One of the staple soups in Chinese cuisine is the famous egg drop soup. As the name suggests, it is made by dropping whisked eggs in hot broth, which should form the delicate, flower-like clusters. Although simple in preparation, this soup can be dressed up by numerous ingredients which make it an extremely versatile dish.

The most common broth used in egg drop soup is the chicken broth, although vegetable broth or any other flavorful variety can be used. Additional ingredients include scallions and sesame oil, but tofu or vegetables such as peas and tomatoes can also be incorporated into it.

Egg drop soup is one of the most popular Chinese soups outside the country. It is a common staple of many Chinese restaurants in the world; however, the western variety is usually much thicker than the traditional Chinese counterpart. In southern parts of China and American-Chinese cuisines, the soup is usually eaten as an appetizer.

However, in the northern parts of China, the soup is sometimes consumed with or after the main meal, as they believe it helps with digestion of the main dish. In American-Chinese cuisine, it is often served with Chinese egg rolls.