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What to eat in South Central China? Top 67 Central Southern Chinese Foods

Last update: Sun Feb 16 2025
Top 67 Central Southern Chinese Foods
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01

Dumplings

GUANGDONG, China
4.4
Shumai
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Shumai, literally translated as to cook and sell, is a staple of dim sum cuisine consisting of an open-topped dumpling filled with steamed ground pork, and sometimes finely chopped shrimp or Chinese black mushrooms. When it's cooked, shumai is often garnished with a single pea, a fish egg, or a small piece of carrot on top.


It originated in tea houses along the Silk Road in Cantonese China, and since then, the dish has spread throughout the world. In China, there are numerous regional variations of this flavorful delicacy, but it is also extremely popular in Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines. 

MOST ICONIC Shumai

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02
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Char siu is a dish consisting of roasted, barbecued pork that has previously been marinated in the eponymous sauce, including ingredients such as soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine, and star anise. The pork is usually served either as a sliced appetizer or shredded and chopped as a main meal.


In the early days of char siu, any available meats, such as wild boars and pigs were used to make the dish. The name char siu is literally translated to fork-roasted, referring to the original method of preparation in which the meat is placed on an elongated fork and roasted over an open fire that caramelizes the sugars found in the marinade. 

MOST ICONIC Char siu

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03
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A traditional dish of the Cantonese cuisine, crispy fried chicken consists of chicken that is first steamed and dried, then deep-fried in a special way so that the skin remains extremely crunchy, and the meat underneath gets tender. The chicken is steamed with spices such as cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, ginger, anise, and nutmeg.


Later, it usually gets drizzled over with a combination of sugar and vinegar, helping the skin achieve its typical crispiness in the process. According to tradition, crispy fried chicken is a dish that should be eaten at night, while it is also regularly consumed at most Chinese wedding feasts. 

MOST ICONIC Zhaziji

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Sweet and sour spare ribs is a popular Chinese dish that is mostly consumed in restaurants since it is somewhat hard to prepare it at home. Spare ribs are first marinated, deep-fried, then dipped in Chinese sweet and sour sauce. Traditionally, the dish is served as an appetizer and is extremely popular in the southern parts of China.


In Chinese culture, pork symbolizes prosperity, so the dish is often prepared and served for Chinese New Year. The Chinese people love to serve sweet and sour dishes during the festive time because the word sour (syun in Cantonese) sounds like the word grandchild when pronounced, giving hope for a new offspring. 

MOST ICONIC Tang cu pai gu

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05
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Beef chow fun is a Cantonese dish prepared by stir-frying previously marinated beef slices together with flat, wide rice noodles (hor fun), and bean sprouts. Because of the preparation method, beef chow fun is a true measure of any accomplished Cantonese chef.


Specifically, it is necessary to get two things right: wok hei — the cooking technique of stir-frying the ingredients at high heat which imparts them with a special umami flavor; and pow wok — a way of quickly tossing the ingredients without the use of a spatula, which prevents sticking and does not break the delicate rice noodles. 

MOST ICONIC Chow hor fun

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06
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Jiao yan you yu or salt-and-pepper squid is a traditional dish originating from Guangzhou. This Cantonese dish is usually made with a combination of squid, potato flour, scallions, Shaoxing wine, garlic, oil, hot peppers, Sichuan pepper or white pepper, and salt.


The surface of the squid is cross-hatched and the body is cut into bite-sized pieces. It's mixed with Shaoxing wine, drained, dredged in flour, and deep-fried in hot oil until lightly golden. The squid is removed from the pan. The garlic, scallions, and hot peppers are stir-fried in the same oil, and the squid is placed back into the pan with a mixture of Sichuan pepper and salt. 
07
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One of the classics of Chinese cuisine, hong shao rou is a delicious concoction made with braised pork belly. The meat is boiled and doused in a rich mixture of rice wine, sugar, and light and dark soy sauce. All the ingredients form a sweet and sticky sauce of vibrant red color in which the pork belly is cooked until tender.


