chinese cuisine by region and the best food in chinatown nyc
Can you eat at all of china’s eight culinary traditions while eating the best food in chinatown nyc?
When we think of Chinese food in the United States, the food we think of us often uniquely American. Famous foods like egg rolls, chop suey, and more are actually from the Lower East Side of Manhattan. In fact, the famous dish beef and broccoli is so American that broccoli doesn’t even grow in China! (Chinese Broccoli does, but that’s another story). When I started the Chinatown food tour New York loves, I often sought out these dishes. But then I started to learn more about Chinese cuisine and it took me in a totally different direction.
The thing I love about Chinese food is its depth. There are eight distinct Chinese traditions and each one has many sub traditions. On top of this, there are many more Chinese cuisines that don’t have the “official” tradition distinction that are just as delicious. The cool thing about Manhattan is that it has to be the only place in America where you can eat at most of these. To get an idea of these cuisines, check out our list below:
1. Cantonese (Yue Cuisine) Cantonese cuisine is perhaps the most globally recognized style of Chinese cooking. When Cantonese immigrants arrived in America in the 1800’s, they brought their own unique cuisine with them. Steaming and stir-frying are some of the most common cooking methods. Dim sum, roast duck, and sweet and sour dishes dominate the culinary landscape of Southeast China. Dumplings stuffed with seafood are incredibly popular as well. This cuisine tends to be on the sweet side. Cantonese food is on the Chinatown food tour New York loves, but often times folks want some heat. Spice doesn’t play a huge role but if you like spicy food read on below.
2. Sichuan (Chuan Cuisine) Known for its bold flavors, Sichuan cuisine often incorporates garlic, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorn that leaves a tingling sensation on the palate. The name of this sensation is Ma La, which translates to “numbing.” It’s this sensation that has led American restaurants to translate Sichuan cuisine to making things as spicy as possible. But that is not what the cuisine is about at all, it’s about balance. In fact, chili’s didn’t even arrive in Sichuan province until the Portuguese introduced them in the 1700s! MaPo Tofu, Fish Soups, and Dan Dan noodles are some of the more popular dishes in this unique cuisine.
3. Jiangsu (Su Cuisine) Jiangsu cuisine is famous for its soft foods and emphasis on creating soups. One of the most popular preparations of Jiangsu Cuisine is mixing sugar and soy sauce to savory dishes, giving them a sweet and salty taste. Signature dishes include sweet and sour Mandarin fish and braised pork belly. Braised spare ribs are one of our favorites and variations of this can be found across America. I have always wanted to try Squirrel Fish, so if you know where I can get this, please let me know.
4. Zhejiang (Zhe Cuisine) Zhejiang food is characterized by its freshness, tenderness, and a mild, often sweet, flavor. Dishes like Dongpo pork and West Lake fish in vinegar sauce showcase the region’s sophisticated cooking methods. Most famous though, is the famous Xiao Long Bao, or soup dumplings.
5. Fujian (Min Cuisine) Fujian cuisine is characterized as being light and flavorful. Some of the best food in Chinatown NYC are Fujianese noodles and dumplings. Soups are incredibly popular in this cuisine, with some people saying a meal without a soup is not a meal. A signature soup dish to try is the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, a rich and aromatic soup. The Lower East Side is now mostly Fujianese, and you can find amazing Min food in Manhattan’s Chinatown.
6. Hunan (Xiang Cuisine) Hunan cuisine is often compared to Sichuan but tends to be even spicier and more purely flavored. It doesn’t have the Ma La spice of Sichuan food, but it is heavy on the garlic and chilis. It is one of three landlocked cuisines, so pickles and fermented ingredients are popular too. Dishes like steamed fish head with diced hot red peppers are popular as are noodle dishes that combined pickled peppers and vegtables.
7. Anhui (Hui Cuisine) Anhui cuisine can be described as “country cuisine,” featuring a lot of wild herbs and simple cooking methods like braising and stewing. It’s a small, landlocked province located on the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers, which leads to lots of vegetables, game, and ham being used. Braised turtle with ham is popular along with steamed tofu dishes.
8. Shandong (Lu Cuisine) Lu cuisine is the oldest of China’s eight culinary traditions. Located in Shandong Province, this area is also the birthplace of Confucius and the home of Tsingtao beer. Lu cuisine greatly influenced northern Chinese culinary traditions and is known by its bold flavors and seafood as protein. Braised chicken, sweet and sour carp and moo shu pork are some of the dishes most common to westerners.
This is a VERY short overview of Chinese cuisine. Within each region listed above are a bunch of subregions, and since the eight culinary traditions only cover about 20% of China’s landmass, there are tons of other culinary treats around this amazing country. China is far away from New York and you would have to fly to each region to try all of their amazing food, but on our Chinatown Food Tour, you can eat at half of these, all while walking, and all in a few hours. To book a tour, check out our landing page or check out the calendar below. We can’t wait to show you the best food in Chinatown!
