Chinese select their favorite local dishes

For Chinese people, bread is the stall of life. [Photo/IC]

What's your favorite Chinese cuisine? The answer may always be personal, but what if you ask millions?

A list of the 10 most popular Chinese dishes was issued on Monday by a research body under the China Hotel Association.

The study was based on data generated by China's major online ordering platforms and public surveys in 2015, according to Luo Huashan, deputy head of the research team.

Top of the list was fish with Sichuan pickles and the well-known kung pao chicken, or spicy diced chicken with peanuts.

Stir-fried seasonal vegetables, a very plain dish but a must have for Cantonese, also made the top three.

It is also noteworthy that five dishes in the top 10 have a clear origin in Sichuan or Hunan, both known for use of chilies.

The top 10 are all traditional dishes, indicating that Chinese are quite conservative in their tastes, Luo said.

Here is the complete list. Please note that translating Chinese menu is a delicate job, as many dishes were named after people or even legends rather than the ingredients. A Mandarin pronunciation is provided in the brackets behind each dish.