Although travelers can try dishes from around China and the globe in renowned¹ food cities Beijing and Shanghai, it is outside these major metropolises² where a world of exciting Chinese cuisine³ awaits the true foodie.

虽然在北京和上海这样闻名的美食城市，游客就能品尝到中国及世界各地的美味，但只有在这些大城市以外的地方，吃货们才能品尝到最好吃的中国美食。

With this in mind and after three years of living in China and writing about Chinese food, I embarked⁴ on a six-month journey with my husband and two daughters.

怀揣着这种想法，又因为在中国生活了三年并且一直在写中国美食相关文章，我就跟老公还有两个女儿开始了一次为期半年的旅行。

We loaded up a campervan and set out from Shanghai on July 1. We've since covered more than 20,000 kilometers and 21 provinces in our quest to see China's most remote and beautiful areas, and to taste the different regional foods along our way.

7月1日，我们坐上一辆露营车便从上海出发了。这段20000多公里的旅程穿越了21个省份，一路上我们游玩了中国最偏远最迷人的地方，也品尝了不同地区的美食。

Here are eight most amazing Chinese food cities I've come across so far. The list is in no particular order.

下面是到目前为止我觉得最棒的中国八大美食城市，排名顺序不分先后。

1. Chengdu, Sichuan Province

四川省成都市

Crowned as Asia's first UNESCO City of Gastronomy⁵ in 2010, Chengdu is best-known for its fiery⁶ hot pot and spicy⁷ dishes, which are characterized by the use of Sichuan pepper and are usually layered with salty, sour and sweet flavors. There are also dishes that aren't spicy at all, such as beer-braised duck.

成都在2010年联合国教科文组织列为“美食城市”，这是亚洲第一个获此殊荣的地方，成都以其麻辣火锅和辛辣菜肴而闻名。四川菜的特点就是用很多川椒，咸辣酸甜、口味多样。当然，有些川菜一点也不辣，比如啤酒焖鸭。

The streets hold more than 100 varieties of street snacks, from savory⁸ jelly noodles to "dragon lifting a hand" (poached wontons drizzled⁹ in toasty chili¹⁰ oil, pepper corns and green onion).

成都街头至少有上百种特色小吃，比如酸辣粉，还有“龙抄手”（水煮馄饨淋上辣椒油、胡椒和葱花）。

Chef Yu Bo is a must-go. The high-end restaurant cooks sophisticated Sichuan food with awe-inspiring presentations: abalone on spiced mung bean jelly, crispy ginseng root, and tiny spheres of apple poached in syrup¹¹ tinged¹² with fiery notes of green Sichuan pepper.

来成都一定要去喻家厨房，这家高级餐馆专做工序复杂的川菜，例如鲍鱼凉粉、爽口人参，还有水煮江团。

Hot pot is as ubiquitous in the city as the smell of chili. At Zigong Delicious Hotpot, the house specialty¹³ tiaoshui wa is a cauldron of fiery chili to which vegetables, noodles or other meats can be added.

在这个城市火锅随处可见，到处弥漫着辛辣的气息。在自贡好吃客，特色菜跳水蛙就是往火锅里加入大量辣椒、蔬菜、粉丝还有蛙肉等等。

For a real taste of Sichuan's signature pepper, hua jiao, spend a morning at the Chengdu Spice Market where the locals sell and buy it by the sack.

想要真正品尝到四川有名的花椒，可以早上去成都调料市场，那里有成包成袋的花椒在卖。

2. Lanzhou, Gansu Province

甘肃省兰州市

Synonymous in the minds of food-lovers with hand-pulled beef noodles, Lanzhou also has one of the liveliest street food night markets in China.

说起兰州，吃货就会想到手擀牛肉拉面。兰州的街头夜市小吃摊也非常的活跃。

Just west of the city center, the buzzing Zhengning Lu bazaar¹⁴ houses more than 100 street food stalls. On offer is a broad selection of hot and cold dishes with emphasis on local Hui cuisine.

市中心往西的正宁路夜市上，少说也有上百个小吃摊位。小吃摊有各色冷热菜肴，全都是回族美食。

Highlights include whole grilled¹⁵ fish seasoned with aromatic¹⁶ cumin and sesame paste (RMB 25, US$4), sweet, hot bowls of nai zhou (milk rice with sultanas, peanuts, sesame seed and beaten egg, RMB 8) and flaky pastry¹⁷ rou bing stuffed with meat (RMB 2).

特色美食有茴香芝麻烤全鱼（25元/4美元）、牛奶鸡蛋醪糟（用牛奶、鸡蛋、醪糟一起煮，还放了葡萄干、银耳、芝麻，8元），还有夹肉香酥千层饼（2元）。

No trip to Lanzhou is complete without feasting on noodles at Wumule Penhui, the 2012 winners of Lanzhou's annual pulled noodle competition. The halal restaurant makes noodles spicy enough to satisfy even the most hardened heat-seekers.

