Cantonese, Shanghai, Sichuan, Beijing: What’s the Difference?The region on the sign tells you the flavor
Signs in Chinatown often name a region: “Cantonese cuisine,” “Sichuan cuisine.” The region tells you the style of cooking.
Chinese food differs by region
China is vast, and its climate and ingredients vary from region to region. So does its food.
The four styles best known in Japan are Cantonese, Shanghai, Sichuan and Beijing: roughly the south, east, west and north.
Cantonese: the south, letting ingredients shine
Food from the south of China, a region rich in both seafood and mountain produce. It is known for light seasoning that brings out fresh ingredients.
Dim sum and noodles are its specialties, and it is the foundation of Yokohama’s Chinese food.
Shanghai: the east, simmered sweet and steamed
Food from eastern China near the mouth of the Yangtze. Many dishes simmer or steam local ingredients with a gentle, slightly sweet seasoning.
Seafood dishes and xiaolongbao, soup-filled dumplings, are well known.
Sichuan: the west, numbing heat
Food from inland southwestern China. Its base flavor is mala: the numbing (ma) of Sichuan pepper combined with the heat (la) of chili.
Its signature is mapo tofu, though the authentic version is said to be far hotter and more numbing than the one familiar in Japan.
Beijing: the north, land of wheat
Food from the Yellow River basin in the north, where wheat grows well. It offers many kinds of noodles and snacks (xiaochi).
It also includes dishes descended from imperial court cuisine and the cooking of northern peoples.
You’ll also see Taiwanese
Taiwanese restaurants are common in Chinatown too. Taiwanese cuisine is based on Fujian cooking from southeastern China and is known for simple, homely flavors.
Yokohama Chinatown began with Cantonese
The Chinese who came to Yokohama when the port opened were mainly from Guangdong. Yokohama Chinatown grew on a Cantonese foundation.
Today, Shanghai, Sichuan, Beijing, Taiwanese and other styles line the streets, and many restaurants serve several styles at once.
Sources
This article is an English edition of the Japanese original.