How China's Carb Capital Masters Both Northern and Southern Tastes

A recent report on 2024 Spring Festival consumption data was released, listing the top ten popular consumer cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Suzhou, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Tianjin, and one city you might never expect—

Zhengzhou isn’t typically considered a tourist destination. Beyond its braised noodles and spicy soup, many might be unfamiliar with Zhengzhou’s cuisine, which only goes to show how long this central plains carb capital has been overlooked.

Zhengzhou’s overlooked delicacies go far beyond its spicy soup.

One reason Zhengzhou made the top ten consumer cities is its extensive transportation infrastructure. During the 2024 Spring Festival holiday, Zhengzhou Railway Bureau handled 4.334 million passenger trips, roughly equivalent to 1.5 times the population of Tongliao City.

Such massive foot traffic has allowed Zhengzhou to absorb culinary delights from surrounding Henan cities—like Kaifeng’s fried jelly, Zhoukou’s spicy soup, Luoyang’s noodle paste, and Anyang’s fried sausages—as well as carb-heavy dishes from other provinces, such as Shanxi’s knife-cut noodles, Hubei’s hot dry noodles, and Xinjiang’s big plate chicken, all of which now fill Zhengzhou’s streets and have become part of its food scene.

You can also enjoy dishes from neighboring cities in Zhengzhou.

As the capital of China’s top wheat-producing province, Zhengzhou’s carb feasts exceed expectations. From noodles to flatbreads, staples to side dishes—braised noodles, steamed dumplings, pan-fried cakes, baked buns, steamed vegetables, stuffed rolls, and rice noodles—Zhengzhou residents are surrounded by carbs at every meal.

China’s wheat production distribution map shows Henan as the top producer.

Zhengzhou is also a leader in modern food processing, home to well-known brands like Mixue Bingcheng, Banu Hotpot, Guoquan Food, and Jiedeli Potato Noodles. Though not one of the "Eight Great Cuisines," Henan cuisine, often called the "mother of the Eight Great Cuisines," is still preserved here.

It’s time to rediscover Zhengzhou’s flavors.

Zhengzhou: A Food Haven Built by Trains

Some say Zhengzhou is just a "new city pulled in by trains," with little history or culinary heritage. But many don’t realize that as China’s railway hub and the first national aviation economic zone, this "new city’s" constant flow of people is the secret behind its vibrant food culture.

Fried half-hatched eggs—in Zhengzhou, where cultures converge,

any culinary possibility exists.

Zhengzhou’s Hot Dry Noodles: "Beating" Hubei?!

Here are some surprising stats: The province with the most big plate chicken, sour-spicy noodles, and hot dry noodles isn’t Xinjiang, Sichuan, or Hubei—it’s Henan. Even more shocking, Zhengzhou has more hot dry noodle shops than all of Hubei. Is it due to population? No. Hubei’s population is 4.5 times Zhengzhou’s (2022 data), yet Zhengzhou’s hot dry noodle shops far outnumber Hubei’s. So, what makes Zhengzhou’s version so appealing?

Unlike Hubei, Zhengzhou’s hot dry noodles aren’t breakfast but lunch. They’re also less "dry"—locals prefer broth, adding a ladle of braised sauce and tofu skin, with thinner noodles for a more delicate taste.

Zhengzhou-style hot dry noodles cater to local palates.

Big plate chicken shops are also abundant in Zhengzhou, with some joking that locals eat in a day what Xinjiang folks consume in a month. The dish has been adapted too: Xinjiang’s "laghman" noodles are called "braised noodles," and some shops replace potatoes with wood ear mushrooms or garlic stems, offering both spicy and five-spice versions.

Purists might balk, but these changes make sense in Zhengzhou. The open-mindedness of its people allows them to blend influences, creating flavors that are uniquely "Zhong" (central)—balanced and satisfying.

Unlike the "adapted" provincial cuisines, Zhengzhou also boasts numerous delicacies from cities within the province, with flavors almost identical to their places of origin, allowing many "Zheng drifters" to no longer feel homesick. This further enriches Zhengzhou's culinary scene.

Among Zhengzhou's foods, the most famous is likely spicy soup (Hulatang). The versions from Xihua County's Xiaoyao Town in Zhoukou and Beiwudu Town in Wuyang County, Luohe, each dominate half of Zhengzhou's market. The fiery kick of pepper energizes Zhengzhou locals for a vibrant start to their day.

Kaifeng-style "face fish," a summer exclusive in Zhengzhou.

