BASIC

INGREDIENTS
OF CHINESE
CUISINE
STARCH STAPLES:

Millet Corn
Rice Buckwheat
Kaoliang Yam
Wheat Sweet
Potato
LEGUMES:
Soy bean
Broad bean
Peanut
Mung bean
VEGETABLES:

Malva Turnip
Amaranth Radish
Chinese Mushrooms
cabbage
Mustard
green
FRUITS:
Peach Pear
Apricot Crab apple
Plum Mountain
Apple haw longan
Jujube Lychee
Orange
MEATS:

Pork Chicken
Dog Duck
Beef Goose
Mutton Pheasant
Venison Fishes
SPICES:
Red pepper
Ginger
Garlic
Spring onion
Cinnamon
8 MOST POPULAR
CHINESE DISHES
Sweet and Sour Pork
Sweet and sour pork has a bright
orange-red color, and a delicious
sweet and sour taste.
Gong Bao Chicken
This is a famous Sichuan-style specialty, popular with both
Chinese and foreigners. The major ingredients are diced
chicken, dried chili, and fried peanuts.
Ma Po Tofu
The milky tofu is enriched with
brownish red ground beef and chopped
green onion. It is really a tasty
delicacy.
Wontons
Wontons are commonly boiled and
served in soup or sometimes deep-
fried. The filling of wontons can be
minced pork or diced shrimp.
DUMPLINGS
Dumplings consist of minced meat
and chopped vegetables wrapped into
a thin piece of dough skin.
Chow Mein
Generally speaking, this stir-fried dish
consists of noodles, meat (usually
chicken, beef, shrimp, or pork), onions
and celery.
Peking Roasted Duck
Peking duck is savored for its thin and
crispy skin. The Sliced Peking duck is often
eaten with pancakes, sweet bean sauce, or
soy with mashed garlic. It is a must-taste
dish in Beijing!
SPRING ROLLS
The filling of spring rolls could be
vegetables or meat, and the taste could be
either sweet or savory.
 Chinese
Dining Etiquettes
and Table Manners
 SEATING
On arrival one should first introduce
oneself, or let the master of the banquet
do the introduction if unknown to others,
and then take a seat in accordance with the
master of the banquet’s arrangement.
The seating arrangement is probably the
most important part of Chinese dining
etiquette.
If the guest of honor or most senior
member is not seated, other people are not
allowed to be seated. If he hasn’t eaten,
others should not begin to eat. 
 EATING
Let older people eat first, or if you hear
an elder say "let's eat", you can start to
eat.
You should pick up your bowl with your
thumb on the mouth of the bowl, first
finger, middle finger the third finger
supporting the bottom of the bowl. If you
don’t pick up your bowl, bend over the
table, and eat facing your bowl, it will be
regarded as bad table manners.
Concentrate on the meal and your
companions. Watching television, using your 
phone, or carrying on some other activity 
while having a meal is considered a bad 
habit.
You should try to refill your bowl with rice 
yourself and take the initiative to fill the bowls 
of elders with rice and food from the dishes. If 
elders fill your bowl or add food to your bowl, 
you should express your thanks.
"Thank you" Gesture
Tea is served as soon as you have a seat in a 
restaurant. A waiter/waitress serves you tea 
while you read the menu and decide what to 
order. The tea pot is left with you on the table 
after everyone around the table's cup is filled 
with tea. Guests then serve themselves.
When someone pours tea into your cup, you 
can tap the table with your first two fingers 
two or three times, showing thanks to the 
pourer for the service and of being enough 
tea. The pourer will stop pouring when seeing 
the gesture.
When eating, you should close your mouth to 
chew food well before you swallow it, which is 
not only a requirement of etiquette, but also 
better for digestion. You should by no means 
open your mouth wide, fill it with large pieces 
of food and eat up greedily.
If there is food around your mouth, use a 
tissue or a napkin to wipe it, instead of licking 
it with your tongue. When chewing food, don’t 
make noises.
Do not stick chopsticks
vertically into your food.
Do not wave your
chopsticks around in the air too
much or play with them.
Knives are traditionally seen as
violent in China, and breakers of
the harmony, so are not provided
at the table.