqìng xiǎo miàn) - mračno-začinski rezanci koji se obično poslužuju uz juhu, vjerojatno najpoznatije jelo iz Chongqing zajedno s vrućim loncem.
• Dāndān miàn (担 担 面) - Sečuanski tanko-začinski tanki rezanci, posluženi "suhi" ili s juhom.
• Prženi rezanci (炒面, chǎo miàn i 炒粉 chǎo fěn ili 河粉 héfěn) - posjetiteljima kineskih restorana u drugim zemljama poznat je kao "chow mein"i"chow zabava"nakon kantonskih izgovora, ovi prženi rezanci razlikuju se po regijama. Nisu uvijek tako masni i teški kao stvari koje ćete naći u mnogim prekomorskim kineskim restoranima. Ne treba ih miješati s chǎo fàn (炒饭), što je pržena riža.
• Vruće suhe rezance (热干面, règānmiàn), jednostavno jelo s rezancima s umakom, "suho" u smislu da se služi bez juhe. Posebnost Wuhan, Hubei.
• Rezanci rezani nožem (刀削面, dāoxiāo miàn) - od Shanxi, ne tanak, ali ne baš širok, poslužen s nizom umaka. "Što ih više žvačete, to su ukusniji."
• Lánzhōu lāmiàn (兰州 拉面, Lánzhōu lāmiàn), svježe Lanzhourezanci u stilu ručno vučeni. Ovom industrijom snažno dominiraju pripadnici etničke skupine Hui (回族) - potražite maleni restoran s osobljem u muslimanskoj odjeći, bijelim šeširima nalik na fez na muškarcima i maramama na ženama. Ako tražite halal Hrana izvan područja s većinskim muslimanskim stanovništvom, ovi su restorani dobra prilika - mnogi imaju natpise koji reklamiraju "halal" (清真, qīngzhēn) na kineskom ili arapskom jeziku.
• Liángpí (凉皮), ravni rezanci posluženi hladni, porijeklom iz Shaanxi.
• Lo mein (拌面, bàn miàn) - tanki, suhi rezanci s umakom.
• Rezanci za dugovječnost (长寿 面, chángshòu miàn) tradicionalno su rođendansko jelo, dugi rezanci koji simboliziraju dug život.
• Luósīfěn (螺蛳 粉) - rezanci s riječnom puževom juhom od Guangxi.
• Rezanci preko mosta (过桥 米线, guò qiáo mǐxiàn) - juha od rižinih rezanaca od Yunnan.
• Wonton rezanci (云吞 面 yún tūn miàn) - kantonsko jelo, koje se sastoji od tankih jufki od jaja posluženih u juhi s okruglicama od škampa. U kantonskoj dijaspori postoje različite varijacije jela Jugoistočna Azija, iako često uvelike izmijenjena u odnosu na izvornik.

Grickalice

Tipična hrana za doručak: youtiao (masno pecivo) s doujiangom (sojino mlijeko)

Razne vrste kineske hrane pružaju brza, jeftina, ukusna, lagana jela. Ulična hrana i grickalice koje se prodaju od prijenosnih prodavača i trgovina s rupama u zidovima mogu se naći u kineskim gradovima, posebno dobro za doručak ili međuobrok. Okrug Wangfujing Snack Street u Pekingu je značajno, iako turističko područje za uličnu hranu. Na područjima koja govore kantonski zovu se ulični prodavači hrane gai bin dong; takvi pothvati mogu prerasti u značajan posao sa štandovima koji su jedva "pokretni" u tradicionalnom smislu ulične hrane. Osim malih uličnih prodavača, neke od ovih stavki možete pronaći na jelovniku u restoranima ili na šalteru u trgovinama poput 7-Eleven. Razni brzi restorani dostupni u cijeloj zemlji uključuju:

Zongzi (ljepljive knedle od riže)

• Bāozi (包子) - lepinje na pari punjene slatkim ili slanim nadjevom poput povrća, mesa, slatke paste od crvenog graha, kreme ili crnog sjemena sezama

