21. Three-Cups Chicken三杯鸡 

Adopted as one of Taiwan's signature dish, this is redolent of basil, chili and a mixture of sesame oil and soya sauce, and with a final hint of sweet-smelling rice wine. Some say its origins go back to the Song Dynasty when it was part of the last meal served to resistant hero Wen Tianxiang just before his execution. These days, it is enjoyed simply for its delicious combination of taste and texture. Ginger, garlic and dried chili are part of the aromatics first added to the wok before chicken pieces are seared and sealed over a high fire until lightly crisped. A cup of sesame oil, a cup of rice wine and a cup of dark soya sauce are all added and sweetened before being scented with the addition of fresh basil leaves.

22. Gongbao Chicken宫保鸡丁 

Many of China's most famous dishes were created in the kitchens of the rich and powerful. The famous "gongbao" style of cooking is no different, having originated in Sichuan, allegedly the invention of a chef working for an official called Ding Baozhen. It is a spicy, sweet dish with the sweetness coming from carmelized sugar and the heat from deep-red chilli peppers, Sichuan peppercorns and ginger. The most common version features chicken, but prawns are equally popular. It is also one of the must-orders in Chinese restaurants abroad where it is known as Kung-pao Chicken. It is equally popular at home, although the Chinese do not like it too sweet.

23.Pidan Doufu皮蛋豆腐 

All over China, a platter of broken-up tofu topped with chunks of century egg is a classic cold starter. The Chinese all know that the pidan must be seasoned with sesame oil and/or vinegar before it changes from strange to delicious. When it is accompanied by cool, snowy white tofu, no Michelin-starred chef can imagine a more classic dish full of contrast in flavor, texture and color. Depending on which part of China you come from, the pidan doufu will be seasoned with oyster sauce, soya sauce and vinegar or deep-fried red shallots and topped with chopped coriander and chili, or, as in Taiwan, a fluffy coating of meat floss.

24. Concubine Chicken贵妃鸡 

The meat is tender and sweet, the skin still has a bite to it, and the meat is still a rosy pink around the bone. The tender, white slightly pink flesh probably reminded the chef of the perfect beauty of the luscious Yang Guifei, the concubine of a Tang emperor, for which he lost his kingdom. The cooking method is indicative of the ingenuity of the Cantonese chef who has made the study of the culinary arts his lifelong mission. First, a chicken stock is made and clarified. The broth is then heated till boiling. A perfect, tender chicken old enough to gain flavor and young enough to stay sweet is then poached in the boiling stock. After just a few minutes, the heat is turned off and the chicken is allowed to steep in the essence. Cooled and cut, the bird becomes a fitting dish for kings and concubines.

25. Shanghainese Bamboo & Ham Soup腌多鲜 

The Chinese name of the dish sums up the often paradoxical qualities of good food, and yanduoxian means "pickled but fresh". Interpreted, the oxymoron probably refers to the mix of ingredients for this hearty soup-meal. Pickled bamboo shoots and salted pork or Chinese ham are cooked with beancurd strips and sometimes, chicken. This typical Shanghainese soup has as many versions as there are good cooks in the family kitchen, but generally these are the ingredients most commonly used. What makes this soup so popular – and not just in Shanghai – is the combination of meat and vegetables that can be scooped out and eaten as a separate dish, while the soup is enjoyed in all its flavorful best.

26. Squirrel Fish松鼠鱼 

This is probably the most trotted out showpiece of the Chinese culinary arts whenever there is a banquet meant for foreign guests, who would oh and ah on cue over the intricate knife-work that can fillet a whole fish into the likes of a fluffy squirrel's tail. The bright orange sauce is also familiar to those who dine out at Chinese restaurants abroad serving chop suey and sweet-and-sour pork. To the locals, however, it is a cooking method that happily masks a fish slightly past its prime, and a sauce with overwhelming sweet and tart flavors that will add flavor to an otherwise tasteless dish. Still, there is no doubt that the "squirrel fish" will continue to appear regularly at wedding banquets and when family and friends gather for a meal out.

27. Camphor-smoked Duck樟茶鸭

The camphor trees of Sichuan province grow tall and wide, giving its cities some respite from cauldron-like heat in summer. Camphor wood is pest resistant and its chips are often used to fumigate houses. They are also used to flavor one of Sichuan cuisine's most famous dishes – the smoked duck. It is a dish that is lovingly and patiently prepared, taking up to four stages of cooking before it appears on the table, a burnished bronze skin crisp and light, with salty-sweet meat that has a smoky bouquet of camphor. The duck is marinated, smoked, steamed and deep-fried. Skin and meat are served sandwiched in butterflied snowy-white buns.

28. Fish-fragrance Aubergines鱼香茄子 

There is no fish in the recipe, and it would be a vegetarian dish if not for the minute amounts of minced meat that is sometimes added to the dish. The "fish-fragrance" in the name refers to the aromatic seasoning that is used to start the recipe, the same sweet-gingery mixture used for red-cooked fish. Aubergine or eggplant chunks are browned over high heat and set aside. Minced ginger, garlic and chopped scallions are added to hot oil until their scent assails the nose. The eggplant is added and cornstarch slurry with sesame oil and vinegar added is used to bind it all together. This is probably the best-known eggplant dish in China.

29. Water-cooked Fish水煮鱼

Another deceptive title that is totally out of synch with the true nature of the dish. This is no bland boiled dish that is water-cooked. Instead it is fish slices cooked in a fiery mixture of tongue-numbing Sichuan peppercorns and chili oil. Surprisingly, this dish, which originated in Chongqing a mere 30 years ago, has become a national favorite, even in places where chili is not traditionally appreciated. The story goes that a Chongqing chef won a national cooking competition with meat slices cooked in chili oil. One day, a good friend came to visit and he wanted to share the recipe. Unfortunately, the friend would only eat fish. He made the change, and it was a move that turned his fortunes. If he had patented the dish, he would be a very rich man now.

30. Spicy Black Pudding & Tripe毛血旺

On a cold winter evening, there are few dishes more comforting than a steaming hot bowl of black pudding and tripe. The lethal red chilli and Sichuan peppercorns floating right alongside the main ingredients in the soupy mix only add to the warmth in the mouth that will slowly spread and thaw frozen fingers and limbs. But it is a dish that appeals only to those with total tolerance for the whole hog. Black pudding is basically caked blood, while the tripe comes from the stomachs of cud-chewing animals such as cows and sheep. Chinese cooks waste nothing, and it is often the off-cuts that make the most delicious dishes.

Written by Pauline D Loh, with research compiled by Luo Weiteng and Xie Jun.

Please feel free to add your own votes, and give us your feedback.

To contact the writer, please e-mail paulined@chinadaily.com.cn.