The best alternative Chinese regional cuisines
You've heard about the 8 Great Cuisines, but what about the others?
With thousands of years of history, millions of miles of land and incredible geographical diversity, China arguably boasts one of the most developed, sophisticated and varied array of cuisines. Out of the shedloads of culinary traditions, eight cuisines are traditionally considered the foundational schools and styles of the country’s cooking, or the Ba Da Caixi (八大菜系): Cantonese, Sichuan, Hunan, Shandong, Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui. But what about the other regional heavy-hitters?
Yunnanese 云南菜
Sharing international borders with Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam and domestic ones with Tibet, Sichuan, Guangxi and Guizhou; with a landscape ranging from mountains to rainforests; and home to over half of China’s ethnic minorities, the south western province Yunnan is famed for its diverse scenery and culture. The province has multitude of influences – a fact that doesn’t go unnoticed in the cuisine. Although cooking styles and ingredients vary greatly across the board, a number of dishes rely heavily on the region’s flora and fauna with mushrooms, flowers and ferns making regular appearances.
WHAT TO EAT
Guoqiao mixian 过桥米线
Crossing the bridge noodles
Rubing 乳饼
Goat's cheese
Laonai Yangyu 老奶洋芋
Grandma’s Potato
WHERE TO EAT IT
Lotus Eatery 1112 Dingxi Lu, near Wuyi Lu (6034 8168). Multiple locations across Shanghai.
Southern Barbarian Second Floor, Ju'Roshine Life Arts Space, 169 Jinxian Lu, near Maoming Nan Lu (5157 5510).
Xinjiang 新疆菜
Arguably more Central Asian than what might come to mind when you hear ‘Chinese’, Xinjiang offers a culinary alternate reality for the country. Dishes often go hard with the cumin and feature lamb as the protein of choice over pork, due to the Muslim predominance of the province’s population. Another signature ingredientis raisins – and by that stroke, Xinjiang with its grapes is one of China’s major emerging wine regions.
WHAT TO EAT
Yangrou chuanr 羊肉串儿
Lamb skewers
Dapanji 大盘鸡
‘Big plate chicken’
Kao nang 烤馕
Xinjiang flatbread
WHERE TO EAT IT
Shanghai Muslim Market Corner of Aomen Lu and Changde Lu. Open 11am-3pm every Friday.
Xibo Third Floor, 83 Changshu Lu, near Julu Lu (5403 8330). Multiple locations across Shanghai.
Guizhou 贵州菜
Sandwiched between Sichuan and Hunan, Guizhou borrows much of its culinary palate from its neighbouring provinces. The biting cuisine frequently combines chilli with fermented vegetables and grains for a unique ‘sour-and-spicy taste’. This pungent signature flavour permeates most foods – in fact, an old local saying tells, ‘without eating a sour dish for three days, people will stagger with weak legs’. Thus, in the dishes, find an abundance of pickled vegetables, sourbroths and spicy condiments; the latter of which come from the province’s many treatments of the chilli pepper – dried, fried, simmered, mashed and more. Infact, Guizhou is the producer of Lao Gan Ma (‘Old Godmother’) chilli products (pictured), arguably one of China’s most famous and recognisable brands.
WHAT TO EAT
Suantangyu 酸汤鱼
Fish in sour soup
WHERE TO EAT IT
Qian Xiang Ge 525 Hongzhong Lu, near Yan’an Xi Lu (64019777). Multiple locations across Shanghai.
Shaanxi 陝西菜
A province with an especially rich history, Shaanxi sits in the centre of China and is home to one of the country’s four major ancient capitals Xi’an – famous for the Terracotta Warriors and for being the terminus of the old Silk Road. An impressive list of accolades, with an equally impressive cuisine to match. Shaanxi is known for its hearty, carb-heavy fare featuring strong, savoury flavours, with the likes garlic, chilli, onion and vinegar used gratuitously in cooking.
WHAT TO EAT
Roujiamo 肉夹馍
The ‘Chinese hamburger’
Youpomian 油泼面
Hot oil noodles
Yangrou paomo 羊肉泡馍
Mutton soup with soaked flatbread
Liangpi 凉皮
‘Cold skin’ noodles
WHERE TO EAT IT
Zhu Que Men Building 6, Room 103, Zhonghua 1912 Creative Park, 477 Aomen Lu, near Shaanxi Bei Lu (5234 1268).