Potpiši za čuan visi ispred trgovine koja ga poslužuje

• Mesni štapići na žaru (串 chuàn) od uličnih prodavača. Lako ga je uočiti jer čak i lik izgleda poput ćevapa! Vatreni janjeći ćevapi u stilu Xinjianga (羊肉 串 yángròu chuàn) posebno su poznati.
• Congee (粥 zhōu ili 稀饭 xīfàn) - rižina kaša. The kantonski, Teochew i Minnan posebno su ljudi ovo naizgled jednostavno jelo uzdigli u oblik umjetnosti. Svaki od njih ima svoje prepoznatljive i vrlo proslavljene stilove.
• Riblje kuglice (鱼丸 yúwán) - riblje tijesto oblikovano u obliku kuglice, popularno u većini primorskih krajeva Guangdong i Fujian, kao i u Hong Kong i Tajvan. Dva su grada među etničkim Kinezima širom svijeta poznata po verzijama ovog jela; ShantouRiblje kuglice u stilu obično su obične, bez punjenja FuzhouRiblje kuglice u stilu obično se pune mljevenom svinjetinom.
• Jiānbǐng (煎饼), palačinka od jaja omotana krekerom s umakom i po želji čili umakom.
• Jiǎozi (饺子), što kineski prevodi kao "knedle", kuhani, kuhani na pari ili prženi predmeti slični raviolima s raznim punjenjem, osnovni sastojak u većini sjeverne Kine. Nalaze se u cijeloj Aziji: momos, mandu, gyoza i jiaozi u osnovi su varijacije iste stvari.
• Mántou (馒头) - obične lepinje na pari, često se poslužuju i jedu s kondenziranim mlijekom.
• Puding od tofua (豆花, dòuhuā; ili 豆腐 花, dòufuhuā) - u južnoj Kini ovaj je mekani puding obično sladak i može se poslužiti s dodacima poput crvenog graha ili sirupa. U sjevernoj Kini je slana, napravljena od umaka od soje i često je nazivaju dòufunǎo (豆腐 脑), doslovno "mozak od tofua". Na Tajvanu je slatko i ima puno tekućine, što ga čini pićem jednako kao i hranom.
• Wōwōtóu (窝窝头) - kukuruzni kruh na pari u obliku konusa, popularan u sjevernoj Kini
• Yóutiáo (油条) - doslovno „masna traka“, poznata kao „prženi duh“ (油炸鬼) na područjima koja govore kantonski, vrsta dugog, pahuljastog, masnog tijesta. Youtiao sa sojinim mlijekom najistaknutiji je tajvanski doručak, dok je youtiao uobičajeni začin za congee u kantonskoj kuhinji. Legende su rekli da je youtiao zajednički protest suradnika koji je za vrijeme Južne dinastije Song umorio patriotskog generala.
• Zhágāo (炸糕) - malo slatkog prženog tijesta
• Zòngzi (粽子) - velike ljepljive knedle od riže umotane u lišće bambusa, koje se tradicionalno jedu na festivalu zmajevih čamaca (festival Duanwu) u svibnju ili lipnju. Na festivalu zmajevih čamaca možda ćete ih moći pronaći na prodaji u trgovinama u kojima se prodaju druge vrste knedli i lepinja na pari, a moguće je da ćete ih vidjeti i u drugo doba godine. Nadjev može biti slani (咸 的 xián de) s mesom ili jajima, ili slatko (的 的 tián de). Slane su popularnije u južnoj Kini, a slatke u sjevernoj.

Također možete pronaći razne predmete, obično slatke, iz sveprisutnih pekara (面包店, miànbāodiàn). Velika raznolikost slatkiša i slatke hrane koja se nalazi u Kini često se prodaje kao grickalice, a ne kao desertni tečaj nakon obroka u restoranima kao na Zapadu.

Voće

Zmajevo voće

Liči

• Zmajevo voće (火龙果, huǒlóngguǒ) je voće neobičnog izgleda ako vam nije poznato, s ružičastom kožicom, isturenim ružičastim ili zelenim klasovima, bijelim ili crvenim mesom i crnim sjemenkama. Vrsta s crvenim mesom je slađa i skuplja, ali bijela vrsta osvježava.
• Žižula (枣, zǎo), koji se ponekad naziva i „kineski urma“, vjerojatno zbog svoje veličine i oblika, ali okus i tekstura više sliče jabuci. Postoji nekoliko različitih vrsta, a možete ih kupiti svježe ili suhe. Često se koristi za izradu raznih kantonskih juha.
• Voće kivi (猕猴桃, míhóutáo, ili ponekad 奇异果, qíyìguǒ), porijeklom iz Kine, gdje možete pronaći mnogo različitih sorti, malih i velikih, s mesom u boji od tamnozelene do narančaste. Mnogi ljudi nikada nisu okusili istinski zreli kivi - ako ste navikli na tarti kivi koji morate rezati nožem, učinite si uslugu i isprobajte svjež, zreo i sezonski.
• Longan (龙眼, lóngyǎn, doslovno "zmajevo oko") sličan je poznatijem ličiju (dolje), ali manji, s malo svjetlijim okusom i glatkijom, blijedožutom ili smeđom korom. Bere se u južnoj Kini nešto kasnije tijekom godine od ličija, ali se može naći u prodaji i u drugo doba godine.
• Liči (荔枝, lìzhī) je čudesno slatko, sočno voće pomalo parfemskog okusa, a u svom najboljem izdanju kad je kora crvena. Bere se krajem proljeća i početkom ljeta u područjima južne Kine kao što je Guangdong Pokrajina.
• Mangostin (山竹, shānzhú), tamnoljubičasto voće veličine male jabuke. Da biste ga pojeli, stisnite ga s dna dok ne pukne gusta kora, a zatim ga otvorite i pojedite slatko bijelo meso.
• Šljiva (梅子, méizi; 李子, lǐzi) - kineske šljive su obično manje, tvrđe i tartarnije od šljiva koje biste pronašli u Sjevernoj Americi. Popularni su svježi ili sušeni.
  • Yángméi (杨梅) je vrsta šljive, ljubičasta s finom kvrgavom površinom. Slatka je i ima teksturu koju je teško opisati, poput zrnaste jagode ili maline.
• Grejpfrut (柚子, yòuzi) - ponekad se naziva i "kineski grejp", ali zapravo je grejp križanac između ovog velikog agruma i naranče. Meso mu je slađe, ali manje sočno od grejpa, što znači da ga možete jesti rukama i ne treba vam nož ili žlica. Ubran u jesen, pomelo je prevelik da ga jedna osoba može jesti, pa ga podijelite sa svojim pratiteljima.
• Wampee (黄皮, huángpí), još jedno voće slično longanu i ličiju, ali u obliku grožđa i blago trpko.
• Lubenica (西瓜, xīguā) vrlo je često dostupan ljeti. Kineske lubenice imaju tendenciju da budu kuglaste, a ne izdužene u jednoj dimenziji.

U Kini se rajčica i avokado smatraju voćem. Avokado je neuobičajen, ali rajčica se često jede kao grickalice, sastojci u slasticama ili prženi s umućenim jajima.

