Qingdao Cuisine

Known as the cradle of Shandong Cuisine, Shandong's largest coastal port city Qingdao is famous for its local cuisine. The area around Qingdao is rich in sea cucumbers, squid, prawns, and shellfish, as well as numerous fish species, and every spring and autumn, the Jiaozhou Bay area is rich in local shrimp. 

Qingdao is famous for its regional and international flavors. Being a coastal city, Qingdao is rich in seafood, and its flavors range from spicy to sweet.

Qingdao Cuisine, which is usually deeply fried, braised, roasted, or stewed, commonly uses soy sauce, shallots, and garlic, and the dishes are known for their delicate aromas, and pure flavor. Qingdao cuisine's most famous dishes are sea cucumbers with minced meat, Jiaodong Chicken Wings, and Braised cuttlefish eggs. Although prepared in a simple style, these dishes are unforgettable. The best way to enjoy Qingdao's seafood is to stroll down to the shore, or along Laiyang Road and stop in one of the many little seafood restaurants. Qingdao's many fine hotels are also excellent places to enjoy seafood, although prices are higher, there is less of a language barrier problem and the dishes are more refined.

Since Qingdao was once a German colonial city, it has retained many of its international aspects. The city is known for having a large selection of international fare, including Italian, German, Japanese, and Korean cuisines. Qingdao also has a large Muslim population and Muslim restaurants can be found scattered around the city as well as numerous ka-bob stands that can be found along the road.

Former German Governor's House In Qingdao

Qingdao Specialties:

Sea Cucumbers with Minced Meat:

One of Qingdao's most famous dishes, Sea cucumbers with minced meat uses Sea cucumbers caught in the Yellow Sea off the coast of Qingdao. Sea cucumbers are famous for being both soft and tough and very nutritious.

Jiaodong Chicken Wings:

This dish combines a delicious broth with onions and chicken wings. The cooked chicken wings are placed on different local vegetables, then broth and onion oil, which is unique to Shandong Province, and served. It is a very characteristic Shandong dish.

Braised Cuttlefish Eggs:

A bizarre, yet delicious dish unique to Qingdao, braised cuttlefish eggs are very difficult to obtain and are famous for being rich in protein. It is considered by locals to have medicinal qualities.

Qingdao Hotpot:

Qingdao Hotpot is unique in that its main ingredients all come from the sea. It is very flavorful and only made with the freshest seafood which was caught the same day it is cooked.

GaLa:

A dish that can be found on every menu in Qingdao is GaLa. The dish consists of Sautéed clams with red or green peppers. It is extremely popular amongst visitors and locals alike.

Spicy Stirred GaLa

Qingdao Guotie:

Qingdao Guotie is a famous cuisine in Qingdao. It has a history of more than 40 years. The stuffing has a lot of kinds, such as vegetables, pork, mutton, beef, GaLa, shrimp, etc. Guotie is similar to Chinese dumpling, but Guotie is usually longer in size, crisp outside, and delicious inside. Qingdao Guotie has won many glories, for example, “Famous Cuisine in China”, “One of the Ten Famous Cuisine in Qingdao”, and “Featured Cuisine in Qingdao”.

Qingdao Guotie

Jingjiu Pork Rib Rice:

Jingjiu pork rib rice is very famous in Qingdao. The manager of the chain restaurant is called Wang Jingjiu, so the name of the restaurant is called Jingjiu. 
According to a different recipe, the pork ribs are braised with different vegetables, such as cabbage, bean, potatoes, wax gourd, and kelp, etc. Besides, rice and free pickles are provided to guests. 
Jingjiu pork rib rice is loved by people not only due to its special recipe but also its unchangeable quality. There are strict standards on the boiler’s size, how much pork ribs add how much seasoning, etc. Thirteen seasonings are bought from the appointed factory in Jiangxi province. The beans are man-made by workers in the restaurant.

Keep reading:

• What to see in Qingdao
• Qingdao local lifestyle