Chinese food is above all characterized by the plants and animals that have grown prosperously in China for centuries. The Chinese believe that food affects health as a matter of general principle. The selection of the right food at any particular time must also be dependent upon one's health condition at that time.

Chinese cooking is, in this sense, the manipulation of these foodstuffs as basic ingredients. Since ingredients are not the same everywhere, Chinese food begins to assume a local character simply by virtue of the ingredients it uses.

A balanced meal must have an appropriate amount of both grain and main dishes. Grains include cooked rice, steamed wheat, corn-flour or noodles. Vegetables and meats are sliced and combined in various ways to produce flavoursome dishes.

The cuisine offers a wide variety of flavours and combinations. For example; pork may be diced, sliced, shredded or ground when combined with other meats and vegetable ingredients to produces dishes of utterly diverse, shapes, flavours, colours, tastes and aromas.

Another feature of Chinese food is the great variety of preserved foods. Food is preserved by smoking, salting, pickling and drying.