Pića

Čaj

Šalica čaja, najzahtjevnije kinesko piće

Čaj (茶, chá) naravno možete pronaći u restoranima i u posvećenim čajanicama. Uz tradicionalniji "uredni" čaj bez mlijeka ili šećera, Čaj s mjehurićima s mlijekom i kuglicama tapioke (poslužuju se vruće ili hladno), a slatki ledeni čaj u bocama možete pronaći u trgovinama i automatima.

Kina je rodno mjesto kulture čaja, a uz rizik da se navede ono očito, postoji mnogo toga čaj (茶 chá) u Kini. Zeleni čaj (绿茶 lǜchá) poslužuje se besplatno u nekim restoranima (ovisno o regiji) ili uz malu naknadu. Neke uobičajene vrste koje se poslužuju su:

• barutni čaj (珠茶 zhūchá): a green tea so-named not after the taste but after the appearance of the bunched-up leaves used to brew it (the Chinese name "pearl tea" is rather more poetic)
• jasmine tea (茉莉花茶 mòlihuachá): green tea scented with jasmine flowers
• oolong (烏龍 wūlóng): a half-fermented mountain tea.

However, specialist tea houses serve a vast variety of brews, ranging from the pale, delicate white tea (白茶 báichá) to the powerful fermented and aged pu'er tea (普洱茶 pǔ'ěrchá).

The price of tea in China is about the same as anywhere else, as it turns out. Like wine and other indulgences, a product that is any of well-known, high-quality or rare can be rather costly and one that is two or three of those can be amazingly expensive. As with wines, the cheapest stuff should usually be avoided and the high-priced products left to buyers who either are experts themselves or have expert advice, but there are many good choices in the middle price ranges.

Tea shops typically sell by the jin (斤 jīn, 500g, a little over an imperial pound); prices start around ¥50 a jin and there are many quite nice teas in the ¥100-300 range. Most shops will also have more expensive teas; prices up to ¥2,000 a jin are fairly common. The record price for top grade tea sold at auction was ¥9,000 per gram; that was for a rare da hong pao iz Mount Wuyi from a few bushes on a cliff, difficult to harvest and once reserved for the Emperor.

Various areas of China have famous teas, but the same type of tea will come in many different grades, much as there are many different burgundies at different costs. Hangzhou, near Shanghai, is famed for its "Dragon Well" (龙井 lóngjǐng) green tea. Fujian i Taiwan have the most famous oolong teas (乌龙茶 wūlóngchá), "Dark Red Robe" (大红袍 dàhóngpáo) from Mount Wuyi, "Iron Goddess of Mercy" (铁观音 tiěguānyīn) from Anxi, and "High Mountain Oolong" (高山烏龍 gāoshān wūlóng) from Taiwan. Pu'er in Yunnan has the most famous fully fermented tea, pǔ'ěrchá (普洱茶). This comes compressed into hard cakes, originally a packing method for transport by horse caravan to Burma and Tibet. The cakes are embossed with patterns; some people hang them up as wall decorations.

Most tea shops will be more than happy to let you sit down and try different varieties of tea. Tenfu Tea [1] is a national chain and in Beijing "Wu Yu Tai" is the one some locals say they favor.

Black tea, the type of tea most common in the West, is known in China as "red tea" (紅茶 hóngchá). While almost all Western teas are black teas, the converse isn't true, with many Chinese teas, including the famed Pǔ'ěr also falling into the "black tea" category.

Normal Chinese teas are always drunk neat, with the use of sugar or milk unknown. However, in some areas you will find Hong Kong style "milk tea" (奶茶 nǎichá) or Tibetan "butter tea". Taiwanese bubble tea (珍珠奶茶 Zhēnzhū Nǎichá) is also popular; the "bubbles" are balls of tapioca and milk or fruit are often mixed in.

Kava

Kava (咖啡 kāfēi) is becoming quite popular in urban China, though it can be quite difficult to find in smaller towns.

Several chains of coffee shops have branches in many cities, including Starbucks (星巴克), UBC Coffee (上岛咖啡), Ming Tien Coffee Language and SPR, which most Westerners consider the best of the bunch. All offer coffee, tea, and both Chinese and Western food, generally with good air conditioning, wireless Internet, and nice décor. In most locations they are priced at ¥15-40 or so a cup, but beware of airport locations which sometimes charge around ¥70.

There are many small independent coffee shops or local chains. These may also be high priced, but often they are somewhat cheaper than the big chains. Quality varies from excellent to abysmal.

For cheap coffee just to stave off withdrawal symptoms, there are several options. Go to a Western fast food chain (KFC, McD, etc.) for some ¥8 coffee. Alternately, almost any supermarket or convenience store will have both canned cold coffee and packets of instant Nescafé (usually pre-mixed with whitener and sugar) - just add hot water. It is common for travellers to carry a few packets to use in places like hotel rooms or on trains, where coffee may not be available but hot water almost always is.

Other non-alcoholic drinks

The distinctive bottle of sour prune juice (suānméitāng)

• Sour prune juice (酸梅汤 suānméitāng) – sweet and sour, and quite a bit tastier than what you might know as "prune juice" back home. Served at restaurants fairly often.
• Soymilk (豆浆 dòujiāng) – different from the stuff that's known as "soymilk" in Europe or the Americas. You can find it at some street food stalls and restaurants. The server may ask if you want it hot (热 rè) or cold (冷 lěng); otherwise the default is hot. Vegans and lactose-intolerant people beware: there are two different beverages in China that are translated as "soymilk": 豆浆 dòujiāng should be dairy-free, but 豆奶 dòunǎi may contain milk.
• Apple vinegar drink (苹果醋饮料 píngguǒ cù yǐnliào) – it might sound gross, but don't knock it till you try it! A sweetened carbonated drink made from vinegar; look for the brand 天地壹号 Tiāndì Yīhào.
• Herbal tea (凉茶 liáng chá) – a specialty of Guangdong. You can find sweet herbal tea drinks at supermarkets and convenience stores – look for the popular brands 王老吉 Wánglǎojí and 加多宝 Jiāduōbǎo. Or you can get the traditional, very bitter stuff at little shops where people buy it as a cold remedy.
• Winter melon punch (冬瓜茶 dōngguā chá) – a very sweet drink that originated in Taiwan, but has also spread to much of southern China and the overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia.
• Hot water (热水 rè shuǐ) – traditionally in China, ordinary water is drunk hot rather than cold. It may seem counterintuitive, but drinking hot water helps you sweat and thus cool off during the hot summer months. Nowadays there are plenty of people in China who drink cold water too, but if you happen to get a cold or feel ill during your trip, you're sure to hear lots of people advising you: "Drink more hot water."

