Chinese Favorite Local Dishes Explore in China

BEIJING (Xinhua) -- What's your favorite Chinese cuisine? The answer may always be personal, but what if you ask millions?

A list of the 10 most popular Chinese dishes was issued on May 23, 2016 by a research body under the China Hotel Association.

The study was based on data generated by China's major online ordering platforms and public surveys in 2015, according to Luo Huashan, deputy head of the research team.

Top of the list was fish with Sichuan pickles and the well-known kung pao chicken, or spicy diced chicken with peanuts.

Stir-fried seasonal vegetables, a very plain dish but a must have for Cantonese, also made the top three.

It is also noteworthy that five dishes in the top 10 have a clear origin in Sichuan or Hunan, both known for use of chilies.

The top 10 are all traditional dishes, indicating that Chinese are quite conservative in their tastes, Luo said.

Here is the complete list. Please note that translating Chinese menu is a delicate job, as many dishes were named after people or even legends rather than the ingredients. A Mandarin pronunciation is provided in the brackets behind each dish.

1. Fish with Sichuan pickles (suancai yu)

2. Stir-fried vegetables (chao qingcai)

3. Spicy diced chicken with peanuts/Kung Pao Chicken (gongbao jiding)

4. Shredded pork with garlic sauce (yuxiang rousi)

5. Fish filets in hot chili oil (shuizhu yu)

6. Braised pork with brown sauce (hongshao rou)

7. Steamed fish head with diced hot red peppers (duojiao yutou)

8. Roast duck (kaoya)

9. Tomato and egg soup (fanqie danhua tang)

10. Twice-cooked pork slices in hot sauce (huiguo rou)