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Did you know?: 煎饺 (pan-fried jiaozi) are the seared version of China's famous dumplings: first cooked covered with a little water, then left to sizzle until the base turns crisp. This double cooking — steam and fry — gives the contrast of textures that makes them irresistible. Garlic chives (jiucai) are one of the most traditional and beloved fillings.

Did you know?: 盐酥鸡 (yansuji) is one of Taiwan's most popular street foods, found in practically every night market. The secret is the double frying, which makes it extraordinarily crisp, and the final dusting of salt, pepper and often fried basil leaves. It is the quintessential walk-and-snack of Taiwanese cuisine.

Did you know?: Spring rolls (春卷, chunjuan) take their name from the Spring Festival, Chinese New Year, when they were traditionally prepared to celebrate the arrival of the warm season. Their elongated shape and golden colour recall gold ingots, a symbol of wealth and good fortune for the new year.

Did you know?: The 包子 (baozi) has a history of almost two millennia and, according to legend, was invented by the strategist Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms period. Steamed in bamboo baskets, it is one of the pillars of Chinese breakfast and street food, loved for its soft dough made from a long-leavened batter.

Did you know?: 酱骨 (jianggu) is a classic dish of Dongbei, north-eastern China, where the harsh climate favoured long, flavourful preparations. The bones, still rich in meat and marrow, are braised for hours in a dark sauce of soy, star anise and spices. They are eaten strictly by hand, and part of the pleasure lies in sucking the marrow from the bone.

Did you know?: Their name, 春卷 (chunjuan, literally 'spring roll'), goes back to the custom of celebrating the start of spring (立春) by wrapping the season's first vegetables in thin sheets. Fried until golden, they resemble gold bars in shape, which is why — especially during Chinese New Year — they are seen as a wish for prosperity.

Did you know?: Also known as siu mai, shaomai originated in northern China and later spread to become one of the most beloved symbols of Cantonese dim sum. Their typical open top reveals the filling and is one of the details that make them instantly recognisable.

Did you know?: According to a Southeast Asian tradition, they were created to avoid wasting the prawns left over from banquets: pounded, mixed with starch and then fried, they turned into light, crispy clouds.

Did you know?: Salted duck egg, known in many regions of China as xiandan, is a traditional preparation made by leaving the egg in brine for several weeks. The curing intensifies the flavour and makes the yolk firmer and creamier, which is why it is enjoyed on its own or as an ingredient in dishes such as congee, zongzi and savoury mooncakes.

Did you know?: Dressed pig ears belong to the liangcai tradition, the cold dishes served as starters in many regions of China. Using offal has ancient roots in Chinese cuisine, born of a culinary culture that values every part of the animal. The red-oil version, especially common in the Sichuan area, combines a crunchy texture with a spicy dressing, becoming a much-loved classic of popular cooking.

Did you know?: 红烧 (hongshao), or «red braising», is one of the most beloved techniques in Chinese cuisine: the meat is slow-cooked with soy sauce, sugar and spices until it takes on its signature amber colour and a flavour that is at once savoury and lightly sweet. Serving the meat over rice, in the 盖饭 (gaifan, «rice topped») style, is the most common way to enjoy it as a one-bowl meal in eateries across China.

Did you know?: Hongshao rou is perhaps China's most famous braised-pork dish: cubes of pork belly slow-cooked until glossy and melting. It is especially tied to home cooking, where every family keeps its own version. The slow cooking renders the fat into a velvety texture, while soy sauce and sugar create the signature balance of savoury and sweet.

Did you know?: Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐) was born in Sichuan in the mid-19th century and, by tradition, owes its name to an old innkeeper with a pockmarked face («má pó», the «pockmarked old lady») who served it to passing merchants. Its hallmark is málà: the combination of chilli heat (là) and the tingling, numbing sensation of Sichuan pepper (má).

Did you know?: 水饺 (shuijiao), boiled dumplings, are one of the signature dishes of northern Chinese cuisine, where tradition has them prepared especially during Chinese New Year: their shape recalls ancient silver ingots, which is why they are seen as a good omen for prosperity. The vegetarian version, with vegetables and egg, is among the most loved.

Did you know?: 粉干 (fengan), dried rice noodles, is a staple ingredient across southern China, where rice replaces wheat as the dietary base. Stir-fried over a high flame with the chao technique, they absorb the aromas of the vegetables and seasoning while keeping their characteristic springy texture.

Did you know?: In Italy it is known as «riso alla cantonese», but in China this dish belongs to the great fried-rice tradition of Guangdong (Canton). The secret lies in using day-old rice, which is drier, and stir-frying it over a very high flame: this is the famous wok hei, the «breath of the wok», that slightly smoky aroma only fast, high-heat cooking can impart.

Did you know?: Lemon black tea is a classic of Taiwanese bubble tea: born as a lighter alternative to milk teas, it pairs the strength of black tea with citrus freshness. Across Asia it is one of the most loved summer coolers, often served with adjustable ice and sweetness.

Did you know?: Brown sugar fresh milk (黑糖鲜奶) exploded in Taiwan around 2018 thanks to chains like Tiger Sugar: the pearls are coated in hot dark-sugar syrup, creating the signature «tiger stripes» along the cup. Unlike classic bubble tea, it often contains no tea at all — just milk and tapioca.

Did you know?: Passion fruit (百香果 in Chinese, «the fruit of a hundred aromas») is beloved in Taiwanese fruit teas: its crunchy seeds and intense fragrance make it perfect for refreshing drinks, often paired with green tea and citrus to balance acidity and sweetness.

Did you know?: The dessert of mango, sago (small pearls made from sago palm starch) and pomelo comes from Hong Kong, where it is known as 杨枝甘露 (yangzhi ganlu), and from there it became famous across Asia. It was created in the 1980s as a modern reinterpretation of traditional tropical-fruit sweets, and remains one of the most iconic preparations in contemporary Asian pastry.