Alcoholic

Vidi također: China#Drink

Báijiǔ in a glass and in a bottle.

• Báijiǔ (白酒) is very strong, clear grain liquor, made from sorghum and sometimes other grains depending on the region. The word "jiǔ" can be used for any alcoholic drink, but is often translated as "wine". Chinese may therefore call baijiu "white wine" in conversation, but "white lightning" would be a better translation, since it is generally 40% to 65% alcohol by volume.

Baijiu will typically be served at banquets and festivals in tiny shot glasses. Toasts are ubiquitous at banquets or dinners on special occasions. Many Chinese consume baijiu only for this ceremonial purpose, though some — more in northern China than in the south — do drink it more often.

Baijiu is definitely an acquired taste, but once the taste is acquired, it's quite fun to "ganbei" (toast) a glass or two at a banquet.

• Maotai (茅台 Máotái) or Moutai, made in Guizhou Province, is China's most famous brand of baijiu and China's national liquor. Made from sorghum, Maotai and its expensive cousins are well known for their strong fragrance and are actually sweeter than western clear liquors as the sorghum taste is preserved — in a way.
• Wuliangye (五粮液 Wǔliángyè) from Yibin, Sichuan is another premium type of baijiu. Its name literally translates as "five grains liquor", referring to the five different types of grains that go into its production, namely sorghum, glutinous rice, rice, wheat and maize. Some of its more premium grades are among the most expensive liquors in the world, retailing at several thousand US dollars per bottle.
• Kaoliang (高粱酒 gāoliángjiǔ) is a premium type of sorghum liquor most famously made on the island of Kinmen under the eponymous brand Kinmen Kaoling Liquor, which while just off the coast of Xiamen is controlled by Taiwan. Considered to be the national drink of Taiwan.

Red Star (红星) èrguōtóu, cheap but potent

• The cheapest baijiu is the Beijing-brewed èrguōtóu (二锅头). It is most often seen in pocket-size 100 ml bottles which sell for around ¥5. It comes in two variants: 53% and 56% alcohol by volume. Ordering "xiǎo èr" (erguotou's diminutive nickname) will likely raise a few eyebrows and get a chuckle from working-class Chinese.

There are many brands of baijiu, and as is the case with other types of liquor, both quality and price vary widely. Foreigners generally try only low-end or mid-range baijiu, and they are usually unimpressed; the taste is often compared to diesel fuel. However a liquor connoisseur may find high quality, expensive baijiu quite good.

Tsingtao beer

• Beer (啤酒 píjiǔ) is common in China, especially the north. Beer is served in nearly every restaurant and sold in many grocery stores. The typical price is about ¥2.5-4 in a grocery store, ¥4-18 in a restaurant, around ¥10 in an ordinary bar, and ¥20-40 in a fancier bar. Most places outside of major cities serve beer at room temperature, regardless of season, though places that cater to tourists or expatriates have it cold. The most famous brand is Tsingtao (青島 Qīngdǎo) from Qingdao, which was at one point a German concession. Other brands abound and are generally light beers in a pilsner or lager style with 3-4% alcohol. This is comparable to many American beers, but weaker than the 5-6% beers found almost everywhere else. In addition to national brands, most cities will have one or more cheap local beers. Some companies (Tsingtao, Yanjing) also make a dark beer (黑啤酒 hēipíjiǔ). In some regions, beers from other parts of Asia are fairly common and tend to be popular with travellers — Filipino San Miguel in Guangdong, Singaporean Tiger in Hainan, and Laotian Beer Lao in Yunnan.
• Grape wine: Locally made grape wine (葡萄酒 pútáojiǔ) is common and much of it is reasonably priced, from ¥15 in a grocery store, about ¥100-150 in a fancy bar. However, most of the stuff bears only the faintest resemblance to Western wines. The Chinese like their wines red and very sweet, and they're typically served over ice or mixed with Sprite.

Great Wall i Dynasty are large brands with a number of wines at various prices; their cheaper (under ¥40) offerings generally do not impress Western wine drinkers, though some of their more expensive products are often found acceptable.

China's most prominent wine-growing region is the area around Yantai. Changyu is perhaps its best-regarded brand: its founder introduced viticulture and winemaking to China in 1892. Some of their low end wines are a bit better than the competition.

In addition to the aforementioned Changyu, if you're looking for a Chinese-made, Western-style wine, try to find these labels:

• Suntime^{[mrtva veza]}, with a passable Cabernet Sauvignon
• Yizhu, in Yili and specializing in ice wine
• Les Champs D'or, French-owned and probably the best overall winery in China, from Xinjiang
• Imperial Horse and Xixia, from Ningxia
• Mogao Ice Wine, Gansu
• Castle Estates, Shandong
• Shangrila Estates, from Zhongdian, Yunnan

Wines imported from Western countries can also be found, but they are often extremely expensive. For some wines, the price in China is more than three times what you would pay elsewhere.

