What the Heck are Chinese Eating for Breakfast? (Food Options and Prices)

Every time someone asks me what Chinese eat on a regular basis I simply answer:

The Chinese eat everything with four legs except tables, and everything that flies except airplanes.

little chicken fried in China
Poor chicks!
Pig's noses in china
Enjoy your meal :)

They eat dog’s meat, chicken’a feet, pig’s nose, bees, cockroaches and more (you probably don’t want to know).

Chinese New Year's food - spicy chicken's legs, mushrooms, all edible parts of pig and chicken with fried veggies
Chinese New Year’s food – spicy chicken’s legs, mushrooms, all edible parts of pig and chicken with fried veggies

Typical Chinese Breakfast

But let’s focus on Chinese breakfast today.

If you come to China and hope to get a nice sandwich, a bowl of cereal, a chocolate pancake or a piece toast for your breakfast, you will either go hungry and angry or you try one of Chinese morning treats, which differ a lot from the Western food.

So what do Chinese people eat for breakfast?

For example, Chinese people eat dumplings for breakfast. What!? Dumplings for breakfast? Are you kidding? Ok, if you don’t like them you can have a beef noodle soup. What!? A soup for breakfast!? Is it a kind of joke?

A girl is holding a sticky rice leaf and jiaozi in china

Welcome to China!

Boiled eggs in the street, China
You can get some boiled eggs on the run every morning

Let’s face it, these eggs don’t look very appealing to us…

Chinese eggs dipped in tea

Although Chinese dishes are incredibly popular around the world, traditional Chinese breakfast rituals and treats are relatively unknown. Most people wouldn’t be probably able to name 3 basic Chinese meals served in the morning. So here I come to help you out!

First of all, it must be pointed out that there is a completely different approach to breakfast in China than in Europe:

  • Chinese don’t eat scrambled eggs, bread or even cereal with milk in the morning.
  • They don’t read the newspaper with a breakfast.
  • They rarely cook it at home.
  • Breakfast must be always hot and quick to prepare, ready to grab on the run.
  • They don’t drink tea or coffee in the morning as people think.
  • They never skip breakfast.
Local food vendors where you can buy your breakfast at in China
Local food vendors where you can buy your breakfast in China

Instead, they:

  • Prefer to eat their breakfast in the street, buy it at food vendors or take the food away and have it at work.
  • Go either for heavy and stodgy meals such as dumplings or sweet and savory items such as doughnuts or buns.
  • Always have a cup of soy milk with their meals.
  • Often eat in rush loudly smacking (well, they always smack).
Here you can buy some bean juice in the morning
Here you can buy some bean juice in the morning

When I first came to China my stomach was very upset. However, I quickly got used to the new eating habits and after a few weeks I was craving more and more dumplings each morning on top of noodle beef soups, deeply fried doughnuts and Chinese buns (until I put on weight, looked fat and couldn’t look in the mirror :P).

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The street vendors can be found nearly everywhere. There is a restaurant next to a restaurant,  next to another restaurant close to a restaurant in front of a restaurant. Yes, that means you will always find a place to have your breakfast at. The food vendors are open from 5 am and the breakfast is served till 11ish.

So let’s go through a list of Chinese breakfast foods.

Chinese Breakfast Menu 

1. A plate of Baozi (dumplings)

Chinese dumplings called Baozi
Baozi

Chinese dumplings (baozi) go with various fillings. They are steamed or fried. They are usually stuffed with pork, beef and vegetables, and in addition provides a variety of Asian sauces such as soy-based sauce, chili, vinegar and sesame oil.

Baozi inside
This is what you can find inside – oily mince and chives

You can find them at every food vendor. They usually have the same size, but the taste is different. Some of them are extremely oily and don’t look very appealing. Make sure they are hot when served -cold aren’t as tasty.

A plate of Baozi
A plate of Baozi

You should not pay more than RMB0,5 – RMB1 ($0.8 – $0.16) for one big Baozi and you can feel stuffed after having 1-2 (girls) and 3-4 (guys).

2. A plate of Jiaozi

A plate of Jiaozi
A plate of Jiaozi
Fried Jiaozi with some spicy chili oil sauce, yummy!
Fried Jiaozi with some spicy chili oil sauce, yummy!

