八大菜系

Why this place

Chinese cooking is usually divided into eight great regional traditions — Shandong, Sichuan, Guangdong (Cantonese), Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan and Anhui — each with its own techniques, flavours and staples. Understanding the map explains why Chinese food abroad, which is mostly Cantonese, is only one eighth of the picture.

What to see

• Sichuan for chilli and Sichuan peppercorn; Hunan for a hotter, sourer version
• Guangdong for dim sum, roast meats and the lightest cooking — and Shunde for the best of it
• Jiangsu and Zhejiang for Huaiyang cuisine: refined, lightly seasoned, knife-work heavy
• Shandong for the northern formal tradition; Anhui for braised and preserved cooking
• Fujian for seafood and soup; plus the regional traditions outside the eight, like Yunnan's mushrooms and Xinjiang's lamb

What to eat

• Work through the eight by region rather than in one city — the cooking changes every few hundred kilometres
• Street food is as important as restaurants: every city has its own breakfast

How to plan

You cannot do this in one trip — but three weeks across Sichuan, Guangdong and Jiangsu covers the greatest range.

Best time

Any time; each region has its own seasonal best

Practical tips

• In China, 'spicy' means something different in every province — Sichuan is numbing, Hunan is raw heat, Guizhou is sour and hot