For most foreigners, “Chinese food” usually implies a lot of deep-fried, strong-flavored and greasy dishes that all taste similar. However, for Chinese people, “Chinese food” is a concept as useless as “German beer,” because, like Chinese culture in general, Chinese food is extremely diverse. China covers a large territory and has many nationalities; hence there is a wide variety of Chinese foods, each with quite different but fantastic and mouthwatering flavors. Because China's local dishes have their own typical characteristics, Chinese food can be divided into eight regional cuisines, the distinction of which is now widely accepted. Certainly, there are many other local cuisines that are famous, such as Beijing Cuisine and Shanghai Cuisine.

对于大多数外国人，“中国菜”通常意味着很多油炸，浓厚的风味和油腻的菜，味道都相似。然而，对中国人而言，“中国菜”是一个概念，无用的“德国啤酒，“因为，像一般的中华文化，中国的食品是非常多样的。中国地域辽阔，民族众多；因此，有一个中国食品种类繁多，各有不同，但美妙和令人垂涎的美味。因为中国地方菜肴各具特色，中国菜分为八大菜系，其区别是现在被广泛接受的。当然，还有其他很多著名的地方菜系，例如北京菜和上海菜。

Shandong Cuisine
Consisting of Jinan cuisine and Jiaodong cuisine, Shandong cuisine, clean, pure and not greasy, is characterized by its emphasis on aroma, freshness, crispness and tenderness. Shallots and garlic are frequently used as seasonings so Shandong dishes taste pungent. Soups are given much emphasis in Shandong cuisine. Thin soups are clear and fresh while creamy soups are thick and taste strong. Jinan chefs are adept at deep-frying, grilling, pan-frying and stir-frying while Jiaodong chefs are famous for cooking seafood with a fresh and light taste.

Typical menu items: Bird's Nest Soup; Yellow River Carp in Sweet and Sour Sauce

山东菜

由济南菜和胶东菜，山东菜，干净，纯洁而不油腻，以其香，鲜重，脆、嫩。洋葱和大蒜是常用的调料，山东菜味道辛辣的。汤中给出了山东菜的重视。薄汤是清晰而新鲜奶油汤厚、味浓的。济南厨师擅长炸，烤，炒炒，胶东厨师和烹饪海鲜的鲜淡而著名。

典型的菜单项：王府清汤官燕；糖醋黄河鲤鱼

Sichuan Cuisine
Sichuan Cuisine, known more commonly in the West as “Szechuan,” is one of the most famous Chinese cuisines in the world. Characterized by its spicy and pungent flavors, Sichuan cuisine, with a myriad of tastes, emphasizes the use of chili. Pepper and prickly ash are always in accompaniment, producing the typical exciting tastes. Garlic, ginger and fermented soybean are also used in the cooking process. Wild vegetables and meats such as are often chosen as ingredients, while frying, frying without oil, pickling and braising are used as basic cooking techniques.

It can be said that one who doesn't experience Sichuan food has never reached China.

Typical menu items: Hot Pot; Smoked Duck; Kung Pao Chicken; Water-Boiled Fish; Tasty and Spicy Crab; Twice Cooked Pork; Mapo Tofu

四川菜

四川菜，在西方通常被称为“四川，”是一个在世界上最著名的中国菜系。具有辛辣和刺激性的味道，四川菜，有多种口味，着重使用红辣椒。辣椒和花椒，总是在伴奏，产生典型的刺激的味道。大蒜，姜和豆豉也被应用在烹饪过程中。野生蔬菜和肉类，如经常选择的成分，而油炸，油炸无油，腌制和文火炖煮作为基本的烹饪技巧。

可以说，一个不体验四川食品从未到达中国。

典型的菜单项：火锅；熏鸭；宫保鸡丁；水煮鱼；可口、香辣蟹；回锅肉；麻婆豆腐

Guangdong (Cantonese) Cuisine
Tasting clean, light, crisp and fresh, Guangdong cuisine, familiar to Westerners, usually has fowl and other meats that produce its unique dishes. The basic cooking techniques include roasting, stir-frying, sauteing, deep-frying, braising, stewing and steaming. Steaming and stir-frying are most frequently used to preserve the ingredients' natural flavors. Guangdong chefs also pay much attention to the artistic presentation of their dishes.