在兰州不吃乌穆勒鹏辉的拉面就算不上到过兰州，乌穆勒鹏辉是2012年兰州拉面比赛的冠军。这家清真面馆的面条非常辛辣，哪怕是最嗜辣的吃客都能被辣倒。

3. Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

广东省广州市

The birthplace of Cantonese food, Guangzhou is thought by many as the best place to eat in China. The city of 12 million has a passionate¹⁸ food culture, with equal excitement reserved for the opening of a hole-in-the-wall congee¹⁹ joint and a high-end restaurant.

作为粤菜的发源地，广州被认为是中国最好的美食城市之一。这座120万人口的城市拥有相当丰富的美食文化，出色的粥店和高档餐馆随时敞开大门欢迎人们光临。

The local cuisine is characterized by fresh clean flavors, seafood²⁰, barbecued meats and the wonderful tradition of yum cha, which is tea drinking accompanied by dumplings and small dishes.

广东菜的特点是口味清淡，有海鲜、烤肉以及传统饮茶等，配上饺子和小菜。

Congee is the way locals love to start their day, and one of the most popular vendors²¹ is Ru Xuan Sha Guo Zhou. Here, one can get a bowl of signature seafood congee any hour of the day.

当地人早上喜欢喝粥，最受欢迎的要数如轩砂锅粥。在这里，任何时候都能喝到招牌海鲜粥。

Yum cha addicts²² are spoiled for choice but the extensive selections at both North Garden Restaurant (where shrimp²³ dumplings are the specialty) and Bing Sheng are exemplary.

嗜好饮茶的人可去的地方很多，但最典型的还是北园酒家（以虾饺为特色）和炳胜品味。

Roast meats are Bing Sheng's most popular order -- their roast goose is marinated with five-spice, boiled, air-dried, then roasted by a flame oven to give a succulent crisp skin.

炳胜品味最拿手的是烤肉，他们的烤鹅经过五香腌制、水煮、风干后才上烤架，皮脆肉嫩。

For something more home style and removed from the madness of downtown, head to Ji Cun for steamed chicken and simple farmer-style dishes.

若想远离市中心的喧嚣，体验农家风味，可以到鸡邨大饭店品尝蒸鸡和清淡的农家菜。

4. Turpan, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous²⁴ Region

新疆维吾尔自治区吐鲁番

Lying on the northern Silk Road en route to the trading hub of Kashgar, the laidback town of Turpan has the best Uyghur food in Xinjiang. Dozens of open-air restaurants serve halal fare next to the main bazaar.

在新疆通往喀什贸易中心的北丝绸之路边上，散落着的吐鲁番小镇出产最美味的维吾尔美食。大型集市边上有许多价格便宜的露天餐馆。

Browse²⁵ the stalls for central Asian specialties²⁶ like lamb kawop and crispy rounds of nang bread, served alongside less well-known local favorites like banshi (mutton wontons served in a light tomato broth²⁷ topped with black-eyed beans and cilantro) or lamb, which is marinated in saffron and yoghurt and cooked until it falls tenderly apart in the tonur oven.

一路走过小吃摊，你会看到中亚特有的烤羊肉和馕，跟不太大众的当地食品（羊肉馄饨番茄汤加黑豆与香菜）或羊羔肉，羊羔肉用藏红花和酸奶腌渍并炖煮而成，非常鲜嫩。

Finish with a bowl of fresh set yoghurt.

最后还可以来一大碗新鲜酸奶。

The extremely dry county grows China’s sweetest grapes with the harvest spectacle taking place in early to mid-September.

这个中国最干燥的地方产有最甜的葡萄，每年九月中旬便迎来葡萄大丰收的景象。

5. Datong, Shanxi Province

山西省大同市

Shanxi is home to one of China's great eight cuisines²⁸, jin cai, characterized by the liberal use of vinegar, round breads and pastries²⁹ (known as bing) and hundreds of varieties of noodles.

山西晋菜是中国八大菜系之一，特点是擅于用醋，有各种馍馍、大饼和各种做法的面条。

Located in north of the province, industrial city Datong is an unassuming choice for dedicated³⁰ Chinese foodies, with a burgeoning³¹ number of restaurants serving innovative³² and elegant jin dishes.

大同是一座工业城市，位于山西省北部，美食实在地道，现如今推出创新精致晋菜的餐馆也越来越多了。

Phoenix³³ Court, housed in an intimate Ming Dynasty mansion³⁴ since 1518, serves the most refined jin cuisine in Datong.

在始于明朝1815年的凤临阁能品尝到大同最美味的晋菜。

Specialties are the delicate chrysanthemum³⁵ shao mai (steamed dumplings favored by the Empress Cixi when she last visited), and the unusual yangsheng hulusi, which is carefully coiled shredded³⁶ bottle gourd³⁷ dressed with aged Shanxi vinegar, chilies³⁸, and finely sliced scallions.

