“Chinese food” is really a dozen cuisines. A Cantonese kitchen steams fish with ginger and barely a trace of chilli; a Sichuan kitchen floods a pot with red oil and numbing peppercorns; a Hui Muslim noodle shop pulls noodles by hand for a clear beef broth. Travelling through China means eating very differently from one province to the next.
China’s classic “eight great cuisines” are Sichuan, Cantonese, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan and Anhui, each with its own ingredients and techniques. Alongside them, Chinese Islamic cuisine, cooked by the Hui and Uyghur peoples, is a major tradition of its own, and the easiest for Muslim travellers: look for restaurants marked 清真 (qīngzhēn). Pork is the most common meat in most regional cuisines, so this guide shows what each region is known for and where halal food is easiest to find.
The eight great cuisines
| Cuisine | Region | Known for | Signature dishes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sichuan (川) | Chengdu, Chongqing | Bold, spicy and numbing (málà) | Mapo tofu, kung pao chicken, hot pot |
| Cantonese (粤) | Guangzhou, Hong Kong | Fresh, delicate, steamed and roasted | Dim sum, steamed fish, roast meats |
| Shandong (鲁) | Jinan, Qingdao | Salty, crisp, seafood and soups | Braised sea cucumber, sweet and sour carp |
| Jiangsu (苏) | Nanjing, Suzhou | Refined, slightly sweet | Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, lion’s head meatballs |
| Zhejiang (浙) | Hangzhou | Light, fresh, tender | West Lake fish in vinegar sauce, Longjing shrimp |
| Fujian (闽) | Fuzhou, Xiamen | Soups, broths and seafood | Buddha jumps over the wall |
| Hunan (湘) | Changsha | Hot and sour, fresh chillies | Steamed fish head with chillies |
| Anhui (徽) | Huangshan | Mountain ingredients, braising | Stewed dishes with bamboo shoots and mushrooms |
Chinese Islamic cuisine: the halal tradition
China has around 20 million or more Muslims, mainly Hui (Chinese-speaking Muslims found across the country) and Uyghurs in the north-west. Their cooking uses beef, lamb and chicken, wheat noodles and breads, and no pork.
- Lanzhou beef noodles (兰州牛肉面) – hand-pulled noodles in clear beef broth with chilli oil and herbs; the easiest halal meal in China, sold in almost every city.
- Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter – streets of halal food: yangrou paomo (lamb soup with torn bread), beef or lamb roujiamo (meat in flatbread), cold noodles and sweets.
- Xinjiang dishes – lamb skewers with cumin, polo (lamb pilaf), dapanji (big-plate chicken with noodles) and naan.
- Beef and lamb dumplings – at 清真 restaurants everywhere.
Halal note: in most Chinese regional cuisines pork is the default meat, lard is common, and dishes are often cooked with Shaoxing rice wine. Look for 清真 on the sign (often green, sometimes with Arabic script) and ask 有猪肉吗? (Is there pork?) and 有酒吗? (Is there alcohol?). Seafood and vegetable dishes elsewhere may still use lard or pork stock. See our halal food travel guide.
How pork-heavy is each region?
| Region | Pork and halal notes |
|---|---|
| Sichuan, Hunan | Pork is central; hot pot broths often use beef tallow or pork bone. Halal hot pot exists at 清真 restaurants |
| Canton and Hong Kong | Roast pork, char siu and lard pastry are everywhere; seafood is plentiful |
| Jiangsu, Zhejiang | Braised pork and rice wine are classic; freshwater fish and vegetables are good options |
| Shandong, Fujian | Strong on seafood; ask about pork stock |
| North-west (Gansu, Ningxia, Xinjiang) | Large Muslim populations; halal food is the norm in many areas |
Where to taste regional food
- Chengdu – Sichuan food, tea houses and hot pot.
- Guangzhou – Cantonese food and dim sum.
- Shanghai and Hangzhou – Jiangsu and Zhejiang cooking; see Shanghai’s halal alternatives.
- Xi’an – the Muslim Quarter, one of China’s great halal food streets.
- Lanzhou – the home of beef noodles.
Mandarin phrases
| Say | Characters | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Qīngzhēn ma? | 清真吗? | Is it halal? |
| Yǒu zhūroù ma? | 有猪肉吗? | Is there pork? |
| Yǒu jiǔ ma? | 有酒吗? | Is there alcohol? |
| Bù yào là | 不要辣 | Not spicy |
| Niúroù miàn | 牛肉面 | Beef noodles |
Frequently asked questions
What are the eight great cuisines of China?
Sichuan, Cantonese, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan and Anhui.
Can Muslims find halal food in China?
Yes. Look for 清真 (qīngzhēn) restaurants run by Hui and Uyghur Muslims; Lanzhou beef noodle shops are found in almost every city.
Which Chinese cuisine is the spiciest?
Sichuan and Hunan cuisines are the spiciest.
Where is the best halal food in China?
Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter, Lanzhou and the north-west are famous, and 清真 restaurants are found nationwide.
See all China food guides, the China food budget calculator and tipping in China.
