Without a doubt, China is one of the most adventurous countries when it comes to eating street food. There are some dishes available around which you would never consider edible in your home country. Some of them look really disgusting, but taste amazing so you should never judge Chinese food by its look.

When you come to China, be adventurous with food. Don’t limit yourself to eating only baozi, fruits, veggies and plain rice. Leave your food comfort zone and keep experimenting with different dishes – from baked bees to grilled snake meat.
Here is my top 10 Chinese street foods you simply can’t afford to miss when in China:
#1 Baozi
These are traditional Chinese dumplings. They are often steamed or fried and filled with a great voice of meat (pork, beef) and veggies (steamed peas, sweetcorn, chives, chopped carrot). Baozi are served with soy-based sauce, chilli, vinegar and sesame oil.
#2 Jiaozi
Jiaozi are also Chinese dumplings, but crescent-shaped and much smaller than baozi. They are usually filled with minced stuffing and steamed and they are served boiled or fried.
#3 Snake meat
Snake meat is a delicacy served mainly in Guilin area, so if you make it to Li River nearby Yangshuo, you should not miss it. It’s a very delicious and soft dish which tastes like perfectly grilled fish. It is mainly served with deep fried veggies.
#4 Snails and the beer
The snails, a very famous dish in Guilin, are usually served in shell and taste like a minced beef. They are cooked in beer and served with a bottle of beer as well. It’s very spicy, so be careful before digging in.
#5 Duck and chicken feet
They are very spicy, but extremely delicious and convenient to pack for your train ride. They are served as a beer snack and usually deep fried, then steamed before being stewed.

#6 Stinky tofu
Stinky tofu (chòu dòufu) is a form of fermented tofu that has a strong odor. It is a snack that is usually sold at night markets or roadside stands or as a side dish.
#7 Grilled chicks
Vacuum-packed snack often eaten in local trains and buses. They are salt-baked or grilled. You might go for a spicy version or the mild one if it does not disgust you.

#8 You tiao
It’s a very common breakfast in China. You tiao is simply deep fried bread stick made of dough and served hot as an accompaniment for rice congee or soy milk.
#9 Baked sweet potatoes
Great snack option for vegetarians. They are baked in a huge barrel in the street, extremely soft and dry so make sure you get them with soy milk or tea.

#10 Fried noodles or rice
Fried rice with vegetables and bean curd – a very common street food made by locals. The rice is served in bowls with meat and vegetables as toppings and adding some bean curd (processed from soybeans) on top will make it taste even better.
What’s your favorite Chinese food you can’t live without?
61 thoughts on “10 Chinese Street Foods And Drinks I Miss So Much It Hurts”
These all look so delicious, it’s no wonder you miss them so much. :) I’m dying to try the dumplings!!
Omomomomomom!!
I was about to say the same thing.. all look delicious.. Although I’m not 100% sure I could go for the grilled chicks.. all I would imagine is their little faces!
I’m a big fan of sweet potatoes and would love to try the Chinese version of it. The dumplings look tasty as well and the photo of the snake meat looks like I should give it a try ;)
Me too, absolutely!
I LOVED the food when we were in China. Dumplings and noodles and veggie dishes were often the staples. We weren’t too adventurous, so we didn’t try things like the sheep penises or scorpions (!!) but I think I could handle snake meat!
I’m glad to hear that!! :D
Oh Agness, I’d mail you some baozi but I imagine it wouldn’t taste very good by the time it got there. I love snake meat too, its surprisingly good. I agree that being adventurous definitely pays of here, so much deliciouness
Yes, please!!!
There’s such a wide variety of Chinese food! Never been to China, but these photos are tempting me…I’m always led by my stomach when it comes to these things ;-)
There is, indeed! :-D
Great! Now I’m hungry for Chinese food again. Thanks Agness ;)
But really, these look amazing and I can’t wait to get over there and try these amazing foods!
Hahahaha! Maybe we can cook Chinese food together!
You’re right when you say that one has to be adventurous with the food in China and that most of it looks disgusting. I really want to send my sis to one of these places and order her grilled snake meat! ;-) Haha! :D
Oh, yes!! :)
Never been to China but I want to go even though the food scene scares me.
Don’t be afraid of eating authentic Chinese dishes. They are so delicious!!
That post made me hungry!
I really would be curious about their snails after eating and loving the french version. Don’t know how I’d feel about the chickens though… I feel odd eating anything that’s obviously meat (ie. face is still attached). I’m sure I’d overcome it though if it was yummy!
Snails were so delicious and always fresh!!
Oh Agness, I SO wish that I’d known you when I was in China! I had no idea about all the great food there apart from snake and Peking duck which was my favorite. When I go back, I’ll try everything on this list.
Maybe next time, Miriam :).
I love baozi and baked sweet potatoes and nearly everything you have mentioned but they can keep the stinky tofu and chicken feet and grilled chicks! :)
We have something in common then :).
Wow, snake meat!!! It certainly mixes things up from General Tso’s chicken, eh?;-) Would it be hard for a vegetarian to eat in China?
No, it wouldn’t at all. I was not a big fan of meat when I firstly visited China and I was able to find an enormous variety of vegetarian dishes so that’s never a problem.
I couldn’t get enough of the veggie dumplings when I was in Hong Kong, would give the grilled chicks a miss though!
Story of my life… :D!!
Those dumplings look great! The chicks though…I feel too sorry for them in order to eat them. For a long time I was worried about eating street food but with your posts and helpful tips I’m becoming a little more brave. Except for those chicks…I’ll stay away from them, haha.
Baozi are my favourite!!
You tiao with soy milk? I’ve never had it like that before! Here we do you tiao with rice congee, or just dunk it in black coffee. You tiao in black coffee is one of the best things in life! :D
Yes, it’s so delicious!
Ah the joys of eating food in China :-) I remember my first ever trip to China and as a special guest I was taken to an expensive banquet meal. We ate loads that night and most of it I still don’t know what it was. My hosts refused to tell since they said if I knew what it was then I wouldn’t touch it. Probably true since some of it tasted vile whilst others were okay.
I’ve never been brave enough to try chicken feet yet. Although wondering along the street food displays always leaves me curious when I don’t know what it is.
OMG, you are really watering my mouth, Agness. Now I miss the fantastic food I got to taste in China even more. When I travelled along the Silk Road I especially loved the grilled vegetables spread with a spicy marinade which I got at the night market in Turpan or the vegetables on sticks boiled in a huge pot at the night market in Kashgar and everyone could just take out what he or she would like to eat. And it was terribly cheap, just 1 Yuan per stick. I also miss all the other food and dishes I could try all over China sooo much, definitely need to go back in the near future.
Go eat some Chinese food then!!
A very impressive selection of foods. As for me, I like the Indian adaptation of the Chinese dishes – gobi manchurian, for example (fried cauliflower).
Thanks Antonina!
Not surprised you miss these Agness – some of them look delicious like the Baozi and sweet potato – others are less tempting to me but interesting to see what the traditioanal street foods are!
Agness – I have not been to China! Fortunately I have a dumpling obsession and eat them wherever I find them (most recently in Japan). The Jiaozi look amazing – and those snails – yum. I’d give snake meat a go, I’m sure I’d like that. No bile or blood or beating hearts for me though!
Welcome to my Chinese food lovers club then! Baozi are just too goooooood!