Jiaozi are also Chinese dumplings crescent-shaped filled with minced stuffing and steamed, boiled or fried. Fried Jiaozi taste the best in my opinion.

Fried Jiaozi
Fried Jiaozi

They are incredibly soft and watery and their taste is so much different from baozi. Jiaozi are also served with spicy or sweet chili sauce for lunch and dinner.

A plate of Jiaozi (6-8) shouldn’t cost more than RMB3 (<$0.5).

3. A bow of rice porridge (congee) or bean juice

Some Chinese love to have a warm rice porridge for breakfast. It’s very thick and creamy. They have it with some hot bean juice.

Bean juices ready to grab
Bean juices ready to grab

A bowl of porridge costs around RMB2-3 and a cup of bean juice is not more than RMB2.

4. A bowl of noodle soup with a meat of your choice and veggies

Morning noodle soup in China
Morning noodle soup
Take away Beijing noodles with salty peanuts
Take away Beijing noodles with salty peanuts

It takes a few seconds to prepare it. Among Chinese the most popular is a beef noodle soup made of stewed or red braised beef, beef broth, vegetables and Chinese noodles perfectly spiced.

See also  Top 5 Food in China

You will be served a huge bowl of it for only RMB 5-8 ($ 1 – 1.25).

One of my breakfast treats in Huayuan, Hunan province - beef noodle soup with parsley
One of my breakfast treats in Huayuan, Hunan province – beef noodle soup with parsley

5. You tiao

Morning You tiao
Morning You tiao

You tiao (oil strip) are deep fried bread sticks made of dough and served hot as an accompaniment for rice congee or soy milk. Warning – they are super oily!

You tiao in China in the street
You tiao ready to eat

1 You tiao usually costs RMB1 ($0.16) and 2 will fill you up.

6. Egg pancakes (Jian bing)

Chinese egg pancakes
Chinese egg pancakes

They are usually served with chives and some of them might be extra spiced. They are light and very filling, but certainly don’t taste like their Western cousins.

One costs around RMB3 ($0.5).

If you are not a big fan of egg pancakes you can swap it for a fried croquette filled with meat and veggies (make sure it’s well done both sides).

They are more expensive than egg pancakes (RMB5 each/ $0.8) but more filling as well.

Chinese croquettes
Chinese croquettes

7. Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes

It might be so odd to have potatoes for breakfast, but Chinese style sweet potatoes are very nutritious and yummy. They are baked in a huge barrel in the street. They are very soft and dry so make sure you get them with soy milk or tea.

Price: RMB1 ($0.16) for a medium size potato or RMB4 for 500g.

8. Fermented tofu.

Sweet chili tofu
Sweet chili tofu

That is a great alternative for vegetarians. Tofu is very soft and light topped with sweet chili or spicy sauce. You can find some beans in it as well.

A bowl of tofu costs RMB3 ($0.5).

9. Sticky rice wrapped in a leaf

Sticky rice filled with beans and nuts
Sticky rice filled with beans and nuts

There are two types of sticky rice in China. One filled with beans, veggies and some salty nuts, the other one is stuffed with bananas and they taste very sweet. They are both incredibly delicious and filling. Warning: the leaf is a wrapping only – inedible :-).

A girl is eating jiaozi and smelling sticky rice
Sticky rice has a very delicate and aromatic smell

Sticky rice wrapped in a leaf usually costs RMB2,5/$0.40.

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10. Toppings: salty peanuts, spicy pickled radishes, pickled mustard

Chinese toppings salty peanuts, spicy pickled radishes, pickled mustard.

 Surprise, Chinese DON”T have only RICE for their breakfast! :-)

A Chinese family on a bike holding their breakfast
That’s something we see every morning – kids going to school with their breakfast in hands

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I am personally a big fan of steamed Baozi and bean juice while Cez can’t get enough of fried Jiaozi and You tiao. We rarely have noodles  or tofu and have been preparing our own food – ham and salad baguettes, oatmeal with fruits and nuts or scrambled eggs.

Cez and his Jiaozi
Cez and his Jiaozi

As you can probably see, most of those breakfast treats are deep fried. So if your slimming genes are not working in your favor, you might decide to skip some Breakfast meals not pile on pounds :). But for now, let us enjoy this food with no guilt :).

Are you surprised with the breakfast food options in China? What was/would be your favorite Chinese morning treat?

