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Exploring Chinese cuisines and culinary arts — from regional traditions and everyday foodways to imperial court cuisine and Buddhist vegetarian traditions.

[sinoculinary]

Laba Festival (腊八节) is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the eighth day of Layue (臘月), the twelfth lunar month. It marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year season and serves as a prelude to the Spring Festival about three weeks later. The name “Laba” comes from La (the twelfth month) and Ba (eight), originally linked to ancient rituals of making sacrifices to eight gods for good fortune, health, and a good harvest.

In ancient China, people honored gods and ancestors on this day. After Buddhism spread to China, the festival became associated with Gautama Buddha’s enlightenment, believed to have occurred on this date. Folk customs, such as beating drums to drive away diseases and evil spirits, are still practiced in some regions.

A central tradition of the festival is eating Laba congee (腊八粥), also known as “eight-treasure congee” (八宝粥). It is made with rice, beans, nuts, and dried fruits, usually with eight or more ingredients. The number eight symbolizes luck, and the dish is believed to be nutritious and beneficial during winter.

[sinoculinary]

三黑粥 (Sān Hēi Zhōu) — Three-Black Congee. A classic Kidney- and essence-nourishing (补肾养精) porridge.

Core ingredients are: black sesame, black beans, black rice.

Functions in TCM:

Tonifies kidney Qi and Yin

Supports blood and essence (精)

Associated with hair, bones, and aging

Common uses:

Weakness or low energy

Hair thinning or premature graying

Long-term nourishment rather than quick warming

— Usually eaten as a gentle, daily tonic.

[sinoculinary]

Chinese Buddhist / Temple Cuisine (寺院菜, 素斋) is the vegetarian culinary tradition developed within Chinese Buddhist monasteries and Buddhist communities. It is shaped by Buddhist precepts against killing (ahimsa) as well as Chinese philosophical ideas of balance, purity, and harmony between humans and nature.

Temple cuisine centers on grains, tofu, mushrooms, vegetables, wild herbs, nuts, fermented products, and seasonal produce.

Many monastic traditions avoid the “Five Pungent Spices” (五辛: garlic, onion, chives, leeks, and shallots), believed to stimulate desire and disrupt meditation. Cooking methods emphasize steaming, braising, light stir-frying, and stewing, often with subtle seasoning to preserve the natural flavor of ingredients.

A distinctive feature is mock meat (仿荤菜), created from wheat gluten (e.g. mianjin 面筋), tofu (e.g. dougan 豆干), bean curd skin (e.g. su ya 素鸭), and mushrooms to imitate the textures of meat, poultry, and seafood. These dishes developed partly for ritual and banquet purposes, allowing elite patrons and pilgrims to observe vegetarianism without abandoning familiar culinary forms. Famous examples include vegetarian “duck,” “fish,” “chicken”, “eel”, “pork”, “goose”, etc.

Many dishes associated with Chinese vegetarian cooking—such as mock duck, vegetarian soup, and elaborate banquet-style Buddhist feasts—originated in monastery kitchens and were later adopted by secular restaurants. Historically, temple cuisine influenced regional culinary traditions, especially in Jiangnan, Fujian, and Guangdong.

[sinoculinary]

Chinese halal cuisine (清真菜) generally refers to the cuisines of Chinese Muslim groups like the Hui (Han Chinese Muslims), Bonan, Dongxiang, Salar and Uyghurs of China, as well as the Dungans of Central Asia and the Panthays/Chin Haws of Myanmar/Thailand/Laos.

Hui cuisine (回族菜) refers more specifically to the cuisine and culinary traditions of the Hui ethnic group from Ningxia, Gansu, and some regions of Xinjiang.

It’s known for its strong emphasis on beef, lamb, spices (especially cumin), and wheat-based dishes like noodles and bread, featuring hearty dishes like beef noodle soup and spiced kebabs, blending Chinese flavors with Central and West Asian influences. 🍜🐑🫚🥙

[sinoculinary]

花酥 (huā sū) is a traditional Chinese flaky pastry known for its flower-shaped, layered appearance and delicate crisp texture. 花酥 literally means “flower pastry”. 🌸

Its shape is often chrysanthemum-like. It can be sweet or savory and is often served with tea. Common fillings include: red bean paste, jujube paste, lotus seed paste, black sesame.

