Popular Dishes

Chinese cuisine, as we know it in India is significantly different from authentic Chinese cuisine. Chinese cuisine is traditionally bland and makes use of a variety of spices and vegetation found exclusively in China. The Indo-Chinese cuisine came up on its own when the Chinese immigrants brought the unique Chinese flavours and added a little in to it. Indians like their spice and Chinese food brought a much-needed break from the monotony of the traditional dishes.

The Chinese migration brought a lot of Chinese people into the Indian borders during the 18th and 19th centuries. The migration was centred around West Bengal and this is where one started observing the uproar of the Chinese cuisine in the country. There was a dedicated space in Kolkata by the name of “Chinatown” where the immigrant population was higher and the street food vendors left a mark on the larger crowd. Indo-Chinese is now a cuisine of its own accord.

Chinese cuisine is hundreds of years old. There are a variety of culinary techniques involved that are native to China. The vegetation alone is so much more diverse that there’s often a whole array of unexplored flavours and tastes from the land. The cuisine really explores the taste, texture and appearance of the food. The staples are rice and wheat, the noodles are more popular. The food is often simple and easy on the stomach. Meals are also communal and tea is an important post-meal ritual. Chinese cuisine is designed to promote better health.

As the Chinese brought their flavours into India, there was a perfect blend of the two cuisines. People started combining ingredients from both cuisines and made something truly balanced. A primary shift that happened with Chinese food was the “cheaper tasty food.” Chinese food was priced just right for the market, it was quick to cook and proved to be a satisfying meal. Dishes like - chow mein, Manchurian, chilli chicken, and Schezwan became household staples. Indo-Chinese food became something every household turned to.

A beloved chicken dish which uses diced chicken stir-fried with crunchy peanuts. It makes use of Sichuan peppercorns which gives it a unique spice kick. The dish is prepared with a mix of vegetables to balance out the chicken. It’s cooked in a savoury and slightly sweet sauce. It’s a dish that can be had with rice, it elevates the meal entirely and satisfies all spice cravings.

This is one of the more iconic dishes to have come from China. It introduces duck meat in a surprising flavour cape to many. It prepares the succulent meat with a crisp golden-brown outer layer. The skin is inflated away from the meat, dried and then roasted over an open flame. There’s a lovely balance of texture and flavour. It’s served with hoisin sauce and scallions. It’s best enjoyed handheld. It’s a sophisticated Chinese dish that’s prepared for special occasions.

Dim sum is a delicately prepared dish which is often enjoyed with tea. There are a lot of textures and flavours that can be incorporated into the dim sum. It’s a steamed dumpling with a delicate cover. These dishes are bite-sized to help diners appreciate them at the finest. Dim sum is a communal experience of sharing dishes and having tea together. These are dishes to snack on and with time, it has spread over the world.

A dish that has variations across Asia, hot pot is made by adding different ingredients to one pot and letting it simmer till the flavours seep in. It’s a communal feast where people sit around the hotpot. The broth is extremely important in a hotpot. Ingredients like seafood/meat, mushrooms, an assortment of greens, and noodles are all thrown into a simmering pot of broth and combined. There are broths that are oil-based, herbal, tomato-based and even mushroom-based. The ingredients can also be dipped into thicker sauces to be enjoyed thoroughly. It’s perfect for colder days and for group dining plans. From authentic classics to innovative fusions, Bangalore’s pizza scene caters to every preference and craving.

There are more common Chinese dishes like - Schezwan rice, chicken Manchurian, chow mein, hakka noodles and more. These are dishes that have gotten the Indian conversion working for them entirely. It’s popular amongst Indians for giving them a break from their cuisine. The blend of Indian spices into Chinese food helped bridge the gap and made it as widespread as it is today.

Now while you may be craving Chinese food by this point, how do you go about deciding where to find the best Chinese food? While there are many food apps out there that deliver, are they helping you tackle the bigger problem? HOGR does. It’s a food app that helps you decide what to eat and where to eat it. On HOGR, you can check the best Chinese restaurants in the city. You’ll find videos of the food served, the taste, the rate, and more details that will help you narrow down your options.

HOGR solves a quintessential problem, it helps you find the perfect restaurant that fits your needs. There’s a lot of recos created by foodies around the city and the app helps you get direct access to all of it. These videos help you understand what the dish looks like and the note by the foodies helps keep your expectations right. It also brings you restaurants that you would’ve missed out on. There are so many hidden gems out there that you will now have access to with an app like HOGR. Let foodies find you restaurants and place your trust on them by the authentic food videos alone.

Chinese cuisine can get pretty spicy so you might want to look into your spice tolerance. There’s a variety of chillies used that one might not be familiar with and the only way to find out is by taking a big bite. Soy sauce is big for chinese cuisine, if there’s a soy allergy or a gluten allegery, you might want to stay clear of it. A lot of chinese cooking involves using a single wok, cross contamination is frequent, do mention if you have any concerns regarding the same to the chef in prior.