• There are also several brands and types of rice wine. Most of these resemble a watery rice pudding, they are usually sweet and contain a minute amount of alcohol for taste. Travellers' reactions to them vary widely. These do not much resemble Japanese sake, the only rice wine well known in the West.
• kineski brandy (白兰地 báilándì) is excellent value; like grape wine or baijiu, prices start under ¥20 for 750 ml, but many Westerners find the brandies far more palatable. A ¥18-30 local brandy is not an over ¥200 imported brand-name cognac, but it is close enough that you should only buy the cognac if money doesn't matter. Expats debate the relative merits of brandies including Chinese brand Changyu. All are drinkable.
• The Chinese are also great fans of various supposedly medicinal liquors, which usually contain exotic herbs and/or animal parts. Some of these have prices in the normal range and include ingredients like ginseng. These can be palatable enough, if tending toward sweetness. Others, with unusual ingredients (snakes, turtles, bees, etc.) and steep price tags, are probably best left to those that enjoy them.

Restaurants

Many restaurants in China charge a cover charge of a few yuan per person.

If you don't know where to eat, a formula for success is to wander aimlessly outside of the touristy areas (it's safe), find a place full of locals, skip empty places and if you have no command of Mandarin or the local dialect, find a place with pictures of food on the wall or the menu that you can muddle your way through. Whilst you may be persuaded to order the more expensive items on the menu, ultimately what you want to order is your choice, and regardless of what you order, it is likely to be far more authentic and cheaper than the fare that is served at the tourist hot spots.

Ratings

Yelp is virtually unknown in China, while the Michelin Guide only covers Shanghai and Guangzhou, and is not taken very seriously by most Chinese people. Instead, most Chinese people rely on local website Dazhong Dianping for restaurant reviews and ratings. While it is a somewhat reliable way to search for good restaurants in your area, the downside is that it is only in Chinese. In Hong Kong, some people use Open Rice for restaurant reviews and ratings in Chinese and English.

Types of restaurants

Hot pot restaurants are popular in China. The way they work varies a bit, but in general you choose, buffet-style, from a selection of vegetables, meat, tofu, noodles, etc., and they cook what you chose into a soup or stew. At some you cook it yourself, fondue-style. These restaurants can be a good option for travellers who don't speak Chinese, though the phrases là (辣, "spicy"), bú là (不辣, "not spicy") and wēilà (微辣, "mildly spicy") may come in handy. You can identify many hot pot places from the racks of vegetables and meat waiting next to a stack of large bowls and tongs used to select them.

Dim sum in Hong Kong

Cantonese cuisine is known internationally for dim sum (点心, diǎnxīn), a style of meal served at breakfast or lunch where a bunch of small dishes are served in baskets or plates. At a dim sum restaurant, the servers may bring out the dishes and show them around so you can select whatever looks good to you or you may instead be given a checkable list of dishes and a pen or pencil for checking the ones you want to order. As a general rule, Cantonese diners always order shrimp dumplings (虾饺, xiājiǎo in Mandarin, hāgáau in Cantonese) and pork dumplings (烧卖, shāomài in Mandarin, sīumáai in Cantonese) whenever they eat dim sum, even though they may vary the other dishes. This is because the two aforementioned dishes are considered to be so simple to make that all restaurants should be able to make them, and any restaurant that cannot make them well will probably not make the other more complex dishes well. Moreover, because they require minimal seasoning, it is believed that eating these two dishes will allow you to gauge the freshness of the restaurant's seafood and meat.

Big cities and places with big Buddhist temples often have Buddhist restaurants serving unique and delicious all-vegetarian food, certainly worth trying even if you love meat. Many of these are all-you-can-eat buffets, where you pay to get a tray, plate, bowl, spoon, cup, and chopsticks, which you can refill as many times as you want. (At others, especially in Taiwan, you pay by weight.) When you're finished you're expected to bus the table yourself. The cheapest of these vegetarian buffets have ordinary vegetable, tofu, and starch dishes for less than ¥20 per person; more expensive places may have elaborate mock meats and unique local herbs and vegetables. Look for the character 素 sù or 齋/斋 zhāi, the 卍 symbol, or restaurants attached to temples.

Chains

Western-style fast food has become popular. KFC (肯德基), McDonald's (麦当劳), Subway (赛百味) and Pizza Hut (必胜客) are ubiquitous, at least in mid-sized cities and above. Some of them have had to change or adapt their concepts for the Chinese market; Pizza Hut is a full-service sit down restaurant chain in China. There are a few Burger Kings (汉堡王), Domino's and Papa John's (棒约翰) as well but only in major cities. (The menu is of course adjusted to suit Chinese tastes – try taro pies at McDonald's or durian pizza at Pizza Hut.) Chinese chains are also widespread. These include Dicos (德克士)—chicken burgers, fries etc., cheaper than KFC and some say better—and Kung Fu (真功夫)—which has a more Chinese menu.