Hainanese 海南菜
As an island province, Hainan’s cuisine differs from its mainland counterparts through the lightness of its ingredients and less oil-heavy cooking styles – relying more on freshness for flavour than heavy sauces or seasoning. Naturally, much of the cuisine reflects the abundant availability of fish and crustaceans from the surrounding sea, whilst tropical vegetation feature heavily as flavouring agents and soup bases. Because of close proximity and ease of access to Southeast Asia, Hainan’s cuisine has permeated that of neighbouring nations while also borrowing from them. Though the province has four ‘famous’traditional dishes – Wenchang chicken, jiaji duck, dongshan lamb and hele crab – Shanghai hosts some of its more memorable, more globally famed eats.
WHAT TO EAT
Hainan jifan 海南鸡饭
Hainanese chicken rice
Yezi huoguo 椰子火锅
Coconut hot pot
Chaobing 炒饼
'Freeze-fried' fruit sorbet
WHERE TO EAT IT
Coconut Taste Second Floor, 1008 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Xiangyang Bei Lu (3363 6038).
Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice 176 Jiaozhou Lu, near Xinzha Lu (6256 8674). Multiple locations across Shanghai.
Dongbei 东北菜
Hailing from China’s frosty northeastern provinces – Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang – Dongbei cuisine is characterised by heavy oil-rich broths, fatty meats, pickled vegetables, dense wheat noodles, potatoes, steamed breads and dumplings. Although a little rough around the edges, it’s the ultimate comfort food and does the trick every time.
WHAT TO EAT
Guobaorou 锅包肉
Dongbei-style sweet and sour pork
Di san xian 地三鲜
Stir-fried potato, aubergine and green pepper
Shuijiao 水饺
Boiled dumplings
Basi digua 拔丝地瓜
Deep-fried candied sweet potato
WHERE TO EAT IT
Dongbei Four Seasons Dumpling King 379 Xikang Lu, near Wuding Lu (6258 3289). Multiple locations across Shanghai.
Tibetan 西藏菜
Because of its high elevation and often harsh climate, Tibetan (Xizang) cuisine has traditionally been very much geographically determined, depending heavily upon the animals and crops that can subsist in the plateau environment. The food relies primarily on goat, sheep and yak meats and dairy products, as well as various grains (primarily barley) and a staple flour called tsampa made from roasted barley or wheat. Think lots of dense breads; cheese, yogurts and yak butter; stews, soups and curries and other hearty, caloric foods. Tibetan cuisine also reflects those of neighbouring Nepal and India, sharing some of their flavours, techniques and similarly available ingredients. Overall, the fare found in this Himalayan region is quite different to that of most Mainl and Chinese cuisines.
WHAT TO EAT
Momo 馍馍
Tibetan-style steamed buns
Kao yangpai 烤羊排
Roasted mutton ribs
Balep korkun 青稞饼
Tibetan barley bread
Suyou cha 酥油茶
Butter tea
WHERE TO EAT IT
Zasag 1731 Huashan Lu, near Huaihai Xi Lu (53288087).
Nepali Kitchen 819 Julu Lu, near Fumin Lu (5404 6281).
Taiwanese 台湾菜
Political status aside, Taiwanese fare has deep roots in Chinese cuisine (most notably Fujian province just across the water) while also pulling influence from Japan. Location is of obvious influence for Taiwanese food – being an island with very little farmland, the cuisine was traditionally based on locally viable ingredients and resources, so seafood and subtropical fruits play heavily in the dishes. There’s also a particularly strong focus on xiaochi, from pungent sticks of choudoufu (stinky tofu) and glutinous Taiwanese meatballs to crispy fried chicken cutlets and gebao (flat buns stuffed with pork belly, peanut powder and pickled veggies). Notably unlike other Chinese cuisines, Taiwanese food also includes a large number of desserts, like many variations of shaved ice and the famous fenglisu, a soft pastry crust filled with tangy pineapple jam.
WHAT TO EAT
Sanbeiji 三杯鸡
Three-cup chicken
Baobing 刨冰
Chinese shaved ice
Zhenzhu naicha 珍珠奶茶
Bubble milk tea
WHERE TO EAT IT
Bellagio First Floor, 143, iAPM, 999 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Shaanxi Nan Lu (5466 5698). Multiple locations across Shanghai.
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