Food in China: The Basics

Here is the first of a series of blogs on must-eat dishes in China. Below are some basic dishes you will see all over the country:

Xiaolong Bao- these soup dumplings are a famous Shanghai dish. The dumplings are served in a steamed bamboo basket. They are usually made of pork (though I've had crab), and contain soup inside as well. To eat, you should bite off a corner, sip the soup from the dumpling, then dip the dumpling in vinegar and ginger, and eat the rest. If you try to eat it all at once you will burn your tongue.

Noodle soups- similar to Vietnamese pho, but the noodles are thicker and the broth more flavorful. They are basically what the name implies. Cheap and delicious. Beware the chicken soup- it will probably contain the head and/or feet of the chicken. I've also seen chicken noodle soups in China that contain something resembling a Matzo ball, but I don't know exactly what that is and I'm afraid to try it.

Huo guo- Most commonly translated as "hot pot". The table has a large pot of boiling broth in the middle (which sometimes contains cow bones or pigs' feet for flavor). You can order the broth clear, spicy, or extra spicy. Order tofu, meat, seafood, and various vegetables to throw in- sort of like fondue. The Taiwanese version (which I prefer) has individual pots for everyone, and you make your own dipping sauce. Taiwanese usually call it by its Japanese name, Shabu Shabu.

Mapo Doufu- literally translated as "Pockmarked-face Old Lady Tofu," supposedly named after the inventor of the dish. The dish hails from Sichuan (formally spelled Szechuan) province, known for its spicy dishes. The dish contains boiled tofu in spicy chili sauce with minced pork or beef. The sauce also contains ma (麻), a spice that I have only tasted in Chinese food that numbs your entire face.

Peking duck: a dish from Beijing. An entire duck is roasted until the skin is crisp. The duck is sliced in front of the diners, who then wrap it in a pancake with sauce. Traditionally, the duck should be mostly skin and little meat.