China’s Eight Major Cuisines: Characteristics, Classic Dishes and Cultural Heritage

Chinese cuisine, with a long and splendid history spanning thousands of years, has evolved into eight distinct culinary schools after centuries of accumulation and development. Like eight bright pearls inlaid on the map of Chinese gourmet food, they carry regional Culture, folk customs and cooking wisdom. These eight major cuisines are Shandong Cuisine, Sichuan Cuisine, Cantonese Cuisine, Jiangsu Cuisine, Fujian Cuisine, Zhejiang Cuisine, Hunan Cuisine and Anhui Cuisine. Each cuisine, with its unique ingredient selection, cooking techniques and flavor characteristics, has become an important symbol of Chinese food Culture, attracting global diners to explore the secrets of its delicacy.

As the leader of the eight major cuisines, Shandong Cuisine originated in Shandong Province and is representative of northern cuisines, adhering to the tradition of “valuing refinement in food and delicacy in slicing”. It boasts exquisite cooking techniques, excelling in quick-frying, stir-frying, braising and stewing, focusing on original flavors with a mellow and mild taste. A classic dish, Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions, combines high-quality sea cucumbers with Zhangqiu scallions, featuring rich scallion aroma and tender, flavorful sea cucumbers. It retains the natural freshness of the ingredients while integrating the fragrance of scallions, demonstrating the grandeur and depth of Shandong Cuisine. In addition, Sweet and Sour Yellow River Carp, Braised Pork Intestines with Nine Spices and other dishes are also highly representative, becoming iconic symbols of Shandong Cuisine with their rigorous production process and unique flavors, influencing the development of many northern cuisines.

Sichuan Cuisine, originating from the Sichuan Basin, is world-famous for its core characteristics of “spicy, numbing, fresh and fragrant” with a distinct flavor identity. The unique climate in Sichuan has nurtured abundant spice resources, with prickly ash and chili as the soul ingredients, deriving various complex flavors such as fish fragrance, spicy, numbing-spicy and dried tangerine peel. Classic Sichuan dishes like Boiled Fish in Hot Chili Oil, Mapo Tofu and Husband and Wife’s Lung Slices are either spicy and satisfying or mellow and lingering, catering to diners’ pursuit of exciting tastes while showing the true flavor of ingredients. Sichuan Cuisine not only emphasizes the layering of flavors but also pays attention to the control of heat. Whether stir-frying or slow stewing, it can give full play to the characteristics of ingredients, becoming one of the most popular cuisines.

Cantonese Cuisine, originating in Guangdong, stands out for its style of “clear, fresh, tender and smooth”, and is deeply loved by diners at home and abroad. Located by the sea, Guangdong is rich in ingredients, including seafood, poultry, vegetables and fruits. It emphasizes the freshness of ingredients and pursues the cooking concept of “original flavor”. White-Cut Chicken, a classic representative of Cantonese Cuisine, uses high-quality three-yellow chicken, cooked by slow soaking in boiling water, with tender skin and meat, served with sand ginger soy sauce, fresh and delicious, fully showing the natural flavor of the ingredients. In addition, roasted meat, clay pot rice and shrimp dumplings are also very distinctive, with the warmth of home-cooked dishes and the delicacy of banquet dishes, showing the inclusive cultural characteristics of Cantonese Cuisine.

Jiangsu Cuisine, originating in Jiangsu Province, covers regional flavors of Suzhou, Yangzhou, Nanjing and other places. Characterized by “exquisiteness, delicacy and moderate sweetness and saltiness”, it is known as “the best flavor in the southeast”. Jiangsu Cuisine focuses on knife skills and modeling; the dishes are not only delicious but also ornamental. The knife skills are exquisite, cutting ingredients into shreds, slices, dices and other shapes, combined with precise heat control, making the dishes rich in taste. Classic Jiangsu dishes such as Squirrel Mandarin Fish, Braised Lion’s Head and Yangzhou Fried Rice are well-known. Squirrel Mandarin Fish has a realistic shape, crispy outside and tender inside, sweet and sour; Braised Lion’s Head is fat but not greasy, tender in texture, showing the delicacy and gentleness of Jiangsu Cuisine.