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Agness Walewinder
Agness Walewinder
Travel freak, vagabond, photography passionate, blogger, life enthusiast, backpacker, adventure hunter and endless energy couchsurfer living by the rule "Pack lite, travel far and live long!"
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119 thoughts on “What the Heck are Chinese Eating for Breakfast? (Food Options and Prices)”

  1. Avatar of Vanessa

    Great post and awesome picture! I was surprised that the Chinese breakfast is pretty different from the Korean breakfast. Koreans eat rice, fish, seaweed soup, and kimchi in the morning, but not necessarily dumplings or noodles. Those are more lunch time dishes. Love seeing the differences!

    1. Avatar of Agness Walewinder
      Agness Walewinder

      That’s so weird Vanessa. I would expect to get served exactly or very similar to Chinese food breakfast when being in Korea. Rice? No, no more rice for me!!

  2. Avatar of van

    well, it is not entirely true that the Chinese always eat out for breakfast. The poor family normally cook more rice for their dinner. The next morning, they will fry rice left from yesterday with whatever ingredients they can afford: eggs, meat, Chinese sausage. Gangnam-style!

    1. Avatar of Agness Walewinder
      Agness Walewinder

      Hey Van, that’s so true. The poor Chinese families also cook the same food for dinner and lunch and usually have the leftovers for their breakfast. They add some spiciness and fry more eggs.

      1. Avatar of R Zhao

        This isn’t just true of ‘poor’ families. Most Chinese families eat at home for breakfast some days (if not most), at least where I live. We also eat leftovers and that does not make us poor! Adding spice is common in some regions, but not common everywhere. China is a huge country so eating habits vary widely.

  3. Avatar of cosmoHallitan

    I love how you describe everything the Chinese will eat in your opening line. I’ve lived in Shanghai for over a year and a half now and am still amazed at some of the things they’ll put in their mouths. Some of those eggs are truly horrifying. And I can’t believe you ate – and enjoyed – the stinky tofu!! The smell alone makes me gag. Good on you for trying so much of the local cuisine!

    1. Avatar of Agness Walewinder
      Agness Walewinder

      I know… that’s so odd and weird but I love tofu and the best tofu I’ve ever eaten is the raw one :). You should see how Chinese look at me when they see me eating it. I get dirty looks and see shocked faces, but who cares – it’s so yummy and nutritious! The smell is bad when the tofu is fried in the street:) and it smells nice when it’s cooked or boiled and dipped in some kind of spicy sauce.

  4. Avatar of Aggy

    Oh yummm!! Jiaozi looks like pierogi. While You tiao and sticky rice in leaf are my two favs – we have also similar in the Chinese Indonesian community. They are sooo yummy :D
    Glad you are enjoying and eating a lot of yummy goodness in China Agness and Cez!

    1. Avatar of Agness Walewinder
      Agness Walewinder

      Yes, they look like Pierogi, but to be honest – they are much more delicious (my mom is going to kill me for that:P)!! Yes, you tiao and sticky rice are way too yummy :)Thanks Aggy!

  5. Avatar of Chris

    Wow, the Baozi looks delicious. We have a similar dish here in Thailand. I love them filled with curry! The options in China look pretty great.

  6. Avatar of Casey @ A Cruising Couple

    LOVE this idea. Most everything is the same for Taiwan as well :) I love baozi, but can’t handle congee. Especially when people are smacking their lips while eating congee. Bleck. Super cute hair- you should think about posting a tutorial ;-)

    1. Avatar of Agness Walewinder
      Agness Walewinder

      Smacking? Story of my life. We carry our Ipods and Mp3 players not to hear them smack. So disguising and loud!

  7. Avatar of Kelly S.

    I’m sorry, but I couldn’t stomach anything once I saw the pig snout. Egg pancake, that looked edible. Do you guys ever get sick on your travels? Do you have a page on what to do when traveling to such places and you are struck down? You are quite the adventurer!

    1. Avatar of Agness Walewinder
      Agness Walewinder

      Hey Kelly. We do feel sick from time to time. We sometimes have a stomachache or diarrhea, but it’s a part of the adventure! :) Unfortunately we are not familiar with any pages on what to do when traveling to such places and you are struck down, but I can check it out for you:). China is a challenging place to dine out :) and we are adventurers indeed!

