Food

China has a rich cuisine with endless variations in taste and presentation. From north to south and east to west you will be met with ever-changing dishes from the different regional cuisines. Generally speaking food is heavier in the north, relying more on bread and wheat than in the south where the food is spicier and relies considerably more on rice. In the Yangtze River Delta the food is sweeter than elsewhere, while food in the western provinces is sturdier and more salty.

Just like there are must-see sights in China there are also must-try dishes. Beijing is world-famous for its Peking Duck, a delicacy where you combine crispy skin with hoisin sauce, spring onions and delicate pancakes to bring out the unique taste. In Shanghai you should try small dragon heads, dumplings stuffed with meat and vegetables. Xi’an in Central China is renowned for jiaozi, another delicacy where the little dough packages are filled with chicken, pork, tomatoes and much, much more.

Although food hygiene in many restaurants in China is not yet on par with most western restaurants there is no need to worry when traveling in China. Almost all food is prepared at high temperature and perfectly safe to eat.

Generally dishes consist of a mixture of meat and vegetables. Do not worry about getting dog or snake served. These special food items are only served when specifically ordered.

At Genuine China Tours we believe that the dining experience is an important part of visiting China. You can experience many aspects of Chinese culture while having a meal. To the Chinese eating is as important an aspect of life as everything else, and this goes for GCT too. Although we are not always perfect we do work very hard to carefully select the restaurants and dishes we arrange for our tours and guests. We cannot guarantee that you will like everything – but we can guarantee that we try our best to give you a genuine dining experience while in China.