• Chuanqi Maocai (传奇冒菜 Chuánqí Màocài). Chengdu-style hot pot stew. Choose vegetables and meat and pay by weight. Inexpensive with plenty of Sichuan tingly-spicy flavor. (ažurirano siječanj 2020)
• Din Tai Fung (鼎泰丰 Dǐng Tài Fēng). Taiwanese chain specializing in Huaiyang cuisine, with multiple locations throughout mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as numerous overseas locations throughout East and Southeast Asia, and in far-flung places such as the United State, United Kingdom and Australia. Particularly known for their soup dumplings (小笼包) and egg fried rice (蛋炒饭). The original location on Xinyi Road in Taipei is a major tourist attraction; expect to queue for 2 hours or more during peak meal times. (ažurirano siječnja 2019)
• Green Tea (绿茶 Lǜ Chá). Hangzhou cuisine with mood lighting in an atmosphere that evokes ancient China. Perhaps you'll step over a curved stone bridge as you enter the restaurant, sit at a table perched in what looks like a small boat, or hear traditional music drift over from a guzheng player while you eat. (ažurirano prosinca 2019)
• Haidilao Hot Pot (海底捞 Hǎidǐlāo). Expensive hot pot chain famous for its exceptionally attentive and courteous service. Servers bow when you come in and go the extra mile to make sure you enjoy your meal. (ažurirano prosinca 2019)
• Little Sheep (小肥羊). A mid-range hot pot chain that has expanded beyond China to numerous overseas locations such as the United States, Canada and Australia. Based on Mongol cuisine—the chain is headquartered in Unutarnja Mongolija. The specialty is mutton but there are other meats and vegetable ingredients for the hot pot on the menu as well. One type of hot pot is called Yuan Yang (鸳鸯锅 yuān yāng guō). The hot pot is separated into two halves, one half contains normal non-spicy soup stock and the other half contains má là (numbing spicy) soup stock. (ažurirano siječanj 2020)
• Yi Dian Dian (1㸃㸃 / 一点点 Yìdiǎndiǎn). Taiwanese milk tea chain that now has lots of branches in mainland China. (ažurirano prosinca 2019)

Ordering

Chinese restaurants often offer an overwhelming variety of dishes. Fortunately, most restaurants have picture menus with photos of each dish, so you are saved from despair facing a sea of characters. Starting from mid-range restaurants, there is also likely to be a more or less helpful English menu. Even with the pictures, the sheer amount of dishes can be overwhelming and their nature difficult to make out, so it is often useful to ask the waiter to recommend (推荐 tuījiàn) something. They will often do so on their own if they find you searching for a few minutes. The waiter will usually keep standing next to your table while you peruse the menu, so do not be unnerved by that.

The two-menu system where different menus are presented according to the skin color of a guest remains largely unheard of in China. Most restaurants only have one menu—the Chinese one. Learning some Chinese characters such as beef (牛), pork (猪), chicken (鸡), fish (鱼), stir-fried (炒), deep-fried (炸), braised (烧), baked or grilled (烤), soup (汤), rice (饭), or noodles (面) will take you a long way. As pork is the most common meat in Chinese cuisine, where a dish simply lists "meat" (肉), assume it is pork.

Dishes ordered in a restaurant are meant for sharing amongst the whole party. If one person is treating the rest, they usually take the initiative and order for everyone. In other cases, everyone in the party may recommend a dish. If you are with Chinese people, it is good manners to let them choose, but also fine to let them know your preferences.

If you are picking the dishes, the first question to consider is whether you want rice. Usually you do, because it helps to keep your bill manageable. However, real luxury lies in omitting the rice, and it can also be nice when you want to sample a lot of the dishes. Rice must usually be ordered separately and won’t be served if you don’t order it. It is not free but very cheap, just a few yuan a bowl.

For the dishes, if you are eating rice, the rule of thumb is to order at least as many dishes as there are people. Serving sizes differ from restaurant to restaurant. You can never go wrong with an extra plate of green vegetables; after that, use your judgment, look what other people are getting, or ask the waiter how big the servings are. If you are not eating rice, add dishes accordingly. If you are unsure, you can ask the waiter if they think you ordered enough (你觉得够吗? nǐ juéde gòu ma?).

You can order dishes simply by pointing at them in the menu, saying “this one” (这个 zhè ge). The way to order rice is to say how many bowls of rice you want (usually one per person): X碗米饭 (X wǎn mǐfàn), where X is yì, liǎng, sān, sì, etc. The waiter will repeat your order for your confirmation.

If you want to leave, call the waiter by shouting 服务员 (fúwùyuán), and ask for the bill (买单 mǎidān).

Eating alone

Traditional Chinese dining is made for groups, with lots of shared dishes on the table. This can make for a lonely experience and some restaurants might not know how to serve a single customer. It might however provide the right motivation to find other people (locals or fellow travellers) to eat with! But if you find yourself hungry and on your own, here are some tips:

Chinese-style fast food chains provide a good option for the lone traveller to get filled, and still eat Chinese style instead of western burgers. They usually have picture menus or picture displays above the counter, and offer set deals (套餐 tàocān) that are designed for eating alone. Usually, you receive a number, which is called out (in Chinese) when your dish is ready. Just wait at the area where the food is handed out – there will be a receipt or something on your tray stating your number. The price you pay for this convenience is that ingredients are not particularly fresh. It’s impossible to list all of the chains, and there is some regional variation, but you will generally recognize a store by a colourful, branded signboard. If you can’t find any, look around major train stations or in shopping areas. Department stores and shopping malls also generally have chain restaurants.

A tastier and cheaper way of eating on your own is street food, but exercise some caution regarding hygiene, and be aware that the quality of the ingredients (especially meat) at some stalls may be suspect. That said, as Chinese gourmands place an emphasis on freshness, there are also stalls that only use fresh ingredients to prepare their dishes if you know where to find them. Ask around and check the local wiki page to find out where to get street food in your city; often, there are snack streets or night markets full of stalls. If you can understand Chinese, food vlogs are very popular on Chinese social media, so those are a good option for finding fresh and tasty street food. Another food that can be consumed solo are noodle soups such as beef noodles (牛肉面 niúròumiàn), a dish that is ubiquitous in China and can also be found at many chain stores.

Even if it may be unusual to eat at a restaurant alone, you will not be thrown out and the staff will certainly try to suggest something for you.

Dietary restrictions

People with dietary restrictions will have a hard time in China.

