Chinese food and drink is much diversified in China, which can meet all peoples eating preferences. Enjoying Chinese food and drink is one of the themes of touring in China, and should definitely be experienced! You can learn Chinese culture, customs, thoughts and life styles experiencing the food here in China.

What are snacks in China?

Beijing

Peking Duck is a dish made famous long ago in China. This particular dish is served during banquets and special events .The duck has to be dried and air is blown into the duck to separate the skin and meat. After the duck is dried, it is cooked in one of two ways, a specialized barrel oven which cooks the duck like a convection oven or in a brick oven with an open flame. In the Orient, when Peking Duck was ordered, only the skin of the duck was served. The meat was taken back into the kitchen to be cooked with bean sprout at an additional charge to the customer. The bone of the duck was made into duck soup which was also served at an additional charge. This was known as the Duck three ways.
Ludaguan (Donkey Roll About) is a glutinous rice cake. It is made from steamed glutinous yellow rice flour, which is made into a flat cake, with fried bean flour and brown sugar powder sprayed onto the surface, and rolled up into several layers to make a cake.

Local River Crabs (Da Zha Xie) should not be missed if you are looking for a real Shanghai experience. Shanghai people go absolutely insane over these delicacies every autumn. The Chinese have a saying that female crabs are to be eaten in September and male crabs in October. This saying has to do with the amount of yellow (the eggs of the female) and paste (white matter in the male) in the crabs. The larger crabs are boiled in large pots and smaller crabs are cooked in a coating of flour or in a red sauce.

Gaoqiao Shortcake is made of wheat flour, lard, sugar, red beans and osmanthus. It is a rich and easily crumbled pastry, and has become one of the four renowned pastries from the Gaoqiao Bakery. All the products from this bakery can be had at its retail department at the corner of Huaihai Zhong Road and Ruijin Road.

Guava, originally planted in America, has been introduced to Guangzhou for over 200 years. Now, it is mainly planted in Haizhu District, Panyu and Zengcheng, its specialties include Jinhong, Gongfenhong, Zaoshouri, Chushihong, and Qiyueshou. Most guavas are gourd-shaped and in cyan or light yellow, and its flesh is delicate, fragrant and sweet with unique flavor. The guava can be eaten freshly or made into tinned fruit or soft packing drink.

Roujiamo comes from the ancient Chinese "Rou jia yu mo" (port stuffed in pancake) and is made of mincemeat wrapped by griddle steamed bread. Meat used in Roujiamo is a kind of cured meat stewed with assorted sauces in a kettle. This makes the meat soft, easy to chew and taste with a lasting flavor. High culinary skill is required to produce this kind of meat.

Jinhua Ham is one of the best bacon products in China. It has won numerous prizes on national or international competitions. The ham is distinctive for golden-colored skin, flaming-colored meat, rich fragrance, and delicious taste.

Mango has been regarded as the "king of tropical fruits". It is one of the major fruit products in Hainan Island, and has been planted prosperously all over the island. The size of mango is large and some can be as heavy as 2.6 kilometers each. Special is its scent as well as its sweet juice. Mango flesh contains a number of vitamins and in particular Vitamin-C.

Mango can not only be eaten fresh, but also be made into juice or dry food. The skin of mango can be used as medicine to enhance exertion. The life span of mango trees can reach 500 years and a fruits-yielding period can exceed one hundred years. It is one of the fruit trees, which have long life. Mango trees blossom on January every year and fruits mature on June. Also there are autumn mangoes and September and October are the best harvest seasons.

Chinese Spring Festival is on the first day of the lunar calendar, and it’s the most important and grand festival in the whole year. The Spring Festival Eve is called “Chu Xi”, which is the last day of the lunar calendar. On this day, families will have their family reunion dinner, where food and drink are an essential part of the festival .There are a number of festive Chinese foods that will help make any New Year's Eve celebration a success, whether you're throwing a large bash or simply enjoying a quiet dinner with a few close friends.
A family reunion dinner is held on “Chu Xi” where members of the family, near and far away, get together for the celebration. The venue will usually be in or near the home of the most senior member of the family. The “Chu Xi” dinner is very sumptuous and traditionally includes chicken and fish. In some areas, fish is included, but not eaten completely with the remainder is stored overnight, as the Chinese phrase “may there be surpluses every year” sounds the same as “may there be fish every year”.
Red packets for the immediate family are sometimes distributed during the reunion dinner. These packets often contain money in certain numbers that reflect good luck and honorability. Several foods are consumed to usher in wealth, happiness, and good fortune. Several of the Chinese food names are homophones for words that also mean good things. “Nian Gao” is such an example. It is most popular in southern China because its pronunciation is a homophone for “a more prosperous year”. (“Nian” means “year” and “Gao” sounds the same as “high”) Nian Gao is also popular in the Philippines because of its large Chinese population and is known as tikoy there. Known as Chinese Spring Festival pudding, Nian Gao is made up of meat, egg, glutinous rice flour, wheat starch, salt and water.

In Chinese culture, a baby's first month birthday calls for a celebration. Proud parents introduce their latest addition to friends and relatives by holding a red egg and ginger party. Traditionally, the baby's name is also announced at this time.
Guests attending the celebration will enjoy a banquet and red egg is the essential dish to serve. Chinese people believe that red is a color of happiness, vigor and hope, which best represents the newly-born baby. Parents may also use the brightly colored eggs to announce the birth. An even number of eggs are sent out for the birth of a boy, and an odd number announces a baby girl.
In recent years, some of the traditions surrounding red egg and ginger parties have been modified. Parents may choose to hold the celebration at a fancy restaurant, complete with costumed Chinese performers or even a children's magician. Also, the baby may be anywhere from one to three months old by the time the party is held. But the custom of passing out red-dyed eggs continues.