Site Guide
How We Classify Chinese Cuisines
Chinese cuisine cannot be reduced to one national menu or even to a single list of regional cuisines. This site uses a practical classification system built for menu literacy.
Classification layers
| Layer | Examples | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Regional cuisine | Cantonese, Sichuan, Hunan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Anhui. | Useful for flavor, technique, and geography. |
| Subregional and city traditions | Teochew, Hakka, Xi'an, Yunnan rice noodles, Beijing roast duck. | Often more useful than broad province labels. |
| Diaspora cuisine | American Chinese, Indo-Chinese, Malaysian Chinese, Singaporean Chinese, Hong Kong cafe food. | Explains adaptation outside mainland regional categories. |
| Restaurant format | Dim sum hall, hot pot restaurant, barbecue window, bakery, Hong Kong cafe. | Explains how the menu is organized. |
| Technique category | Stir-fried, steamed, red-braised, dry-fried, water-boiled, cold-dressed. | Explains what the kitchen is doing. |
Why the eight cuisines are not enough
The eight-cuisine model is useful as a starting framework, but it does not explain all menu reality. It under-describes diaspora cuisines, restaurant formats, borderland cuisines, Islamic Chinese foodways, Taiwanese food, Hong Kong cafe food, and many city-level specialties.
Site practice
The site therefore uses multiple labels when needed. A dish can be Cantonese and dim sum; Taiwanese and Japanese-influenced; Sichuan and restaurant-adapted; Hakka and diaspora-associated; or American Chinese and Cantonese-derived.