Usually associated with northern Chinese pastry traditions, especially Beijing, where they used to be enjoyed by the royal family of Qing dynasty. Also common in old teahouses and festive occasions. It also appears in Chinese Muslim (Hui) pastry traditions, usually made with vegetable oil instead of lard.

[sinoculinary]

滇西 Dian Xi (literally “Western Yunnan”) is a region in Yunnan province, China. Its cuisine is Influenced by the local Bai and Naxi ethnic groups.

The cuisine is characterized by its use of dairy/cheeses, preserved meats, pickled vegetables, and wild mushrooms. Offering lots of rustic, mild, and herbal flavors. 🍄‍🟫🥩🌿🧀

[sinoheritage]

In the Song Dynasty (960–1279) capital of Kaifeng, there existed the world's first equivalent of a gourmet guide. Detailed lists of the best establishments and their specializations were compiled in popular literary notes, such as "Dreams of Splendor of the Eastern Capital”

The city amazed with its variety: there were restaurants specializing exclusively in noodles, only in dumplings (jiaozi), or only in lamb. There were vegetarian kitchens for monks, 24-hour taverns, and even a service for complete banquet takeout with all the dishes and tableware included. This demonstrates an incredibly developed food culture comparable to the modern one.

[sinoculinary]

五白粥 (wǔ bái zhōu) — Five-White Porridge. A traditional Chinese medicinal congee. “Five-White” refers to five white-colored ingredients, chosen for their nourishing properties. There isn’t one strict formula, but it often includes some of the following:

白米 – white rice

白莲子 – lotus seeds

百合 – lily bulb

白扁豆 – hyacinth bean

白山药 – Chinese yam

sometimes 茯苓 – poria (white fungus-like medicinal ingredient)

In traditional Chinese medicine “white” foods are linked to the Lung and Metal element. The porridge is believed to: nourish the lungs, strengthen the spleen/digestion, moisten dryness, good for dry cough, fatigue, poor appetite, or recovery periods.

[sinoculinary]

五行素汤 (wǔxíng sù tāng) — Five-Elements Vegetarian Soup.

A traditional Chinese food-therapy / Buddhist-style soup, built around the 五行 (Five Elements) theory rather than a single fixed recipe. It’s a meatless, clear or lightly simmered soup that combines ingredients representing the five elements to create balance in the body.

Each element corresponds to an organ system and a general color/flavor direction:

木 (Wood – Liver) → green foods

e.g. celery, spinach, bok choy, broccoli

火 (Fire – Heart) → red foods

e.g. tomato, red dates, goji berries

土 (Earth – Spleen) → yellow foods

e.g. corn, pumpkin, dried tofu skin

金 (Metal – Lung) → white foods

e.g. tofu, radish, lotus root, enoki mushrooms

水 (Water – Kidney) → black/dark foods

e.g. black fungus, shiitake, kelp

[sinoculinary]

Cordyceps flower chicken soup (虫草花鸡汤) A classic Cantonese nourishing soup, where food and medicine share the same purpose: daily balance and long-term vitality. This soup follows the Cantonese 老火汤 tradition — gently simmered for hours to extract nourishment while keeping the broth light, clear, and harmonious.

Key ingredients usually include: chicken, Cordyceps militaris, morel, jujube, goji berries, Solomon’s seal, ginger, lotus seeds, ginseng, and different types of fungus like tea tree mushroom.

[sinoculinary]

五红汤 (wǔ Hóng Tāng) — Five-Red Soup. A traditional blood-nourishing (补血) and Qi-tonifying (补气) food therapy formula.

Key ingredients include: red beans, red dates/jujube, goji berries, red peanuts, brown sugar.

Functions in TCM:

Nourishes Blood (养血)

Supports Qi (气) circulation

Warms the body and strengthens the Spleen

Common uses:

Fatigue, pallor

Cold hands and feet

Menstrual weakness or postpartum recovery

— Often consumed warm, especially in colder seasons.