The dish originates from the Chinese province of Hunan, but nowadays it is traditionally associated with Shanghai. It is famous for being a favorite dish of Mao Tse-tung, the founding father of China, and it is often referred to as Chairman Mao’s red braised pork
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Hong shao
08
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Egg waffle is a popular Hong Kong delicacy consisting of egg whites and yolks, milk, butter, sugar, flour, and salt. It is characterized by its puffy visual appearance and a pull-apart texture. These tiny treats are traditionally sold throughout Hong Kong by street vendors who prepare them in special pans with small, round cells.


Egg waffles can be consumed plain or paired with fruit and different spreads.

MOST ICONIC Egg waffle

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09

Fried Chicken Dish

HUNAN, China and  one more country
4.2
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Orange chicken is an American-Chinese dish that was invented as a variation on General Tso's chicken. The dish consists of battered chicken that is fried with sweet and sour orange and chili sauce. In the United States, a chain restaurant called Panda Express credits itself with the invention of the dish, evolving it into a meal that is much sweeter than the dish it was modeled after - the original tangy and spicy version from Hunan, where the subtropical climate with mild winters makes it ideal for growing oranges, tangerines, and lemons that are native to Asia.


Orange chicken is traditionally accompanied by steamed rice on the side.

MOST ICONIC Chen pi ji

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Reganmian, or more commonly hot dry noodles, is a traditional dish originating from Wuhan, the capital of the Chinese Hubei province. It is one of the five most common and popular noodle dishes in China. The noodles in reganmian are cooked in a mixture of water and sesame oil, cooled, tossed and warmed in the same mixture right before serving.


The process results in a delicious serving of noodles which are coated with a strong sesame flavor. The dish is sold by numerous street vendors across the city, who sell it from the early morning until late in the evening. Additional ingredients and garnishes vary among the vendors, who use different elements such as peanut or sesame oil, soy sauce, and chili to create their signature reganmian. 

MOST ICONIC Reganmian

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11
Pudding
MACAU, China
4.2
12
13
Rice Dish
HONG KONG, China
4.1
14
Sauce
CHAOSHAN, China
4.1
15
Stir-fry
GUANGDONG, China
4.0
16
17
Fish Dish
GUANGDONG, China
4.0
18
Dessert
SOUTH CENTRAL CHINA, China
4.0
19
Pork Dish
GUANGZHOU, China
4.0
20
Soup
GUANGDONG, China
4.0
21
22
Appetizer
GUANGDONG, China
3.9
23
Poultry Dish
GUANGDONG, China
3.9
24
Sweet Soup
GUANGDONG, China
3.9
25
Meatballs
GUANGDONG, China
3.8
26
Frozen Dessert
GUANGDONG, China
3.7
27
Sweet Pastry
HONG KONG, China
3.7
28
29
30
Sweet Soup
GUANGDONG, China
3.6
31
Bread Roll
HONG KONG, China
3.6
32
33
Appetizer
HUNAN, China
3.5
34
Soup
HENAN, China
3.4
35
Sweet Pastry
HONG KONG, China
3.4
36
Noodle Dish
LIUZHOU, China
3.2
37
Fish Soup
GUANGDONG, China
3.0
38
39
Stir-fry
WUHAN, China
2.6
40
Duck Dish
CHAOZHOU, China
n/a
41
42
43
Snack
HONG KONG, China
n/a
44
45
Stir-fry
MACAU, China
4.0
46
47
Stir-fry
GUANGZHOU, China
n/a
48
Savory Pastry
HONG KONG, China
3.9
49
Stir-fry
SOUTH CENTRAL CHINA, China
3.9
50
Offal Soup
CHAOZHOU, China
3.7
51
52
53
54
55
Dessert
GUANGDONG, China
3.5
56
57
Cake
HONG KONG, China
3.5
58
59
60
61
Breakfast
HONG KONG, China
3.2
62
63
Sweet Bread
HONG KONG, China
2.9
64
65
Breakfast
WUHAN, China
n/a
66
67
Snack
HONG KONG, China
n/a

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 67 Central Southern Chinese Foods” list until February 16, 2025, 4,789 ratings were recorded, of which 4,144 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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Central Southern Chinese Food