  8. Avatar of Colleen Brynn

    I have to say… I could probably eat dumplings anytime…
    Also… the you tiao.. it looks like churros?
    YUM thanks for this post. I always love a good food post, no matter how weird the food may be!

    1. Avatar of Agness Walewinder
      Agness Walewinder

      Yes, you can say you tiao tastes like plain churros, maybe they are much softer like plain donuts :)

  9. Avatar of R Zhao

    I tutor relatively well-off children and most of them eat at home with their parents. They DO eat bread for breakfast, often with milk. Sometimes they have rice porridge. Most people I know eat at home, regardless of income level. There is not that much of a street food culture where I live due to government crackdowns. Furthermore, in northern China, people are less likely to eat things we see as crazy (such as pig snout, snake, cat). I think your post reflects a region of China but isn’t true of the country as a whole. I realize these distinctions are really hard to make unless you’ve lived somewhere for awhile, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

  10. Avatar of Tiana Kai

    Well, I would probably try most of the scary looking things with legs… but just out of curiosity even though the images gross me out!

    The other breakfast meals look so good!! Dumplings, rice porridge, noodles? Sign me up!!

  11. Avatar of M. S.

    Hey, being that you’re an educated world traveller in this day and age, I surprised that you chose such an ignorant and offensive opening line “The Chinese eat everything with four legs except tables—and everything that flies except airplanes”.

    I hope you realize/know that NOT everyone in China eat “everything” as you so eloquently put it. There are a lot of people in China who are poor and destitute and therefore they (poor people) have no choice BUT to learn to be resourceful and ensure that no parts of the animals go unused or uneaten (which is the case of every poor people in the US, Europe, Africa, India, etc). They do not have the luxury or means like you to afford raising and consuming only the ubiquitous parts of the livestocks that white people in the western countries are used to consuming.

    True that there are many well-meaning white people like you who poke fun at other cultures are not remotely racist, but your opening line comes off sounding very anti-Chinese and thus, perpetuates the negative and often derogatory stereotypes that many people of Chinese descent had and continue to endure in America and in Europe.

    1. Avatar of Cez Krol

      I must strongly disagree with you. I do not see this in any way ignorant or offensive. First of all, as you said, eating every part of every animal is being resourceful, which is a quality – not a weakness. Secondly, as much as not everyone in China will eat anything, most of them (poor or rich) will eat things that most Westerners will not eat.

      Take a look at Agness eating roaches at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=junUh1jttDI and tell me that it is either humiliating to her, or that she is ignorant or offensive. Agness does not make fun of other cultures, but rather goes in, experiences it, and then describe it to others. That’s how she tries to bring the far away world closer to you, so that you might one day go and experience it for yourself.

    2. Avatar of R Zhao

      While I dont necessarily agree with everything Agnes has wrote here (primarily that almost everyone eats out for breakfast, not really true where I live in China), but I don’t think her opening line is offensive. It is actually a well-known saying in Chinese (I think about people from Guangdong in particular), which is probably why she put it in quotes?
      Chinese people actually say this about themselves and I don’t think this is something they would be offended by. They actually find it funny how picky us westerners are. My mother-in-law was just saying this about me yesterday. Funny thing is, compared to pretty much every person I know who isnt Chinese, I am extremely adventurous when it comes to eating!

  12. Avatar of M. S.

    Hey, disappointing that you chose to delete my post regarding your offensive opening line “The Chinese eat everything with four legs except tables—and everything that flies except airplanes” instead of replying with a constructive rebuttal.

    Or at the very least, make an effort to revise your opening line to something less ignorant instead of ridiculously tarring all of the people in China with the same brush. As you well know, a majority of the people in China are poor and destitute. Therefore, they have NO choice, but to be resourceful and ensure that they don’t waste anything, by either eating or selling any edible parts to make what little money they can for their families and themselves.

    So please have some respect.

    1. Avatar of Cez Krol

      Hey Sebastian,

      I’m really sorry it looks like we have deleted your comment. The truth is that we did not approve any comments for nearly a month. This is due to an accident I had in China and Agness going for vacation to Europe. A lot of things happened in our lives lately and etramping got neglected. We’re back and trying to work through everything as it comes now.