Halal food is hard to find outside areas with a significant Muslim population, but look for Lanzhou noodle (兰州拉面, Lánzhōu lāmiàn) restaurants, which may have a sign advertising "halal" in Arabic (حلال) or Chinese (清真 qīngzhēn).

Košer food is virtually unknown, and pork is widely used in Chinese cooking (though restaurants can sometimes leave it out or substitute beef). Some major cities have a Chabad or other Jewish center which can provide kosher food or at least advice on finding it, though in the former case you'll probably have to make arrangements well in advance.

Specifically Hindu restaurants are virtually non-existent, though avoiding beef is straightforward, particularly if you can speak some Chinese, and there are plenty of other meat options to choose from.

For strict vegetarians, China may be a challenge, especially if you can't communicate very well in Chinese. You may discover that your noodle soup was made with meat broth, your hot pot was cooked in the same broth as everyone else's, or your stir-fried eggplant has tiny chunks of meat mixed in. If you're a little flexible or speak some Chinese, though, that goes a long way. Meat-based broths and sauces or small amounts of ground pork are common, even in otherwise vegetarian dishes, so always ask. Vegetable and tofu dishes are plentiful in Chinese cuisine, and noodles and rice are important staples. Most restaurants do have vegetable dishes—the challenge is to get past the language barrier to confirm that there isn't meat mixed in with the vegetables. Look for the character 素 sù, approximately meaning "vegetarian", especially in combinations like 素菜 sùcài ("vegetable dish"), 素食 sùshí ("vegetarian food"), and 素面 ("noodles with vegetables"). Buddhist restaurants (discussed above) are a delicious choice, as are hot pot places (though many use shared broth). One thing to watch out for, especially at hot pot, is "fish tofu" (鱼豆腐 yúdòufǔ), which can be hard to distinguish from actual tofu (豆腐 dòufǔ) without asking. As traditional Chinese cuisine does not make use of dairy products, non-dessert vegetarian food is almost always vegan. However, ensure that your dish does not contain eggs.

Awareness of food allergies (食物过敏 shíwù guòmǐn) is limited in China. If you can speak some Chinese, staff can usually answer whether food contains ingredients like peanuts or peanut oil, but asking for a dish to be prepared without the offending ingredient is unlikely to work. When in doubt, order something else. Szechuan peppercorn (花椒 huājiāo), used in Szechuan cuisine to produce its signature málà (麻辣) flavor, causes a tingly numbing sensation that can mask the onset of allergies, so you may want to avoid it, or wait longer after your first taste to decide if a dish is safe. Packaged food must be labeled if it contains milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, or soy (the same as the U.S., likely due to how much food China exports there).

A serious soy (大豆 dàdòu) allergy is largely incompatible with Chinese food, as soy sauce (酱油 jiàngyóu) is used in many Chinese dishes. Keeping a strictgluten-free (不含麸质的 bùhán fūzhì de) diet while eating out is also close to impossible, as most common brands of soy sauce contain wheat; gluten-free products are not available except in expensive supermarkets targeted towards Western expatriates. If you can tolerate a small amount of gluten, you should be able to manage, especially in the south where there's more emphasis on rice and less on wheat. Peanuts (花生 huāshēng) and other nuts are easily noticed in some foods, but may be hidden inside bread, cookies, and desserts. Peanut oil (花生油 huāshēngyóu) i sesame oil (麻油 máyóu or 芝麻油 zhīmayóu) are widely used for cooking, seasoning, and making flavored oils like chili oil, although they are usually highly refined and may be safe depending on the severity of your allergy. With the exception of the cuisines of some ethnic minorities such as the Uyghurs, Tibetans and Mongols, dairy is uncommon in Chinese cuisine, so lactose intolerant people should not have a problem unless you are travelling to ethnic-minority areas.

Poštovanje

There's a stereotype that Chinese cuisine has no taboos and Chinese people will eat anything that moves, but a more accurate description is that food taboos vary by region, and people from one part of China may be grossed out by something that people in another province eat. Cantonese cuisine in particular has a reputation for including all sorts of animal species, including those considered exotic in most other countries or other parts of China. That said, the cuisine of Hong Kong and Macau, while also Cantonese, has somewhat more taboos than its mainland Chinese counterpart as a result of stronger Western influences; dog and cat meat, for instance, are illegal in Hong Kong and Macau.

U muslimanski communities, pork is taboo, while attitudes towards alcohol vary widely.

Etiquette

Enjoying street food u Yuanyang

Table manners vary greatly depending on social class, but in general, while speaking loudly is common in cheap streetside eateries, guests are generally expected to behave in a more reserved manner when dining in more upmarket establishments. When eating in a group setting, it is generally impolite to pick up your utensils before the oldest or most senior person at the table has started eating.

China is the birthplace of chopsticks and unsurprisingly, much important etiquette relates to the use of chopsticks. While the Chinese are generally tolerant about table manners, you will most likely be seen as ill-mannered, annoying or offensive when using chopsticks in improper ways. Stick to the following rules:

• Communal chopsticks (公筷) are not always provided, so diners typically use their own chopsticks to transfer food to their bowl. While many foreigners consider this unhygienic, it is usually safe. It is acceptable to request communal chopsticks from the restaurant, although you may offend your host if you have been invited out.
• Once you pick a piece, you are obliged to take it. Don't put it back. Confucius says never leave someone with what you don't want.
• When someone is picking from a dish, don't try to cross over or go underneath their arms to pick from a dish further away. Wait until they finish picking.
• In most cases, a dish is not supposed to be picked simultaneously by more than one person. Don't try to compete with anyone to pick a piece from the same dish.
• Don't put your chopsticks vertically into your bowl of rice as it is reminiscent of incense sticks burning at the temple and carries the connotation of wishing death for those around you. Instead, place them across your bowl or on the chopstick rest, if provided.
• Don't drum your bowl or other dishware with chopsticks. Only beggars do it. People don't find it funny even if you're willing to satirically call yourself a beggar. Likewise, don't repeatedly tap your chopsticks against each other.

