China Trip – What to Eat and Where to Eat?

Food in Chinese culture has a very important role. Chinese enjoy eating and believe eating good food can bring good health, harmony and closeness to the family and relationships.

Shopping daily for fresh food is essential for all Chinese cooking. Unlike the fast food society of the U.S., the Chinese select live seafood, fresh meats and seasonal fruits and vegetables from the local market to ensure freshness. Even prepared foods such as dim sum or BBQ duck for to go orders must gleam, glisten, and steam as if just taken out of the oven.

Nobody could tell exactly how many restaurants a specific city has, to say nothing of the roadside eateries distributed in streets and back lanes. No matter where you would like to eat, in the slap-up restaurants or in the roadside eateries, make sure that the restaurant is clean and the food has been freshly prepared and is hot. It is a good idea to take your own chopsticks if you decide to dine in roadside eateries.

Since you are in China, you should taste Court Food, which has its origins in the Imperial Palace and is based on foods served to the Emperor and his Court, and vegetarian food. Both have their own unique flavors and good nutritional values.

Some famous dishes should be mentioned here for your reference. Traditional Shanghai and Beijing dishes are often the first two food cultures to know. They are so delicious that even their aroma could make you lick your lips. If you are only visiting Beijing or Shanghai, do not forget to taste some local dishes listed below.
Beijing dishes have combined many of the advantages of other dish systems to become epicures' focus because of its own elegance, fresh flavor, and magnificence.

Different from the magnificence shown in the Beijing dishes, Shanghai dishes stress natural beauty and pursue simplicity and elegance. Shanghai dishes are the youngest in Chinese dish systems with a mere 400-year history. In addition to its dishes, Shanghai snacks, such as Zongzi, Tangyuan (a kind of dumpling made with sticky rice), and cat ears (a kind of cookie) are also well known.