There are really many dishes on the Chinese table one time and there are countless kinds of Chinese food on campus I think. Chinese food is good and the most common & popular ones in the eyes of most foreigners are as below (in no particular order). If you have been to the canteen of a Chinese university, you will find the dishes there are really cheap and delicious.
10 Most Delicious and Common Chinese Food:
Kung Pao Chicken; Sweet and Sour Fillet of Pork; Fish-flavored Shredded Pork; Mapo Tofu; Scrambled Egg with Tomato; Fish with Chinese Sauerkraut; Dumplings; Chow Mein; Beijing Roast; Duck; Hot Pot
1. 宫保鸡丁 Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken is a famous Chinese characteristic traditional dish, which is included in Shandong cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Guizhou cuisine, and other cuisines, but its raw materials and cooking methods are slightly different in different places. It can be seen everywhere in the canteens of Chinese universities and nearby restaurants.
Kung Pao Chicken is cooked with chicken as the main ingredient, accompanied by peanut, pepper, and other auxiliary ingredients. Red but not spicy, spicy but not fierce, smooth and crisp meat.
In September 2018, it was rated as one of the top ten classic dishes in Guizhou Province and the top ten classic dishes in Sichuan Province.
2. 糖醋里脊 Sweet and Sour Fillet of Pork
Sweet and Sour Fillet of Pork is one of the classic traditional dishes in China. The dish takes pork tenderloin as the main material, with flour, starch, vinegar, and other seasonings. It is sour, sweet, and delicious, which makes people's appetite worked up. On September 10, 2018, "Chinese Food" was officially released in Henan Province. Sweet and Sour Tenderloin was rated as one of the top 10 classic dishes in Shandong. Chinese people like eating pork very much and most children in China can't refuse this delicious dish at all. The Sweet and Sour Tenderloin in the restaurant and made at home may be more delicious and authentic than that in the canteen on campus.
3. 鱼香肉丝 Fish-flavored Shredded Pork
Fish-flavored Shredded Pork is a special dish in Sichuan. This dish is made by frying shredded pork tenderloin with pickled pepper, ginger, garlic, sugar, and vinegar. It was created by a Sichuan chef during the period of the Republic of China. It is said that it was inspired by shredded pork with pickled pepper.
The food material of Fish-flavored Shredded Pork is finely selected. The finished dish is ruddy in color and rich in fish flavor. It tastes salty, sweet, sour, and spicy. The texture of shredded meat is soft and tender.
On September 10, 2018, it was rated as one of the top ten classic dishes in Sichuan among the "Chinese Dishes" that attracted much attention. Whether in the restaurant or the school canteen, this dish is delicious and cheap.
4. 麻婆豆腐 Mapo Tofu
Tofu is made of beans and is one of the cheapest food. Mapo Tofu is one of the traditional famous dishes in Sichuan Province. The main ingredient is tofu, and the auxiliary ingredients are garlic sprouts and meat foam. Bean paste, chili, soy sauce, raw soy sauce, sugar, and starch are all the spices needed to make Mapo Tofu.
Today, Mapo Tofu has traveled across the ocean and settled in the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, and other countries. It has leaped from a commonly homemade dish to an internationally famous dish.
On September 10, 2018, "Chinese Food" was officially released, and "Mapo Tofu" was rated as one of the top ten classic Sichuan dishes of "Chinese food".
5. 番茄炒鸡蛋 Scrambled Egg with Tomato
Scrambled egg with tomato is a domestic dish made of tomato and egg. Bright color, sour, sweet, and refreshing. It seems that every Chinese can cook this dish, which is very simple and cheap. Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes and Fried Shredded Potatoes are the most common and simple dishes in China.
6. 酸菜鱼 Fish with Chinese Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut Fish, also known as fish in sour soup, is a classic dish from Chongqing. It is famous for its unique seasoning and unique cooking techniques. It was popular in the 1990s and is one of the representatives of Chongqing cuisine.
Sauerkraut Fish is cooked with grass carp as the main material and pickles. It tastes sour, spicy, and delicious. Fish is rich in high-quality protein, which can provide people with rich protein, minerals, and other nutrients; Lactic acid in sauerkraut can promote the human body's absorption of iron and increase people's appetite.
7. 饺子 Dumplings
Jiaozi is a traditional food of Han nationality, which has a history of more than 1800 years. Jiaozi, also known as dumplings, is deeply loved by the Chinese people. It is not only a staple food and local snack in northern China but also food for the new year or festivals. You can find this food in almost any canteen.
8. 炒面 Chow Mein
Fried noodles (Chow Mein) is a traditional Chinese snack popular all over the country. The main materials are noodles, eggs, shredded meat, small rape, scallion, and so on. It tastes delicious and nutritious. It seems that Fried Noodles are never expensive in China.
The following two foods may not be common in the university canteen, but you won't miss them in the surrounding restaurants.
9. 北京烤鸭 Beijing Roast Duck
Roast duck is a famous Beijing dish with a world reputation. It originated in the Northern and Southern Dynasties of China and is a popular palace food.
The material is high-quality meat duck, roasted with fruitwood charcoal. It is known as "most delicious in the world" for its red color, tender meat, mellow taste, fat but not greasy characteristics. You will have the opportunity to eat authentic Beijing Roast Duck in high-end restaurants in China.
10. 火锅 Hot Pot
Hot pot generally refers to the cooking method of taking the pot as the appliance, burning the pot with the heat source, boiling all kinds of food with water or soup, which is characterized by eating while cooking. Similar dishes are available all over the world, but they are especially popular in East Asia.
Typical hot pot ingredients include all kinds of meat, seafood, vegetables, bean products, mushrooms, egg products, staple foods, etc. No foreigner will not try hot pot when he comes to China I think.
Don't forget to try these foods when you go to the Chinese university canteen! There's always the one you will like!
