Ate of the best

Shenzhen is home to people from all over China. As a result, restaurants serving cuisines from various parts of the country can be found all over town.

'When migrants come from other parts of China, they bring their regional food preferences with them,' says Ng Wing-kun, executive Chinese chef at the Futian Shangri-La, Shenzhen. 'You can therefore sample food from all over China in Shenzhen, and the taste is quite authentic.'

Food experts have traditionally divided Chinese cuisine into eight regional varieties, sometimes referred to as the eight great cuisines of China.

The best known regional variety outside of China is Cantonese. There are many variations, with the most significant being Yue (Guangzhou), Chiu Chow, Hakka and Shun Tak.

Next to Cantonese cuisine, the two most widely known styles outside of the mainland are the cuisines of Sichuan and Hunan. Both are fiery, have strong flavours and can be oily, but the peppers favoured by Sichuan chefs differ markedly in taste from those used in Hunan fare.

As the birthplace of Confucius, Shandong is also home to one of the country's most highly regarded cuisines. It is lighter, crisper, more tender and not as oily as some of the other styles of Chinese cooking.