Henan cuisine, also known as Yu cuisine, despite having the accolade of being one of
the most traditional and oldest of China"s cooking styles, is not the most exciting. There
are some famous dishes that are worth investigating however. Of the local dishes Carp and the Zhangji Roast Chicken are both highly
popular, chicken and carp being the main components of most dishes in Henan. The Shaolin
Restaurant in Zhengzhou
is probably the best place to sample these delicacies. Local variants on the Henan cuisine can be found in almost all of the cities in this
region. Luoyang has a good selection of these varieties, and the best way to sample them
is by settling in for the night with some friends and the many courses of the Water Banquet. For vegetarians, the Shaolin Monastery
provides some good vegetarian dishes, perfected over the years by a wholly vegetarian
brotherhood of monks. The Muslim population is fairly large in Henan and it is through them that many more
exotic food types can be found. The usual mutton noodles, kebabs and tasty naan-style
bread can be found in many of the cities and towns of Henan. |