Typical menu items: Shark Fin Soup; Steamed Sea Bass; Roasted Piglet; Dim Sum (a variety of side dishes and desserts)

广东菜系（粤语）

品尝干净，轻，脆鲜，广东菜，为西方人所熟知，通常有鸡和其他肉类，产生其独特的菜肴。基本的烹饪方法包括烤，炒，煎，炸，烤，炖和蒸。蒸炒最常用于保存天然风味成分。广东厨师也注重于菜肴的艺术表现。

典型的菜单项：鱼翅汤；清蒸石斑鱼；烤乳猪；点心（各种小菜和点心）

Fujian Cuisine
Combining Fuzhou Cuisine, Quanzhou Cuisine and Xiamen Cuisine, Fujian Cuisine is renowned for its choice seafood, beautiful color and magical tastes of sweet, sour, salt and savory. The most distinct feature is their "pickled taste."

Typical menu items: Buddha Jumping Over the Wall; Snow Chicken; Prawn with Dragon's Body and Phoenix's tail

福建菜

福州菜，泉州菜，厦门菜，福建菜以其精选的海鲜，漂亮的色泽，神奇的甜，酸，咸和香。最明显的特征是其“腌味。”

典型的菜单项：佛跳墙；雪鸡；龙的身体和凤凰尾虾

Huaiyang Cuisine
Huaiyang Cuisine, also called Jiangsu Cuisine, is popular in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Using fish and crustaceans as the main ingredients, it stresses their freshness. Its carving techniques are delicate, of which the melon carving technique is especially well known. Cooking techniques consist of stewing, braising, roasting, and simmering. The flavor of Huaiyang Cuisine is light, fresh and sweet and its presentation is delicately elegant.

Typical menu items: Stewed Crab with Clear Soup, Long-boiled and Dry-shredded Meat, Duck Triplet, Crystal Meat, Squirrel with Mandarin Fish, and Liangxi Crisp Eel

淮阳菜

淮阳菜，又叫江苏菜，在长江下游的流行。以鱼类、甲壳类为主要成分，它强调新鲜。其雕刻技术是微妙的，其中哈密瓜雕刻技术，尤其是众所周知的。烹饪技术包括炖，蒸，烤，炖。淮阳菜的特色是淡，鲜甜，其表现是微妙的优雅。

典型的菜单：红烧蟹清汤，煮干丝长肉，三套鸭，水晶肉，与松鼠桂鱼，和梁溪脆鳝

Zhejiang Cuisine
Comprising local cuisines of Hanzhou, Ningbo, and Shaoxing, Zhejiang Cuisine is not greasy. It wins its reputation for freshness, tenderness, softness, and smoothness of its dishes with their mellow fragrance. Hangzhou Cuisine is the most famous one of the three.

Typical menu items: Sour West Lake Fish, Longjing Shelled Shrimp, Beggar's Chicken
Hunan Cuisine
Hunan cuisine consists of local cuisines of Xiangjiang Region, Dongting Lake and Xiangxi coteau areas. It is characterized by thick and pungent flavors. Chili, pepper and shallot are usually necessities in this variation.

Typical menu items: Dongan Chicken; Peppery and Hot Chicken

浙江菜

包括杭州地方菜系，宁波，和绍兴，浙江菜不油腻。它赢得声誉，清新，温柔，柔软性，和他们的醇厚香味的菜肴平滑。杭州菜是最有名的一个三。

典型的菜单项：酸鱼西湖，龙井虾仁，乞丐鸡

湖南菜

湖南菜系由湘江地区的地方菜，洞庭湖和湘西的高地地区。它的特点是辣的口味。辣椒，辣椒和大葱通常是这种变化的必需品。

典型的菜单项目：东安鸡；胡椒和辣鸡

Anhui Cuisine
Anhui Cuisine chefs focus much more attention on the temperature in cooking and are good at braising and stewing. Often ham will be added to improve taste and candied sugar added to gain freshness.

Typical menu items: Stewed Snapper; Huangshan Braised Pigeon

安徽菜

安徽厨师注重烹饪温度，擅长炖。通常会加入火腿改善口感和蜜饯糖添加到获得新鲜。

典型的菜单：红烧甲鱼；黄山红烧石歧项鸽

中国美食（中英文）