      Regardless your comment about the opening line, it was not deleted, I have just approved it and replied to it. I strongly believe saying that most of Chinese people are poor and hungry is misguided and outdated. Things change here rapidly, and you would be surprised how rich China (and its people) becomes. All I’d have to say is – come and experience it for yourself.

      Have an amazing day!

      1. Avatar of R Zhao

        I agree. To assume Chinese people are by and large poor is misguided and dated. I think that belief would cause much greater offense (and wounded pride) than any comments made about the food they choose to eat. While there certainly still a large number of people living in poverty, the number of people entering the middle-class is rapidly rising and I dare say the people who are truly destitute is small considering the population size.

      2. Avatar of Julie

        You are obviously very ignorant to the extreme wealth disparity that lies within China. Sure there are some very rich people, although there is a much larger percentage of the population who live in very poor conditions, and even if you go to some of the better off areas, such as Shang Hai, you will see a constant stream of homesless people.

  13. Avatar of Z

    Thanks for the posting. I have an international student coming to my house in the U.S. from China to stay for the school year, and found your post helpful, since I have no idea what to feed him. Luckily, there is Costco, Asian markets and microwaves. Happy Traveling, love your site.

  14. Avatar of Shel in California
    Shel in California

    Hi! This was very helpful for a different reason. I am hosting Chinese middle schoolers for a few weeks, 1 from Xi’an, 2 from Hohhot (Inner Mongolia), 1 from Guangzhou. While they want the American cultural experience, I thought it would be good if they had something they recognize and like every couple of days so they don’t starve to death. :0) I don’t like sweet b’fast, but we do eggy, cheesy stuff (think omelets), and pancakes with bacon or sausage. I know how to make Jiaozi, and we got some good Baozi locally, so those were big hits. And I always have rice in the rice cooker. Thanks for an informative and helpful article!

    1. Avatar of Cez Krol

      We’re very happy that you will use this article in such practical way. Have fun with these kids. We teach Chinese kids every day and they are amazing, I’m sure you’ll love the experience

  15. Avatar of Jonathan

    我会去北中国在11月!

    I’m looking forward to the food, also, I’m not looking forward to the food.

    我的中国女朋友 will protect me!!

    Great post!

  16. Avatar of Z Hu

    1. < 0.0001% Chinese ever eat dog meat. It is NOT a common food for most people. (According to traditional Chinese medicine, dog meat is "hot" thus not good for health…)
    2. Chicken feet are edible and delicious if cooked properly.
    3. Pick N' Save also sell sausages made by pig nose & ears … so apparently it is not Chinese exclusive …
    4. Bees and cockroaches? You are kidding right?

    1. Avatar of R Zhao

      I think your comment about dog meat is a bit of an underestimation. I live in Hebei Province and it is fairly common in the city I live and the surrounding area, although it is a specialty ( it’s not served everywhere). I’d guess that most people here have tried it at some point. From what I hear its even more common in northeast China and I believe it is eaten in some parts of southern China as well. As for being seen as a “hot” food, that is why it is said to be best eaten in the winter.

      1. Avatar of Chris King

        Hah, can’t say for sure, my wife (Hubei ren) has never had it. In Shanghai, it seemed like the only places to get dog was Korean restaurants. My wife would not let me try it because it was shang huo (adds heat) and only for Winter. LOL.

      1. Avatar of Julie

        I’m not sure who you know,although I can assure you that not that many do. In saying that, you may as well say many French eat Snails. bone marrow and blood sausages.

  17. Avatar of BZ

    Thanks for sharing this very informative site – I was wondering today what is common for breakfast in China, and I have to say that most of the foods look really tasty and interesting to me. Definitely breakfast food that I would enjoy, and the price seems right as well. Best of luck to you! Should you make it to Argentina, I have a couch for both of you.

  18. Avatar of Anne Marie

    Thanks for this blog. I have an international Chinese student living here in my house in California and she told me they eat noodles for breakfast in Hunan. I wondered what else and this is great that you even have pictures.

    1. Avatar of Agness Walewinder
      Agness Walewinder

      Hi Anne. Great to hear that! I lived in Hunan for a year and yes, I had a lot of noodles there for my breakfast!

  19. Avatar of chloe

    Don’t worry to eat too much for breakfast. In Chinese opinion, people should eat as much as and as good as they can for breakfast, but eat little for dinner.It is good for health and can make you thinner.

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