14 Signature Dinners 晚饭 All Around China

Last week we covered the traditional and classic breakfast dishes in different parts of China. But that’s just the tip of the Chinese cuisine iceberg. You start to understand just how diverse each regional Chinese cuisine is when you get into dinner. Take a look at different cities’ signature dinner dishes.

Let us know in the comments below which of these you’ve tried before.

Dalian 大连

In northern China, Dalian’s signature dish is salted fish with pancakes 咸鱼饼子. Since Dalian is right on the water, fish are fresh and plenty. Pair the salty autumn fish with crispy pancakes for a delicious Northeastern classic.

Xi’An 西安

Xi’An is home to the Terra Cotta Army, Emperor Qin’s unopened tomb and their classic dish, Cold Vegetables with Donkey Meat 凉拌驴肉. While not common in Western cultures, Donkey is a delicacy and a very tasty meat in a few different Chinese dishes, including Donkey Burger.

Meizhou 梅州

Meizhou is located in Guangdong and their signature dinner dish has it’s roots in Han migrant workers from the north. Their Hakka Fermented Tofu 客家酿豆腐 was brought from the north when migrants moved south, brining their education and culture with them. Using pork and fish, they ferment the tofu until it’s a golden color.

Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 呼和浩特

It’s no surprise that the signature dish in the capital city of Inner Mongolia is Mongolia Barbecue Skewers 蒙古烤肉. This dish originates from the horseback Mongolian people in China roasting meat on a stick over fires as they rested. Different from Xinjiang skewers, Mongolia BBQ features more herbs in their sauce.

Chongqing 重庆

When a food is named after your city, it must be your signature dish. This is obviously the case for Chongqing, who is the originator of the Spicy Hot Pot 重庆火锅. While hot pot has become a popular dinner around China, coming in different forms, nothing beats the original spice of Sichuan.

Nanjing 南京

Nanjing’s healthy signature dish is Green beans with Stir Fried Tofu 芦蒿炒香干. While the Yanshui duck has been a local favorite of Nanjingers, they are slowly moving away from the fatty dish for a “greener” option. While only a little bit of oil and salt is added, this dish is surprisingly tasty and quickly becoming a new favorite.

Beijing 北京

A must try dish when you go to Beijing is Beijing Duck 北京烤鸭. While it may be a little bit pricier than some other Beijing options, it is no doubt the best. The skin is crispy like sweet bacon, the meat is tender and is complemented perfectly by the sweet bean sauce, onion and cucumber and wrap. Beijing does duck right.

Shanghai 上海

Shanghai has changed a lot from the old city it was to the most populated and modern city in China. But one dish has remained king of classic Shanghainese dishes: Braised Pork Belly 红烧肉. The sweet and salty dish is best when found a old, local restaurants that know how to make pork belly taste like the finest meat ever.

Wuhan 武汉

Wuhan in Hubei province has a rich food culture, including a breakfast street and a Ji Qing Jie night street where you can get their signature dish: Corriander Sticky Rice Balls 香菜圆子. There are two types of people in the world when it comes to corriander (cilantro). You either love it or hate it. Wuhan loves it and combines it with sticky rice flour and water to make their signature dish.

Tianjin 天津

A coastal city southeast of Beijing, Tianjin is in the perfect location for seafood, which is why their signature dish is Sauteed Shrimp 炒清虾仁. Most meals in Tianjin contain fish or shrimp, but this dish is classic. The shrimp is fresh and their meat is sweet and plump.

Changsha 长沙

Changsha in Hunan is the birthplace of Mao Zedong’s rise to power. The local taste involves a lot of prawn and lobster, but the local specialty dinner is Dry Roasted Snake 干窝带皮蛇. Although a little bit of a tough meat, it actually is delicious and tastes like chicken.

Hong Kong 香港

Hong Kong has an extremely rich cuisine culture, consisting of things like dim sum, milk tea and other Cantonese specialties. But their local signature dinner is Cantonese barbecue 烧腊. The skin is crispy on the outside but the meat is juicy on the inside. It’s like Cantonese Beijing Duck.

Chengdu 成都

Chengdu’s signature dinner dish is boiled fresh fish 水煮活鱼. Since Chengdu is in Sichuan, it maintains all of the classic spicy Sichuan flavoring and pepper ingredients. The fish is typically fresh and local, while the soup is numbing and

Lhasa 拉萨

Lhasa is in Tibet and has a very unique cuisine influenced by the Tibetan Chinese culture. One of their signature dinner dishes is Veal Meat Sauce 生牛肉酱. This dish is usually given to honored guests using fresh ingredients ground up into a thick paste.