Since ingredients are not the same everywhere, Chinese food began to take in a local character by virtue of the ingredients. Chinese regional cuisine have evolved over the course of the centuries, and the precise number is disputed. Generally speaking, there are four basic gastronomic areas: Shangdong, Cantonese, Sichuan and Yangzhou; but these designations have no specific geographical boundaries. Beijing cooking, for instance, falls within the realm of Shandong cuisine and includes some Sichuan dishes and Mongolian-influenced specialties. The cuisine in the Changjiang River delta area, including Huaiyin, Suzhou, Shanghai and Hangzhou dishes, falls under the category of Yangzhou cuisine.

The four regional cuisine have influenced each other, and their cooking methods are shared among themselves. Nevertheless, each regional cuisine has its own history, unique techniques, distinguished dishes and prevailing taste.

This article by Yang Tianqing and Daniel Kister.