“Chī le ma?” (“Have you eaten yet?”) is a common greeting among Chinese people. It is even more popular than “Ni Hao!”(“Hello”). This serves as a good clue that food plays a very important role in Chinese culture!
Cold cereal for breakfast?! While I was happy to have it when I was in college in the U.S., when I was back in Taiwan my typical breakfast could include an egg pancake, a few mini buns with pork and veggie fillings, and a glass of soy milk OR a ham and egg sandwich and a bottle of yogurt OR a plate of noodles with sesame sauce topped with shredded cucumber. Wild?! Maybe, but in Taiwan breakfast shops, bakeries and food stands line the street from your home to the nearest bus stop or metro station. It was very convenient…and delicious.
There are some well-known regional cuisines when we talk about Chinese dishes. The next time you go for Chinese food you might discover a new favorite dish.
Let’s take a look at some parts of Chinese and their associated dishes:
Beijing: Hot and sour soup/Peking duck/Moo Shu pork
Cantonese/Hong Kong: Dim Sum/Sweet and sour pork/Beef brisket stew
Sìchuān: (Spicy!) Kung Pao Chicken/Ma Po Tofu/Dan Dan noodle/Chili Hot Pot
Shanghai: Pot Stickers/Xiao Long Bao
Taiwan: “Three Cups Chicken”/Oyster Vermicelli/Rice with stewed pork sauce/Very Spicy Hot Pot
I encourage you to go on a field trip to one of the best Chinese restaurants near you. This website I’ve listed below is a reference. I have not tried them all even though I would love to. If you have any wonderful Chinese restaurant you love please share it with us.
