Hangzhou

 

When people think of Hangzhou, the first thing that comes to mind is the picturesque West Lake. Typical of southern Chinese cuisine, many of Hangzhou's dishes have their names inspired by scenic spots around the West Lake, such as the West Lake Assorted Feast or any number of dishes named after the ten world famous spots around the lake.

Hangzhou's cuisine mainly uses freshwater fish as its main ingredient and implements a host of cooking methods including frying and stewing which render fish to be tender and refreshingly crispy. About half the dishes on Hangzhou's menus contain bamboo shoots which add a tender element to the food. One famous dish from this city is Dongpo Pork, which is very popular in China and is aromatically wonderful with oil.