Noodles

Beijing · Fermented soybean paste with diced pork over noodles, served with cucumber and bean sprouts

Changchun · Tender pork belly and pork blood sausage simmered with sour cabbage and sweet potato noodles

Changchun · Korean-style buckwheat noodles in freezing beef broth with pickled radish and boiled egg

Chengdu · Minced pork with pickled mustard greens and crushed peanuts, mala perfection

Chongqing · Alkaline noodles with chili, Sichuan pepper, scallions, and crushed peanuts

Chongqing · Handmade sweet potato noodles + vinegar + chili, sour and fiery

Dalian · Hand-pulled noodles in rich seafood broth with shrimp, clams, and scallops

Dalian · Dalian-style chilled wheat noodles with shredded cucumber, sesame paste, and chili oil

Guangzhou · Paper-thin rice noodle rolls drizzled with soy sauce

Guangzhou · Flat rice noodles wok-fried with beef and bean sprouts—wok hei is the soul

Guilin · Marinade-sauced round rice noodles topped with crispy pork, beef, and pickled green beans

Guiyang · Stewed beef shank over rice noodles in a rich broth—Huaxi's claim to noodle fame

Guiyang · Pig intestine and blood curd rice noodles in spicy chili oil—bold, funky, and beloved

Harbin · Russian-style large bread, tangy, soft, and fluffy

Hangzhou · Noodle soup with pickled greens, bamboo shoots, and shredded pork—the Hangzhou noodle

Hohhot · Hohhot-style shaomai with paper-thin wrappers, generously filled with mutton and scallion

Jinan · Hand-twisted dough spirals deep-fried to golden crispness, a Jinan breakfast staple

Kunming · Thousand-layer flaky steamed buns with ham and sugar filling

Lanzhou · Clear broth, white radish, red chili, green cilantro, yellow noodles—from extra-thin to thick

Lanzhou · Wheat-starch jelly sheets + sesame paste + chili oil

Lhasa · Hand-pleated Tibetan dumplings filled with yak meat and onion, served with spicy chili chutney

Nanchang · Thick rice noodles in a spicy-savory broth — the breakfast that wakes up Jiangxi

Nanjing · Duck blood + glass noodles + duck offal, savory, warming comfort

Nanjing · Beef potstickers with a golden crispy bottom

Nanjing · Duck fat kneaded into dough, layer upon layer of crispiness

Nanning · Old friend rice noodles with garlic, fermented black beans, pickled bamboo shoots—sour-spicy Nanning soul food

Nanning · Springy rice noodles with braised beef, pickled long beans, and fried peanuts

Qingdao · Chewy sea intestine ribbons over wheat noodles in a savory seafood broth

Qingdao · Hand-chopped mackerel filling in thin-skinned dumplings, a Qingdao seaside tradition

Shanghai · Nanxiang-style soup dumplings, thin skin, rich broth, 18 pleats

Shanghai · Golden crispy bottom, juicy pork filling with rich broth inside

Shanghai · Scallion oil simmered until dark then poured over noodles—simplest yet deepest

Shijiazhuang · Hand-pulled wheat noodles in rich bone broth with wood ear and dried tofu strips

Shijiazhuang · Imperial tribute hollow noodles from Gaocheng, sun-dried and hand-stretched—delicate and silky

Suzhou · Suzhou-style pan-fried buns, thin skin, crispy bottom, rich juices

Suzhou · Soup dumplings filled with crab roe and crab meat, an autumn-only delicacy

Taipei · Braised beef + beef bone broth + hand-pulled noodles, Taipei's pride

Taiyuan · Hand-shaved noodles cut directly from a dough block into boiling water — Shanxi's noodle art

Taiyuan · Thumb-sized dough curls shaped like cat ears, stir-fried or in soup

Taiyuan · A rich vegetable and noodle breakfast soup thickened with sorghum flour — Taiyuan's morning bowl

Tianjin · 18-pleat steamed buns with half-leavened dough and juicy filling

Tianjin · Mung bean crepe + egg + fried dough stick + fermented sauce

Tianjin · Mung bean jelly sheets cut into strips, served with savory gravy and chili oil

Wuhan · Sesame paste tossed with alkaline noodles, the taste of a Wuhan morning

Urumqi · Chicken, potatoes, peppers, and wide noodles in one giant plate

Urumqi · Tandoor-baked lamb-filled buns, crispy skin, fragrant meat

Urumqi · Tandoor-baked flatbread with sesame, can be stored for months

Xiamen · Shacha paste and peanut sauce broth served with seafood and tofu

Xi'an · Braised chopped meat stuffed in a baiji bun—ancestor of the Chinese hamburger

Xi'an · Wheat-starch cold noodles + cucumber strips + sesame paste + chili oil

Xi'an · Belt-wide noodles doused in sizzling chili oil, one noodle per bowl

Hong Kong · Shrimp wontons + bamboo-pressed noodles + dried flounder broth

Xining · Wheat-starch cold noodles with chili oil, vinegar, and cucumber shreds — a Xibei street essential

Xining · Thick hand-pulled noodles tossed with lamb, peppers, and onions over blistering heat

Zhengzhou · Henan-style thick noodles braised with pork belly, soybean sprouts, and celery—rich and comforting