Different from the cuisine in western world, Chinese people cook food in various ways such as frying, boiling, steaming and stir frying. Chinese people put a high premium on the taste, color and smell of food. Chinese cuisine enjoys the same international reputation to that of France and Italy for its scent, taste and design.

Due to the vast territory of China, the product, climate and living habits are quite different from region to region. And the flavor of food is different. People in south China prefers light food while the people in north China prefer food with rich taste. Sichuan people like hot food, Shanxi people like sour food and so on. China has all kinds of cuisine of special local flavor, among which that of Shandong (shān dōng 山东), Sichuan (sì chuān 四川), Jiangsu (jiāng sū 江苏), Guangdong (guǎng dōng 广东), Zhejiang (zhè jiāng 浙江), Fujian (fú jiàn 福建), Hunan (hú nán 湖南) and Anhui (ān huī 安徽) are all quite representative.

Shandong cuisine (lǔ cài 鲁菜) is very famous in northern China. It includes much seafood. Sichuan cuisine (chuān cài 川菜) is hot, spicy and sour. It is much due to the wet weather of that region and people need hot food to dispel the wet. Jiangsu cuisine (sū cài 苏菜) is moderately salty and sweet and is quite delicious. It is much related to the mild weather in that region. Guangdong cuisine (yuè cài 粤菜) featers exquisite, plentiful and varied raw materials, novel and strangely cooked foods, light, delicious, tender and refreshing taste, sour, sweet, bitter, hot and salty flavoring. Zhejiang cuisine (zhè cài 浙菜) is developed from the local dishes of Hangzhou (hāng zhōu 杭州), Ningbo (níng bō 宁波) and Shaoxing (shào xīng 绍兴). Food in Zhenjiang is fragrant, tender and fresh. And most of them are highly sophisticated made. Fujian cuisine (mǐn cài 闽菜) often takes marine products as its raw material. It tastes light and delicious and the color is beautiful. Hunan cuisine (xiāng cài 湘菜) is mostly seasoned with chili, and features sour, hot, delicious and fragrant tastes. Anhui cuisine (huī cài 徽菜) is made of the choicest delicacies of mountain and wilderness, and always keeps the original flavor of food.

Besides, roast duck (kǎo yā 烤鸭) and dip-boiled mutton slices (shuàn yang ròu 涮羊肉) of Beijing, doupi (dòu pí 豆皮) (a kind of fried pancake made of glutinous rice, minced meat, cubes of bamboo shoots, etc. wrapped in sheets of rice and bean flour mixed with eggs) of Hubei Province (hú běi shěng 湖北省), and "white meat with pickled Chinese cabbage" (suān cài bái ròu 酸菜白肉) of the Northeast are all famous dishes in terms of their bright color and good taste.

中国饮食
       中国人烹饪食物的方式多种多样，例如煎、炸、蒸、煮、炒。中国人十分注重食物的色、香、味。 正是因为中国人对食物是如此的讲究，所以中国菜在世界上与法国菜、意大利菜齐名，深受人们的喜爱。

      由于中国地域辽阔，各地的物产、气候和生活习惯不同，因此人们的口味也各不相同：南方人口味清淡，北方人口味较重，四川人喜欢吃辣，山西人喜欢吃酸……这样，在中国就形成了各具地方风味特色的菜系。其中山东、四川、江苏、广东、浙江、福建、湖南、安徽等地的菜就极具代表性。 

      山东菜在中国北方很有名。由于山东靠近黄海、渤海，所以山东菜中海鲜类较多。四川菜的特点是麻、辣、酸。江苏菜咸甜适中，吃起来很可口。广东菜的特点是用料精细博杂；菜肴新颖奇异；口味讲究清、鲜、嫩、爽；调味品包含酸、甜、苦、辣、咸，它以色、香、味、形俱全而饮誉四海。浙江菜是由杭州、宁波、绍兴等地方菜发展起来的。浙江菜制作精细，具有香、嫩、鲜等特点。福建菜多用海产品作原料，味道清鲜，颜色美观。湖南菜喜用辣椒。酸辣、鲜香是湖南菜的特点。安徽菜的特点是选料朴实，讲究火功，重油重色，味道醇厚，保持原汁原味，菜以烹制山野海味而闻名。
     
      除此以外，北京的烤鸭、涮羊肉；湖北的豆皮；东北的酸菜白肉等也都是色鲜味美的名菜。