Zhēngjiao is a traditional dish consisting of steamed dumplings. The texture is somewhere between the crinkly and tender skins of boiled dumplings (shui jiao) and the crisp-bottom, chewy top style of pan-fried dumplings (guo tie or jian jiao or potstickers).

Once steamed, these dumplings will have a translucent wrapper covering the filling, which usually consists of pork and chives, cabbage, shrimp, or a combination of different vegetables. When served, zhēngjiao dumplings are often served with soy dipping sauce on the side.

The history of Peking duck goes back to China's Yuan Dynasty of the 13th century. Bianyifang, Beijing's oldest restaurant specializing in Peking duck has been in business since the Jiajing reign of the 16th century, serving as a testament to the popularity of this succulent, tantalizing dish.

The duck is cooked until the skin turns golden and crispy and the meat becomes tender, slightly sweet, and moist. Both the meat and the skin are then folded in thin pancakes or steamed white buns. To make an authentic Beijing kao ya, the duck must be a white feathered American Pekin, hung for 24 hours, and pumped with air through a small puncture between the breasts and wings. 

Traditional dan dan noodles are a true classic of Chinese cuisine. The star of the dish is a spicy sauce served with the noodles. Made with chili oil, preserved vegetables, Sichuan peppercorn, and sometimes sesame or peanut paste, the sauce bursts with heat and complex flavors.

The meat, most commonly minced pork or beef, is also commonly included, but mainly acts as a garnish. In China, the varieties differ only slightly, but worldwide the traditional dan dan noodles have been adjusted to the more gentle western palate and use significantly fewer spices. 

A favorite breakfast item in China sold by numerous street food vendors early in the morning, jianbing or fried pancake is a thin and savory crêpe-like pancake that is made by spreading batter over a hot, cast-iron slab with a wooden paddle.

The batter can be made with a variety of different flour, with the most common types being mung bean flour, black bean flour, and wheat flour. Always freshly prepared and warm, this fried pancake is usually topped with eggs, then flavored with various sauces such as chili sauce, hoisin sauce, or tianmianjiang (savory bean paste) sauce, and filled with ingredients such as spring onions, mustard pickles, radishes, scallions, cilantro, or even a protein such as Chinese sausage or chicken. 

Biangbiang noodles, also known as belt noodles due to their broadness and length, are a specialty of Shaanxi province in China. The noodles are usually topped with vegetables and herbs such as spring onions, garlic, leeks, coriander, Sichuan peppercorns, cumin, and chili.

There are two stories about the origin of these unusual noodles: one says that the name stems from the sound of handmade noodles being stretched and flapped, and the other one says that the word biangbiang was invented by a Chinese Emperor. Unusually, the word biang doesn't exist in the Chinese language, and it is made up of 57 strokes, the most of any Chinese character. 

Stir-fry shrimps or you bao xia is a Chinese dish where whole shrimps are stir-fried in a wok until crispy. They are then soaked in a savory sauce that typically consists of chicken broth, black vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and Shaoxing wine.

Scallions and ginger slices are often used during the cooking process, but they might also be used as garnishes before the dish is served. Stir-fry shrimps are especially popular at Chinese New Year celebrations.

Yangzhou fried rice is a Chinese dish consisting of rice, eggs, and vegetables such as carrots, mushrooms, peas, while the common additions also include shrimps, meat, scallions, and Chinese ham. Traditional versions sometimes may incorporate sea cucumbers, crab meat, and bamboo shoots.

It is believed that the dish originates from General Yang Su of the Sui Dynasty. Because it was one of his favorite dishes, he introduced it to the Yangzhou culture when he patroled Jiangdu with Emperor Yangdi. Originally, it was a peasant food prepared with leftover rice combined with small bits of meat and vegetables. 

Twice cooked pork is a Sichuan specialty prepared by cooking fatty pork leg or belly (with the skin intact) in two different ways. Pork is first simmered in a pot and cooled in the refrigerator in order for the meat and fat to firm up. After that, the meat is sliced and stir-fried with vegetables such as cabbage, bell peppers, leeks, and mushrooms until it develops a brown color and the skin gets crispy on the edges.

Ingredients may vary from one cook to another, but most of them add a sauce made with rice wine, soy sauce and various other condiments to the wok along with meat and vegetables. It is believed that the dish was invented during the Song Dynasty period by a poet who was preparing a pork dish for his friend. 

Liangpi is a noodle dish that originated in China's Shaanxi province. To prepare the dish, noodles that are made from either wheat flour, rice flour, or a combination of both are dressed with soy sauce, chili oil, and vinegar, while typical garnishing includes thinly sliced strips of cucumber, bean sprouts, and cilantro.

The meaning of the name when translated is cold skin, referring to the chewy, thick, and translucent texture and appearance of the noodles, while their genesis, according to a folk tale, happened during the Qing Dynasty. Depending on what ingredients are used, several variations of the dish exist; liangpi from the city of Hanzhong is prepared with steamed garlic and hot chili oil, maijang liangpi is named after the black sesame paste that's used in the sauce, and shan xin gan mianpi is garnished with wheat gluten, mashed garlic, and bean sprouts in a sauce made with vinegar, chili oil, and salt.