There is an old Chinese saying goes ‘一天之计在于晨’ meaning a good day starts with a good morning.
And my mum usually says ‘A good morning starts with a satisfying breakfast’.
We appreciate breakfast because it is a chance to start the day with a nutritious meal.
Whatever the reason, there is no doubt that Chinese people enjoy breakfast and consider it an important part of the day.
If you have tried all the 16 below, you live in China too long…
1. 煎饼果子 jiānbǐngguǒzi-Pancakes with Eggs
A type of pancake originating from Shandong, jiānbǐngs are made from wheat or sorghum flour batter and filled with savory ingredients like scallions, cilantro, chives, radishes, and egg.
They’re usually served street-side and eaten plain or with a dipping sauce.
2.豆浆 dòujiāng-Soybean Milk
A thick, soybean-based beverage that’s popular throughout China, dòujiāng is typically served warm or hot and can be plain or sweetened.
It’s often accompanied by breakfast staples like youtiao, buns, and dumplings.
3. 粥 zhōu-Rice Porridge or Congee
A type of rice porridge that’s commonly eaten for breakfast in China, zhōu can be made with various ingredients like rice, millet, sorghum, or oats.
It’s often served with pickled vegetables, meats, or eggs.
4.热干面 règānmiàn-Hot and Dry Noodles
This noodle dish is a specialty of the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
Said to have been invented in the 1930s, hot and dry noodles differs from other noodles dishes in that the fresh noodles are first coated in sesame oil and cooked until tender, then reheated with a short bath in boiling water just before serving.
The noodles are served without soup (the “dry” part of the name), topped with condiments like sesame past, garlic chives, pickled vegetables, and chili sauce (the “hot” part of the name).
Although this is traditionally a Wuhan dish, it can now be found all over China and was even rated number one on a list of China’s top ten noodle dishes by People’s Daily in 2013.
5.油条 yóutiáo-Deep-Fried Dough Sticks
A type of fried dough that’s popular in China, yóutiáo are long and thin strips that are typically eaten with dòujiāng or zhōu.
They can also be dipped in soy milk or sugar.
A new way has been introduced to people these days is that to eat fried dough stick as dessert.
6.菠萝包 bōluóbāo-Pineapple Look Alike Bun
A type of baked bun that’s popular in Guangdong province, bōluóbāo are typically filled with a sweet filling like red beans paste, butter or ice cream or savory filling like custard, pork, or mushrooms.
They’re often eaten for breakfast or as a snack.
7.包子 bāozi-Steamed Buns
A type of steamed bun that’s popular throughout China, bāozi are typically filled with a savory filling like pork, beef, or vegetables.
They’re often eaten for breakfast or as a snack.
8.馒头 mántou
A type of steamed bun that’s popular throughout China, mántou are typically made from wheat flour and water, and can be served plain or with a savory filling.
They’re often eaten for breakfast or as a snack.
Steamed buns are not just for eating. They can also be made into a piece of art.
Wenxi dough figurines are a type of folk art that originated in the Wenxi county of Shanxi province in China.
The figurines are made from a type of dough that is kneaded into different shapes and then left to dry in the sun.
The resulting figurines are typically very colorful and can be used as gifts for seniors’ birthdays or weddings.
9.葱油饼 cōngyŏubĭng-Scallion Oil Pancake
These layered, flaky breads are an indulgent treat. Unlike the western-style pancakes you may be more familiar with, scallion pancakes are made from a wheat-flour dough rather than a batter.
The pancakes get their signature flaky texture from the rolling method, which sees them brushed with sesame oil and sprinkled with scallions, before being rolled up into a sausage and then rolled flat again.
10.粽子 Zongzi-Steamed Glutinous Rice
Glutinous rice dumplings traditionally wrapped in bamboo leaves. Some are sweet with fillings such as walnuts, dates, or bean paste(sweet).
Others are savory with fillings such as ham, egg, or chicken(salty).
All of them are delicious and you would enjoy trying them.
11. 馄饨 Hundun-Wontons
Wontons can be boiled in a fragrant and watery broth, steamed in a bamboo steamer, or fried in a high-heat wok.
Sometimes, wontons are also served with little noodles to make ‘wonton noodles’.
They are available with a large variety of fillings, such as ground pork, shrimp, fish, mushrooms, and other vegetables.
12.兰州拉面-Lan Zhou Noodles
Lan Zhou noodles are a type of Chinese noodle that originates from the city of Lanzhou in the northwestern Gansu province of China.
They are made from wheat flour and water, and are usually served in a soup with beef or lamb.
The noodles are thin and round, and have a chewy texture.
If you want to try to make Lan Zhou noodles home from scratch, the video from Li Ziqi ( most popular Chinese Youtuber with 17 Million followers) is a must.
Lan Zhou noodles are a popular street food in China, and are often eaten for breakfast or as a quick snack.
They are also a popular choice for students and office workers who need a quick and filling meal.
The noodles can be found in Chinese supermarkets and restaurants, and are becoming increasingly popular in the West.
13.豆腐脑 Dou Fu Nao-Tofu Pudding
In the north, this soft tofu pudding is a salty meal, served with soy sauce and possibly meat.
In the East, some people also like to add sugar or jam inside to make it sweet.
14. 肉夹馍 Rou Jia Muo-Chinese Hamburger
Rou jia muo is a dish from the Shaanxi province of China. It is made of pork that has been stewed in a special sauce and then shredded.
The pork is then served on a bun with some vegetables.
15. 早茶 Zao Cha-Morning Tea with Dim Sum
This Cantonese style breakfast is customarily a leisurely occasion which is enjoyed especially on weekend mornings.
Tea (of various interesting flavors such as green, oolong, jasmine, chrysanthemum and so on) is drunk along with a variety of dishes served in steamers or on small plates.
These ‘dim sum’ are from a huge variety of mostly savory little snacks, that may be steamed, deep fried, or boiled, and include rice, noodles, dumplings and buns.
16. 米线 Mi Xian-Rice Noodles
Rice noodles are a good choice if you are allergic to gluten. They are made of rice although they look like wheat noodles and the taste is different.
Rice noodles are more commonly eaten in the south, especially in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces.
Guilin rice noodles are a very famous and popular cheap meal. Local people eat the dish not just for breakfast, but also for lunch or dinner.
This snack is made with boiled rice noodles, fried peanuts or soybeans, thin slices of different meat, chopped scallions, pickled mustard, and other ingredients that you can choose according to your preferences.
If you are a foodie and super into Chinese food, I recommend to read this article ’Top 13 Uyghur Food to eat‘ to get some lunch or dinner ideas!
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
A healthy Chinese breakfast includes shrimp or pork dumplings, vegetarian dumplings, buns and tea eggs.
The Chinese brunch is called Yum cha.
It is the Cantonese tradition of brunch involving Chinese tea and dim sum.
A traditional Hong Kong-style breakfast is called Cha Chaan Teng, consists of coffee or milk tea (or a mix of both), congee or macaroni soup, scrambled eggs, and toast.
Congee is so healthy for few reasons. First, it is easy to digest and provides hydration to the body which is essential to cure diarrhea.
And it also moistens the cells of the intestinal area so that it helps to reduce your constipation issues.
Last, Congee has way fewer calories than any normal rice dish.
The flatbread is 羌饼 or qiāng bǐng.
They are a thick savoury bread that’s pan-fried until golden brown and crisp.
It’s really fragrant with a crispy crust and a chewy, fluffy inside with layers of scallions and sesame seeds.
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