Spicy soup is a morning staple, while that bowl of Kaifeng-style mutton soup simmers endlessly, soothing Zhengzhou's taste buds day and night. By evening, night markets offer Kaifeng-style fried jelly and Anyang-style fried sausages, slowly sizzled on iron griddles, their carb-rich aromas whetting the appetites of an entire street.

Then there are Luoyang-style fermented noodle soup and Kaifeng "face fish," once only found on street corners. A couple pushing a small tricycle through Zhengzhou's alleys epitomized the city's early migrant food entrepreneurs. Many of these once-mobile stalls have now put down roots, becoming part of the city's fabric.

Just how hardcore are Zhengzhou's carbs?

Henan is China's granary. If you take a high-speed train through Henan in summer, you'll surely witness golden wheat fields rippling in the wind outside your window.

In 2023, China's wheat output reached 134.53 million tons, with Henan alone contributing 27.5%—maintaining its lead as the nation's top wheat producer. As the capital of this wheat powerhouse, Zhengzhou's carb feasts are downright drool-worthy.

Zhengzhou's flavors start with carbs piled on carbs.

Among its many carb-loaded delights, the first to mention is stewed noodles (Huimian), with "a thousand" preparation methods—no exaggeration, as Zhengzhou's version can stew anything that flies, walks, or swims. Zhengzhou's Heji Stewed Noodles are recognized as Henan's originator, the most famous in the Central Plains, with snaking queues once a signature street scene.

Heji offers traditional flavors, but Zhengzhou has more varieties, like the curry-infused Fourth Factory Stewed Noodles (a Shanghai-inspired 1960s innovation to mask mutton's gaminess) and the refined Yufengyuan Stewed Noodles.

One bowl of stewed noodles, a microcosm of Zhengzhou's taste.

Alongside Heji, Zhengzhou's "Old Three Classics" include Cai's Steamed Dumplings and Ge's Braised Pancake. The dumplings feature chewy wrappers, thin skins, plump fillings (like locust flower, capturing Henan's spring), while the pancake is stir-fried with broth-soaked strips and fatty pork—pure carb-and-fat bliss.

Beyond the "Old Three," there's "vegetable python" (resembling Beijing's meat dragon), with chive-egg filling and paper-thin steamed wrappers, or Zhengzhou's steamed veggies—sweet potato leaves, celery, lettuce coated in wheat flour and dipped in sauce—showcasing another carb-centric style.

Vibrant steamed veggies, a Zhengzhou daily staple.

All taking root in this land of flavors.

Few mention Henan cuisine when discussing Chinese food, yet its origins trace back to the Shang Dynasty. Yi Yin, a famed prime minister and healer from Kaifeng, pioneered the "harmony of five flavors" theory, earning him the title "Sage of Cooks." Though not among the Eight Great Cuisines, Henan cuisine is called their "mother," blending influences from its role as China's crossroads and cradle of civilization.

"Balanced flavors, neither extreme" defines Henan cuisine—not too sweet, salty, spicy, or sour. This east-meets-west trait persists, and modern Zhengzhou, as Henan's hub, absorbs flavors from Kaifeng (east), Luoyang (west), Xinyang (south), and Xinxiang (north). Essentially, Zhengzhou offers the best of Henan's culinary treasures.

Yellow River braised carp, one of Henan cuisine's signature dishes.

Another unforgettable Zhengzhou delight is braised Yellow River carp. After scaling, marinating, frying, and stewing, the fish emerges golden, crispy-skinned, tender-fleshed, and richly sauced—crowned as Henan's top dish among its "Ten Famous Dishes."

Behind traditional Henan cuisine lies Zhengzhou's modern food processing industry. With the confidence of being a major grain-producing province and a millennia-old culinary heritage, modern Zhengzhou is also China's largest producer of frozen food, where brands like Sanquan and Synear dominate half of the national frozen food market. The instant noodle industry here also accounts for about 20% of the country's market share.

Potato starch noodles, a representative snack of Zhengzhou.

From a chain restaurant perspective, Zhengzhou leads the nation. National bubble tea brand Mixue Ice City, which started from a 2-square-meter shop, now boasts over 20,000 stores worldwide, with its roots in Zhengzhou. Other nationwide dining brands like Jiedeli Potato Starch Noodles, Banu Hotpot, Guoquan Food Hub, and Wangpo Prawns also hail from Zhengzhou, captivating Chinese taste buds.

Zhengzhou night markets, the extension of the city's daytime culinary delights.

Zhengzhou's cuisine, like the vast Central Plains, is understated, grand, and endlessly inclusive. To rediscover Zhengzhou, start with its food.