Cuisine
Chinese
Quick Answer: Chinese cooking is not one cuisine. Four regional traditions dominate — Sichuan (chilli and numbing pepper), Cantonese (steaming and stir-frying for texture), Shandong (braising and scallion) and Huaiyang (delicate, freshwater fish) — plus Hunan, Fujian, Anhui and Zhejiang.
What defines Chinese cooking
- Wok hei: the seared, smoky flavour only a very hot pan produces
- Soy sauce in tiers — light for salt, dark for colour, seasoned for sweetness
- Texture (口感) is valued as highly as flavour: springy, crunchy, silky
- Rice in the south, wheat (noodles, dumplings, buns) in the north
- Ingredient prep and cooking are separate steps — mise en place is mandatory
Regional traditions
Region
Sichuan
Sichuan cooking is defined by málà — the combined numbing (花椒, Sichuan peppercorn) and burning (chilli) sensation.
RegionCantonese
Cantonese cooking prizes the natural flavour of fresh ingredients over heavy seasoning, with steaming, stir-frying and roasting used to preserve texture.
Regional pages open as each region reaches 3+ tested recipes.
Recipes
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Signature dishes
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Key ingredients
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