特色菜有可口的菊花烧卖（据说慈禧太后最后一次驾临山西时非常喜欢），还有特别的养生葫芦丝（佐以山西陈醋、辣椒和细细的葱花）。

Across town the 500-seat Yonghe Fine Food City gives a new spin on traditional dishes, with must-tries like golden millet³⁹ pudding studded with tiny orange sea buckthorn berries.

市区的永和美食城能容纳500人，菜肴推陈出新，招牌菜有沙棘黄米饭，米饭里有小小的沙棘浆果。

6. Qingdao, Shandong Province

山东省青岛市

This is one of China's best seafood cities. There is no better accompaniment to the city’s refreshing⁴⁰ brew⁴¹, Tsingtao, than the local shrimp, clams⁴², geoducks, sea cucumbers and crayfish.

青岛有中国最美味的海鲜。这里还有无与伦比的爽口青岛啤酒、对虾、蛤蜊、扇贝、海参还有淡水小龙虾。

At Qingdao's Haidao restaurant, choose the catch of the day from the tanks, request a method of cooking (if unsure, the restaurant will help), sit down with a jug⁴³ of beer then wait to see what turns up.

在青岛的海岛渔村，你可以自己从水箱里挑选当天新鲜海味，选择自己喜欢的烹饪方法（如果拿不定主意，店家可以帮忙），然后边喝啤酒边坐等美味上桌。

The emphasis is on preserving the seafood's fresh taste so don't expect a lot of complex heavy sauces. Instead, enjoy gala (local clams cooked with garlic and a little chili), or wok-fired shrimp with scallions.

为确保海鲜口味纯正，千万别放太多调料。推荐当地的蒜蓉蛤蜊或葱爆虾，味道很不错。

For those who love to smell brine and hear the creak of rigging with your seafood, Xiao Gang Pier⁴⁴ in northern Qingdao is lined with fishing boats selling directly from their decks.

如果你想一边品尝海鲜、一边伴着咸咸的海风听船桨声，可以去青岛北边的小港海鲜市场，那里有成排的渔船，甲板上出售各种海产品。

7. Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province

浙江省绍兴市

This ancient canal city is home to huangjiu, an amber-colored rice wine that's ubiquitous in Chinese cooking.

这座大运河畔的老城是黄酒的发源地，黄酒是一种琥珀色的米酒，是中国烹饪的必备调料。

Experience the history of 2,000 years of winemaking and taste aged wines at the Yellow Rice Wine Museum before enjoying a meal at the legendary⁴⁵ Xianheng restaurant.

在去著名的咸亨酒店饕餮之前，一定要先去黄酒博物馆感受一下2000年的酿酒史、品味一下陈年酒酿。

Open since 1894, the dining chain is known by almost every Chinese for its appearance in early 20th century novels by Chinese literati Lu Xun.

咸亨酒店始建于1894年，得名于中国文学家鲁迅在20世纪写过的某篇小说，在中国可谓家喻户晓，现在已发展成为连锁店了。

Xianheng's delicacies⁴⁶ include crispy-skinned chicken, smoked red dates in rice wine, beans flavored with fennel, and crispy bream in rice wine.

咸亨酒店的招牌菜有脆皮鸡、酒醉红枣、茴香豆还有香酥黄酒渍鳊鱼。

Fried fermented⁴⁷ tofu is also a local specialty, which is available all over town at small street stalls including one just outside Xianheng.

油炸臭豆腐也是当地一大特色，市内大街小巷到处都有臭豆腐摊，咸亨酒店外也有。

8. Dazhai, Guangxi Province

广西省大寨乡

Not technically⁴⁸ a city, but Dazhai is the best destination in China to enjoy fresh food as well as a stunning⁴⁹ natural landscape on one trip.

大寨严格意义上来说并不是一座城市，但在这里不仅能欣赏到美丽的自然风光，还能品尝到新鲜的绿色食品。

The village is about three hours from Guilin by car and is at the base of the remote "Dragon's Backbone⁵⁰" rice terraces.

从桂林开车大概三个小时就到了大寨——周围是被誉为“龙脊”的梯田。

Here, the Yao minorities grow, make and forage⁵¹ everything they eat, including rice, tea, fern shoots, wild mushrooms and liquor brewed⁵² from wild berries.

在这里，瑶族人自给自足，种植并生产大米、茶、笋、蘑菇，还能用野莓酿酒。

Vegetables are plucked by farmers from the earth next to dining tables which overlook spectacular centuries-old rice fields.

饭桌上的蔬菜是边上的篱笆地里现摘的，放眼望去是恒古壮观的稻田。

Farmer Li's guesthouse is one of many lodgings⁵³ that serve simple home-cooked dishes according to the season, for example: stir-fried pumpkin⁵⁴ with fern shoots, or sticky rice cooked inside bamboo.

在大寨，有很多像老李家这样的小客店，向客人提供南瓜炒笋片或竹筒饭这样的应季农家菜。