In many parts of America, Chinese food has long been associated with General Tso's chicken and chow mein. But China, with a billion-plus people and a landmass slightly smaller than that of the U.S., has a food culture that boasts a number of regional culinary styles available right here in the city. For hungry Olympic fans, here is a crib sheet to China's most popular cuisines and where to find them in the spirit of the games.
Beijing
Some of the most common takeout items such as hot-and-sour soup and steamed dumplings (jiao-tze) come from Beijing. As China's capital, Beijing is a multicultural city with a diverse culinary culture. It is also where the Emperor's kitchen (within the Forbidden City) gave rise to Chinese aristocratic cuisine. Beijing foods are generally snack-size, crispy in texture, with pungent sauces made from dark soy paste, nutty sesame paste, silky sesame oil and crispy scallions.
Telltale dishes: Peking duck is the standard on upscale Chinese menus. For something unusual, try flaky sesame pancakes (shao-bing) and noodles with meat and black bean sauce (tza-jiang mein).
Eat them here:
Chinatown Brasserie (380 Lafayette St., 212-333-7000)
Peking Duck House (28 Mott Street, 212-227-1810)
Kai Feng Fu Dumpling House (4801 Eighth Ave., Sunset Park; 718-437-3542)
Canton (Guangdong)
The Cantonese people were the first Chinese to arrive in America, and Cantonese food is what most Americans recognize as Chinese food. Bordered by the South China Sea on one side of Guangdong province, the Cantonese are big on seafood. But when it comes to cooking with meat, every animal part is on the table, including organs, feet and tongue. Cooking techniques range from steaming to braising to deep-frying, and the flavors are generally on the light side with restrained use of heavy spices and sauces.
Telltale dishes: Shark fin soup is the ultimate delicacy, but those wishing for a heartier meal should try the steamed fish with ginger and scallions or sweet-and-sour pork.
Eat them here:
Ping (22 Mott St., 212-602-9988)
Fuleen (11 Division St., 212-941-6888)
Oriental Garden (14 Elizabeth St., 212-619-0085)
Fujiang
The two-block drag around East Broadway on Eldridge Street just north of Division Street is sometimes referred to as little Fuzhou, home to Fujiang-style, hand-pulled noodles and Lanzhou-style knife-cut noodles made into traditional soups with beef or fish balls. The Fujianese are mostly fishermen who prefer soups and stews and cook a lot with red wine pastes and fermented rice, which give their food a sweet and sour taste.
Telltale dishes: Chewy fish balls are an acquired taste, but beef with noodle soup is a good place to start.
Eat them here:
Sheng Wang (27 Eldridge St., 212-925-0805)
Super Taste Restaurant (26 Eldridge St., 212-625-1198)
Shiao Du Hui (135-19 40th Rd., Flushing; 718-762-1955)
Shanghai
Shanghai is China's most cosmopolitan city, and its cuisine is characterized by oddly complex, light sweet flavors derived from sugar, soy sauce, rice wine and vinegar. "Red cooking," a slow braising technique using soy sauce, caramelized sugar, fermented bean paste and five-spice powder, supposedly originated from the region.
Telltale dishes: In New York, Shanghai food is popularized by the ubiquitous soup dumplings, but other lesser-known—but equally delicious—dishes are smoked fish and Red-Braised Lion Head Meatballs.
Eat them here:
Shanghai Cafe (100 Mott St., 212-966-3988)
Shanghai Cuisine (89 Bayard St., 212-732-8988)
Tung Shing House (97-45 Queens Blvd., Rego Park; 718-275-0038)
Szechuan
With its variable climate and abundant agricultural produce—chilies and peppercorns—Szechuan is regarded as the spiciest and greasiest of Chinese regional cuisines. Unlike most chili-based dishes that deliver a sharp dose of tongue-scorching heat on impact, Szechuan spiciness comes from the once-illegal Szechuan peppercorns and chili bean paste that build a complex, lip-numbing sensation, which makes Szechuan cuisine a favorite among chili addicts.
Telltale dishes: A common Szechuan dish is ma po tofu, silky bean curd flecked with ground pork and red chilies. If you can take the heat, try the lamb with red chili sauce or fried fish with chili bean paste.
Eat them here:
Spicy and Tasty (39-07 Prince St., Flushing; 718-359-1601)
Szechuan Gourmet (21 W. 39th St., 212-921-0233)
Grand Szechuan (229 Ninth Ave., 212-620-5200)
Photo by Ryan Thatcher
