China has one of the richest culinary heritages on Earth. Solid Chinese food is eaten with chopsticks, and liquid with a wide, flat-bottomed spoon (usually ceramic). Chinese consider having a knife at the table as barbaric, so most dishes are prepared in smaller pieces, ready for direct picking and eating. Unlike Western meals where meat protein is the main course of a meal, a source of carbohydrates (rice, steamed buns, noodles) is usually the main ingredient of a Chinese meal.

Because of the large and varied nature of China itself, Chinese cuisine can be broken down into very many different regional styles.