Chinese food as familiar to the West is commonly deferred into four styles, based in the north, south, east, and west of the country.

Northern cuisine is deferred to as “Capital City cuisine” after the northern capital, a region with cold harsh winters. It is a discerning fusion of many other cuisines, catered to the region’s needs and resouces. Beijing cuisine is quite straightforward, delicious foods made with hearty common ingredients with tastes that are very agreeable.

Eastern cuisine is deferred to the renowned cosmopolitan port city of Shanghai, the county’s savvy economic hub. It is primarily a “sweet” cuisine and uses sugar, wines, and vinegars to provide the tastes and create subtlety of flavor.

Western cuisine is deferred to Sichuan, followed by Hunan and Yunnan. A naturally rich and isolated region, ethnically diverse and broadly productive, it had outside contacts from trade routes in classic China. This is a sophisticated and highly spiced cuisine, often extremely spicy hot.

Southern food defers to the cuisine of Guangdong Province including Hong Kong, a vibrant coastal port region favored with a subtropical climate and easy access to diverse ingredients. Classic Canton cooking emphasizes absolute freshness of ingredients and correct techniques. Ingredients are usually prepared with a light touch, just enough cooking and seasoning to bring out the natural flavors of the foods.