Collection: CHINA RESTAURANTS

China is not one cuisine. It is eight, and they disagree with each other. The country is usually described by its regional schools — Cantonese, Sichuan, Hunan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Fujian and Anhui — and a traveller who eats only in the first two has seen a fraction of it.

Cantonese — Guangdong, Hong Kong

The most exportable of the eight, and the one most travellers already know. Steaming, stir-frying and roasting rather than spicing: dim sum in the morning, roast goose at noon, congee at midnight. The test of a kitchen is a plate of plain steamed fish.

Sichuan — Chengdu, Chongqing

Not simply spicy. Sichuan cooking is built on mala — numbing and hot together, from Sichuan peppercorn and chilli — plus fermentation, pickling and a technique for coaxing flavour out of cheap ingredients. Hotpot in Chongqing is a social event, not a meal.

Hunan — Changsha, Zhangjiajie

Hotter and drier than Sichuan, without the numbing element. Smoked and cured meats, fermented beans, and a directness that many travellers find the most addictive cooking in China.

Jiangsu and Zhejiang — Suzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai

The refined eastern tradition: freshwater fish, river shrimp, braised pork, and a sweetness that surprises people who expect Chinese food to be either spicy or bland. This is banquet cooking, and it is best eaten slowly.

Shandong — Jinan, Qingdao

The northern root cuisine: wheat rather than rice, spring onions, vinegar, and a technique for braising that became the base of much imperial cooking. Heartier and saltier than the south.

Fujian and Anhui

Two of the less travelled traditions. Fujian is built on soup and seafood, with a famous umami intensity; Anhui is mountain cooking — wild herbs, preserved vegetables, braised meats.

How we plan it

By province, because food follows geography. A Guangdong itinerary eats Cantonese and Chaoshan; a Sichuan one eats Chengdu and Chongqing; Beijing and the north eat Shandong-influenced court cooking and noodles. Crossing regions inside one trip is the point.

The famous restaurants need booking further ahead than travellers expect, and the best meals are often in places with no English menu and a queue of locals at eleven. We plan for both.

Tell us where in China you are going — we will build the eating into the route.

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