Typical breakfast dishes in China

Have you ever gotten curious at what the Chinese have for breakfast? If yes, take a look at this article to know about these most popular breakfast dishes in China.

Soybean Milk (dòujiāng) and Deep-Fried Dough Sticks (yóutiáo)

This breakfast set usually appears together. The two components are the most common breakfast combination. Some locals also like to have deep-fried dough sticks with rice congee. Soybean milk is made with a blender. You can find freshly blended or boiled soy milk in disposable cups at most breakfast stalls. Deep-fried dough sticks are long, brown, deep-fried sticks of dough. You can eat one as it is or dip it in some soybean milk, which has a better taste.

Steamed Buns (bāozi)

Chinese people eat steamed buns at any meal, but they are especially popular at breakfast. There is an almost endless variety of flavors, both salty and sweet. Salty flavored buns are stuffed with ground pork, eggplant, eggs, and vegetables, such as chives. Sweet flavored buns are stuffed with bean paste, creamy custard, sesame seeds, and sugar. They are also very convenient for a take-out.

Tofu Pudding (dòuhuā)

Tofu pudding is a popular Chinese snack made with very soft tofu, which is made from raw beans. Flavors of tofu pudding vary by region. In the north, people like to have salty tofu pudding with soy sauce or salt, or with meat. However, in the south, people prefer the sweet version with ginger and brown sugar syrup.

Wheat Noodles (miàntiáo)

In northern China, where wheat is more commonly eaten, a bowl of hot and flavorful wheat noodles is a popular breakfast dish. In Wuhan, hot-and-dry noodles are eaten at breakfast by almost everyone. This dish is prepared by frying boiled noodles, drying them, then scalding them quickly and adding spicy condiments. The result is chewy and quite tasty.

Rice Noodles (mǐfěn)

Rice noodles are a good choice if you are allergic to gluten. They are made of rice although they look like wheat noodles and the taste is different. Rice noodles are more commonly eaten in the south, especially in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces. In Guilin, Guilin rice noodles are a very famous and popular cheap meal. Local people eat the dish not just for breakfast, but also for lunch or dinner.

Steamed Glutinous Rice (zòngzi)

Rice dumplings are made of steamed glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves. They can be bought at street stalls and have a variety of tasty fillings, including the sweet flavor of red bean paste, egg yolk, and lotus seeds, or the salty flavor of fatty pork and chestnuts. Zongzi are especially popular as a festival food and are frequently eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival.

Rice Porridge or Congee (zhōu)

Congee is probably the most common mainstay of the Chinese breakfast. It is a mild-flavored rice porridge that has been cooked for a long time with plenty of water to soften the rice. To give the congee some flavor, it is usually served with different toppings that vary by region, such as pickled vegetables, fermented tofu, peanuts, eggs, and meat.

Sometimes congee's flavor is sweet. Usually, it is made from red beans, coix seeds, peanuts, and black rice. Some find this colorful sweet congee to be so flavorful that it doesn't require any toppings at all.

Wontons (húntun) and Dumplings (jiăozi)

Wontons and dumplings are two similar types of food, which are comprised of a square or round wrapper (a dough skin made of flour and water) and fillings. Wontons can be boiled in a fragrant and watery broth, steamed in a bamboo steamer, or fried in a high-heat wok. Sometimes, wontons are also served with little noodles to make 'wonton noodles'. They are available with a large variety of fillings, such as ground pork, shrimp, fish, mushrooms, and other vegetables.

The stuffing found in dumplings is similar to that of wontons, and the cooking method is similar too.

Pancakes with Eggs (jiānbĭng)

These pancakes are quickly-cooked thin pancakes or crepes filled with typically savory or spicy ingredients. As a popular street food in China, they can be easily found and are a favorite "breakfast on the run".

The pancakes are usually wrapped around a deep-fried crispy dough slice and topped with fried egg, finely chopped mustard pickles, scallions, coriander, and a spicy sauce.

See more: The most popular desserts in China

Source: Internet