Fujian Cuisine, originating in Fujian, relies on the advantages of Coastal areas, takes seafood as the main ingredients, and features fresh and elegant flavors, focusing on the integration of sweet, sour and salty freshness. The humid climate in Fujian makes ingredients fresh and juicy. In terms of cooking techniques, it is good at sTeaming, boiling, stewing and simmering, which can maximize the nutrition and freshness of ingredients. Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, the pinnacle of Fujian Cuisine, uses a variety of precious ingredients such as abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin and scallops, simmered over low heat for a long time. The soup is rich and mellow, the ingredients are soft and flavorful, and the aroma is overwhelming, known as “the king of Fujian Cuisine”. In addition, Lychee Meat, Drunken Spare Ribs and other dishes are also very distinctive, sweet and sour, rich in taste, showing the unique flavor of Fujian Cuisine.

Zhejiang Cuisine, produced in Zhejiang Province, covers regional flavors of Hangzhou, Ningbo, Shaoxing and other places. With “fresh, not greasy, tender and delicious” as the core, it embodies the gentle temperament of the Jiangnan water town. Zhejiang is rich in products, with numerous rivers and lakes. Freshwater fish, bamboo shoots, fungi and other ingredients have become characteristic raw materials of Zhejiang Cuisine. In terms of cooking techniques, it focuses on light flavor and pursues the true flavor of ingredients. Classic Zhejiang dishes such as West Lake Vinegar Fish, Longjing Shrimp and Sister Song’s Fish Soup integrate regional ingredients and profound cultural heritage. Longjing Shrimp combines fresh shrimp with pre-Qingming Longjing Tea leaves, with the fragrance of tea and shrimp blending, refreshing taste and endless aftertaste, becoming a symbolic dish of Zhejiang Cuisine.

Hunan Cuisine, originating in Hunan, is characterized by “spicy, fragrant and fresh”, with a strong and mellow taste, combining various flavors such as salty, sour and numb, showing the bold temperament of Hunan people. The humid climate in Hunan makes chili an important ingredient to dispel cold and dampness. The spiciness of Hunan Cuisine is not a single pungency, but a combination of spicy, sour-spicy, fresh-spicy and other layers, paired with unique spices, forming a distinct flavor. Classic Hunan dishes such as Chopped Chili Fish Head, Sautéed Pork with Chili and Mao’s Braised Pork are popular. Chopped Chili Fish Head is spicy and satisfying, with tender fish meat; Sautéed Pork with Chili is fragrant and delicious, suitable for accompanying rice, becoming a classic home-cooked dish loved by the public.

Anhui Cuisine, produced in Huizhou area of Anhui Province, relies on the rich ingredients in mountainous areas, featuring “mellow, fresh and slightly spicy”, focusing on the integration of the original flavor of ingredients and heat. Anhui Cuisine is good at braising, stewing, sTeaming and simmering, using mountainous characteristic ingredients such as bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, ham and stone chickens, paired with unique cooking techniques, making the dishes mellow in taste and rich in aroma. Classic Anhui dishes such as Stinky Mandarin Fish, Fermented Tofu and Huizhou Crisp Cakes are distinctive. Stinky Mandarin Fish smells stinky but tastes delicious, with firm and tender meat; Fermented Tofu has a unique taste after fermentation, eaten with chili sauce, full of flavor, showing the unique regional characteristics of Anhui Cuisine.

China’s eight major cuisines are not only a feast for the taste buds but also a microcosm of regional Culture. The formation of each cuisine is closely related to the local geographical environment, climate conditions and folk customs, carrying the cooking wisdom and cultural heritage of the Chinese ancestors. Today, with the increasing frequency of Sino-foreign cultural exchanges, the eight major cuisines have gradually gone global, becoming an important bridge for cultural communication between China and foreign countries, allowing global diners to experience the profound heritage and unique charm of Chinese food culture while tasting delicious food.