Duck's head is a spicy local specialty from the Chinese city of Wuhan, but it is also a snack that is commonly eaten throughout China, most notably in Shanghai. The dish is made by stir-frying a head of duck with the addition of herbs and spices.
Duck's head has a crispy taste as a result of the stir-frying method, and it is claimed to be a healthy food, with one of the duck's head store owners claiming that it helps one's brain power when consumed. Some say that the taste of the dish is not unlike eating a spicy chicken wing, while the others, such as Kellie Schmitt of CNN, describe it as one of Shanghai's weirdest foods.
When the head is served, it should be pried open with one's fingers to get to the tender meat on the interior.
MOST ICONIC Ya tou
Cantonese in origin, moo goo gai pan is an Americanized version of a pre-existing Chinese stir-fry made with mushrooms and sliced chicken as the main ingredients. Additional ingredients typically include snow peas, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and bok choy, all doused in a simple white sauce made with chicken broth and seasoned with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sometimes Shaoxing wine.
In contrast to the original Chinese version of the dish, moo goo gai pan has a thicker sauce that's more seasoned and incorporates a wider range of ingredients. In the United States, this simple stir-fry is served over steamed rice and is one of the most popular take-out foods.
Chai tow kway is a traditional dish originating from Chaoshan. The dish usually consists of radish cake (also known as turnip cake) that’s cut into cubes and stir-fried with eggs and seasonings. Radish cake is made with a combination of shredded daikon, rice flour, and water.
Chai tow kway can also be steamed and pan-fried, and the dish is typically garnished with scallions before serving. It’s also popular in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, where it’s a part of Teochew people cuisine.
In Singapore, the dish is also made in two versions – white (no soy sauce) and black (made with sweet soy sauce).
This seafood lover’s delight is typically served at upscale Chinese restaurants specialized in Cantonese cuisine. The contents of the bird’s nest usually include jumbo shrimp, squid, and scallops that are stir-fried with fresh vegetables, scallions, ginger, and garlic.
All of the stir-fried ingredients are placed into an edible nest with a tough and crunchy texture, which is entirely made out of fried taro root or noodles. This luxurious dish is often reserved for special occasions such as weddings, New Year, or birthdays.
A Northern Chinese dish known as moo shu pork is a seasoned meat and vegetable stir-fry that is also an integral part of American-Chinese cuisine. Traditionally, slices of pork tenderloin, cucumbers, and scrambled eggs are stir-fried in peanut or sesame oil after which day lily buds and thinly sliced wood ear and enokitake mushrooms are added to the pan.
The seasoning in moo shu pork consists of minced ginger and garlic, scallions, soy sauce, and rice wine. The dish is typically accompanied by rice. Although it is most often stated that moo shu pork comes from the Shangdou province, there are numerous theories about the origin of the dish and its name.
Hokkien fried rice is a popular Chinese rice dish originating from the province of Fujian. In order to prepare it, rice and eggs are first stir-fried together, then topped with a thick gravy made with poultry, dried mushrooms, seafood, and vegetables.
It is recommended to fry the ingredients over high heat, because if the wok isn’t hot enough, you will end up with watery fried rice.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Qiang lianhuabai is a traditional dish originating from Sichuan. The dish is usually made with a combination of cabbage, dried chili peppers, soy sauce, Chinkiang black vinegar, Sichuan pepper, salt, sugar, and oil. In order to prepare the dish, the cabbage is torn and stir-fried with hot peppers and Sichuan pepper, and then seasoned with sweet-and-sour flavorings before serving.
The Chinese prefer to use lianhuabai, the large, flat, and loosely-leaved white cabbage, but it can be replaced with regular cabbage. This dish is beloved because it's quick and easy to make along with being inexpensive.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Stir-fried gai lan is a traditional dish originating from the southern parts of the country. The dish is usually made with a combination of chinese broccoli (gai lan, more related to kale than broccoli), vegetable oil, ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, and Shaoxing wine.
The gai lan leaves are blanched, drained, refreshed under cold water, and drained again. The same process is repeated with the stalks. The ginger and garlic are fried in a wok until golden, and the gai lan stalks are then added to the wok. The mixture is stir-fried, mixed with the leaves, oyster sauce, and wine.
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 “8 Worst Rated Chinese Stir-fry Dishes” list until May 18, 2025, 1,448 ratings were recorded, of which 1,298 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.