Wondering what to eat for breakfast in China? Taking a China tour and confused about the food options?
That’s hardly a surprise. China is a vast country and the diversity of cultures and cuisines is one of its many distinguishing features. So how do you know what to eat?
Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even snacks in between, traveling to China is the ideal opportunity to channel your inner adventurer and eat like a local.
And there’s no reason breakfast shouldn’t be challenge or excite your palette. After all, it’s arguably the most important meal of the day – and if there’s a full day of touring on the cards, there’s even more reason to do your research. That way you’ll know what to eat for breakfast – and be well-fed for the day ahead.
Keep this list of local breakfast tips for destinations in China. It provides everything you need to know about what to eat for breakfast.
Breakfast in Beijing: Stir-fried liver / 炒肝儿
Certainly liver is not going to make it to the top of every traveler’s favorites’ list, however stir fried liver is a popular Beijing breakfast.
Actually, the name is a little deceiving, because the liver is not stir fried, but boiled with pig intestine and liver, and with starch to form a thick soup.
Traditionally, fried liver is drunk directly from the bowl, rather than using a spoon and chopsticks. So if you see someone enjoying their stir-fried liver with chopsticks and spoon, then there’s a very good change that they’re not from Beijing.
Breakfast in Xi’an: Rougamo or Chinese hamburger / 肉夹馍
Xi’an is one of China’s lively cities and the food found in this part of Shaanxi province has a reputation that precedes it.
It’s Xi’an where you’ll find the Roujiamo or Rougamo, otherwise considered the Chinese equivalent of a hamburger.
Essentially strips of beautifully tender ‘fatty’ meat served in a crispy bun, it’s difficult to eat just one. The rougamo originates in Shaanxi, but it is popular all over China.
Regardless of where your China tour takes you, you almost certainly find this hearty breakfast from the early hours in every city. It has truly become a real national breakfast.
Breakfast in Shanghai, Suzhou + Hangzhou: Soup buns / 灌汤包
Like the rougamo from Xi’an, you’ll find many versions of the ‘soup bun’, which has its origins in Shanghai, and Suzhou and Hangzhou close by.
The name soup bun describes the way the dumpling is filled with meat and broth.
Eating these delicious morsels is a bit like combining noodles, meat and soup – three staples of Chinese cuisine.
Be sure to order plenty, because one or two just won’t be enough.
More breakfast in Shanghai, Suzhou + Hangzhou: Pan-Fried Bun / 生煎
With a ‘bun-heavy’ breakfast menu, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Chinese are obsessed with loading ‘carbs’ early on in the day. The pan-fried buns of Shanghai (Suzhou and Hangzhou) only reinforce this idea.
Fried buns have a crisp bottom and are typically sprinkled with shallots. Perfect In the middle of winter, freshly fried buns are perfect for keeping out the cold.
Breakfast in Xiamen: Sha Cha Noodle / 沙茶面
History would have us believe sha cha sauce is an earlier version of satay sauce – and this is possibly true. Sha Cha originated in Xiamen in China’s Fujian province and many people from this region made their way to Malaysia, taking the delicious Sha Cha sauce with them.
Sha Cha noodles are simple to make. Simply prepare your noodles in boiling water and when ready, add them to a bowl. Choose from pork liver, pork loin, duck tendon, large intestine, fresh squid, dried tofu and other ingredients according to your taste. Finally, pour the soup over the ingredients in the soup bowl and serve immediate