China's top 10 foodie cities

　　Top 1: Chengdu

　　Chengdu is no doubt the most popular place for gourmet aficionados. It is the birthplace of Sichuan cuisine, one of China's four major styles of cooking. In 2010, Chengdu was designated the "Capital of the World's Gourmet Food" by UNESCO, the first city in Asia to receive the honor. It is best represented by its hot pot cooking, spicy bean curd and Kung Pao chicken.

　　Foreign leaders opt for local flavors A bite of China II whets the appetite

　　Glutinous rice cake wrapped with bamboo leaves on Jinli Street, Chengdu's famous food street. [Photo/icpress]

　　Related:Dishes to die for

　　Top 2: Guangzhou

　　Guangzhou has numerous time-honored restaurants, noted dishes, and flavor food. Drinking teaand soup are daily habits of Guangzhou people.

　　Customers eat noodles in a local restaurant, which has becomes popular because of its appearance in the documentary "A Bite of China". [Photo/icpress]

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　　Foreign leaders opt for local flavors A bite of China II whets the appetite

　　Top 3: Beijing

　　Beijing is not only a gathering place for food and delights in China, but also all over the world. You can taste almost anything you want without going abroad. Traditional food and exotic food provides you many choices.

　　A chef from the time-honored restaurant Quanjude cuts a roasted Peking duck. [Photo/icpress]

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　　Foreign leaders opt for local flavors A bite of China II whets the appetite

　　Visitors walk past various snacks on the food street in Wangfujing area in Beijing. [Photo/icpress]

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　　Foreign leaders opt for local flavors A bite of China II whets the appetite

　　Top 4: Xiamen

　　As an important branch of Southern Fujian cuisine, Xiamen cuisine is mainly served steamed, fried and stewed. Dishes are usually fresh and light in flavor, and are sometimes slightly spicy. Famous offerings include seafoodand vegetarian treats.

　　There are more than 200 varieties of Xiamen snacks, with rice dumplings, fishball soup, oysters and barbeque sauce noodles proving most popular.

　　Fresh seafood is available in almost every restaurant in the city. The most recommended eatery is Xiaoyanjing food stall, located in Hubin Middle Road. The restaurant serves up fresh seafood at reasonable prices. Reservations should be made in advance.

　　People eat seafood on a local snack street. [Photo/icpress]

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　　Foreign leaders opt for local flavors A bite of China II whets the appetite

　　Top 5: Shanghai

　　Salted fish and meat feature important food at the Spring Festival in Shanghai. The modern city is also famous for its tangbao, or soup dumplings, which are classic steamed buns delicately harboring pools of delicious meat juices.

　　A Chinese vendor walks under preserved meat hung out to dry outside his food shop near Xintiandi in Shanghai. [Photo/icpress]

　　Related: Shanghaicity impressions

　　Foreign leaders opt for local flavors A bite of China II whets the appetite

　　Tangbao, a popular soup dumpling. [Photo/icpress]

　　Related:Shanghaicity impressions

　　Foreign leaders opt for local flavors A bite of China II whets the appetite

　　Top 6: Hangzhou

　　Hangzhou cuisine places emphasis on fresh sea or river produce, and the seasonings are all lighter than strong northern preferences. You will never see a dish covered in sticky brown sauce, or heavily spiked with star anise or cumin.

　　The natural flavors of the ingredients are carefully nurtured on the plate, and that is why it is such an attractive culinary choice in these days of health and safety concerns.

　　Visitors enjoy local Hangzhou cuisine at a Hangzhou food festival. [Photo/icpress]

　　Related: Hangzhou's drunken cuisine

　　Foreign leaders opt for local flavors A bite of China II whets the appetite

　　Top 7: Nanjing

　　Fresh flavors and artful kitchen skills combine to make the food of the Yangtze region a universal favorite even among Chinese gourmets stubbornly faithful to their home cuisine.

　　A famous Huaiyang dish is showcased which provides good nourishment for people. [Photo/icpress]

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　　Foreign leaders opt for local flavors A bite of China II whets the appetite

　　Top 8: Xi'an

　　With thousands of years of history growing wheat, Xi'an is home to many kinds of flour-based food. Even the simple noodle has different shapes and tastes.

　　Paomo is a specialty of Shaanxi cuisine. It is a hot stew of chopped-up steamed leavened bread cooked in lamb broth and meat, or with lamb substituted with beef.

　　A local restaurant in Xi'an sells Paomo and other traditional food. [Photo/icpress]

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　　Foreign leaders opt for local flavors A bite of China II whets the appetite

　　Top 9: Chongqing

　　Hotpot is popular in Chongqing. While the soup is simmering over a flame, meat and vegetablesare placed into the pot to cook, and diners can pick out the items when they are ready to eat. Chongqing hotpot is famous for its spicy flavors.

　　People eat food around a big hot pot in Chongqing at a food festival. [Photo by Zhong Guilin/Asianewsphoto]

　　Related:Crazy about hotpot

　　Foreign leaders opt for local flavors A bite of China II whets the appetite

　　Top 10: Changsha

　　Changsha is known for its connection to all things red; one important connection is the endless array of dishes prepared with raw, stir-fried, pickled and dried red chili peppers.

　　Fermented bean curb or Choudoufu, is the most famous snack in Changsha, Hunan province. [Photo/icpress]

　　Foreign leaders opt for local flavors A bite of China II whets the appetite