Other less important dining rules include:

A lazy Susan in a Chinese restaurant

• Whittling disposable chopsticks implies you think the restaurant is cheap. Avoid this at any but the lowest-end places, and even there, be discreet.
• Licking your chopsticks is considered low-class. Take a bite of your rice instead.
• All dishes are shared, similar to "family style" dining in North America. When you order anything, it's not just for you, it's for everyone. You're expected to consult others before you order a dish. You will usually be asked if there is anything you don't eat, although being overly picky is seen as annoying.
• Serve others before yourself, when it comes to things like rice and beverages that need to be served to everyone. Ako, na primjer, želite sebi poslužiti drugu porciju riže, najprije provjerite je li još netko pri kraju i ponudite da ga prvo posluže.
• Ispuštanje šugavih zvukova prilikom jela često je, ali moglo bi se smatrati neprikladnim, posebno među dobro obrazovanim obiteljima. Međutim, gurmanstvo, poput "cuppinga" prilikom kušanja čaja, neki gurmani vide kao način za pojačavanje okusa.
• Normalno je da vaš domaćin ili domaćica stavlja hranu na tanjur. To je gesta dobrote i gostoljubivosti. Ako želite odbiti, učinite to na način da ne vrijeđa. Na primjer, trebali biste inzistirati da jedu i da se sami poslužite.
• Mnoge putopisne knjige kažu da čišćenje tanjura sugerira da vas domaćin nije dobro nahranio i da će osjećati pritisak da naruči još hrane. Zapravo se ovo razlikuje regionalno, a općenito, završetak obroka uključuje osjetljivu ravnotežu. Čišćenje tanjura obično će pozvati više na posluživanje, dok previše ostavljanja može biti znak da vam se nije svidjelo.
• Žlice se koriste kada se piju juhe ili jedu tanka ili vodenasta jela poput kaše, a ponekad i za posluživanje iz posude za posluživanje. Ako nemate žlicu, u redu je piti juhu izravno iz zdjele.
• Hrana s prstima rijetka je u restoranima; općenito se očekuje da jedete štapićima i / ili žlicom. Za rijetku hranu koju biste trebali jesti rukama, mogu se dobiti jednokratne plastične rukavice.
• Ako je komad previše sklizak za uzimanje, učinite to uz pomoć žlice; nemojte je kopljati oštrim krajem štapića.
• Glave ribe smatraju se delikatesom i mogu vam se ponuditi kao počasni gosti. Zapravo, meso obraza u nekim vrstama riba posebno je slano.
• Ako je na vašem stolu lijena Susan, provjerite osigurava li se da nitko ne uzima hranu prije nego što okrenete lijenu Susan. Također, prije nego što okrenete lijenu Susan, provjerite je li posuđe odbacilo šalice za čaj ili štapiće drugima koji su je možda postavili preblizu lijenoj Susan.

Većina Kineza ne stavlja sojin umak na zdjelu kuhane riže. Zapravo, sojin umak često nije dostupan ni za večeru, jer je uglavnom sastojak za kuhanje, a ponekad i začin. Riža je namijenjena da bude obična strana u kontrastu s aromatičnim slanim jelima i da obrok razvuče škrobom.

Tko plaća račun

U Kini su restorani i pubovi vrlo često mjesto za zabavu, a liječenje igra važnu ulogu u druženju.

Iako dijeljenje zakona počinju prihvaćati mladi ljudi, liječenje je i dalje norma, posebno kada su stranke u očito različitim društvenim klasama. Očekuje se da će muškarci liječiti žene, starije juniorima, bogate siromašnima, domaćine gostima, radničku klasu neprihodnim razredom (studenti). Prijatelji istog razreda obično će radije podijeliti priliku za plaćanje, nego podijeliti račun, tj. "Ovo je moj red, a vi ćete liječiti sljedeći put."

Uobičajeno je vidjeti Kineze koji se intenzivno natječu za plaćanje računa. Očekuje se da uzvratite udarac i kažete "Došao sam na red, liječićeš me sljedeći put." Nasmiješeni gubitnik optužit će pobjednika da je previše uljudan. Sve ove drame, unatoč tome što su i dalje uobičajene među svim generacijama i obično se igraju svim srcem, postaju nešto rjeđe prakticirane među mlađim, urbanim Kinezima. Kad god večerate s kineskim, imat ćete dobre šanse za liječenje. Za putnike s povoljnim budžetom dobra je vijest da su Kinezi željni liječenja stranaca, iako ne biste trebali očekivati ​​puno od učenika i radničke klase.

To je rečeno, Kinezi su vrlo tolerantni prema strancima. Ako želite ići na Nizozemsku, pokušajte. Skloni su vjerovanju da "svi stranci više vole ići na Nizozemsku". Ako se pokušaju prepirati, to obično znači da inzistiraju na plaćanju i vašeg računa, a ne obrnuto.

Napojnice se ne prakticira u Kini, iako neki restorani na račun dodaju pokriće, naknadu za uslugu ili "naknadu za čaj". Ako pokušate ostaviti napojnicu, poslužitelj će možda trčati za vama da vrati novac koji ste "zaboravili".

Vidi također

• Hong Kong kulinarska tura
• Japanska kuhinja
• Korejska kuhinja
• Malezijska kuhinja
• Ruska kuhinja