8 Chinese Delicacies You Should Try ...

1. Century Egg

This dish is known by a variety of names including leathered egg, hundred year egg, thousand year egg and millennium egg. In this dish, quail, duck or chicken eggs are preserved in a mixture of rice husk, clay, lime, salt and ash for weeks or months. The preserved egg has dark green or grey yolk and the egg white becomes dark brown. It can be eaten on its own as a side dish without any further preparation.

2. Peking Roast Duck

Peking roast duck is one of the Chinese delicacies you should try considering the dish has been around since the Imperial age and is considered to be one of China’s national dishes. The duck is carved in front of the diners and goes through three stages of preparation and presentation before it is served.

3. Sweet and Sour Pork

This Chinese delicacy comes from the Cantonese region and it originated in the 18th century. As the name suggests, pork is first deep fried and then stir fried in a sweet and sour sauce. Green pepper, onion, carrots, etc. are added when the pork is being stir fried.

4. Chinese Sausages

Although this is a generic term used to describe a large number of different Chinese sausages, they are all worth trying at least once. They are so vastly different from those that we are accustomed to in the Western world that you are sure to be delighted by them.

5. Drunken Chicken

This is also a generic name given to different types of preparations that make use of alcohol to cook chicken in. But, no matter what variation you come cross, it is certainly one of the Chinese delicacies you should try.

6. Lion’s Head Meatballs

These are large sized pork meatballs that are cooked by stewing the meat with vegetables. It comes in two varieties, white and red and both are equally delicious.

7. Mantou

This is one of the many buns or breads that originated in China. They are made from wheat flour as opposed to the more commonly used rice flour and are steamed. They taste delicious when fried and dipped in sweetened condensed milk.

8. Mapo Dofu/tofu

Vegetarians will love this dish. This versatile dish can be prepared to make an entrée or and can also be cooked to make the main course.

This is my list of 8 Chinese delicacies you should try. However, once you start sampling Chinese cuisine, there is no stopping and there is no going back. You will find yourself discovering many dishes that are great culinary delights. Thankfully, authentic versions of these dishes are available in good Chinese restaurants around the world.

Top image source: english.peopledaily.com.cn