Why Does Northeast China Boast the Most Extravagant Carb Universe?

Giving up carbs? Northeasterners say, impossible, truly impossible.

While Northeastern cuisine is famed for its generous portions and hearty meat dishes, it also hides the most extravagant carb universe—the nation's most fragrant rice, transformed by Northeastern hands into countless delights. The streets and alleys conceal a kingdom of rice-based treats: deep-fried cakes with a crispy "tiger skin" exterior, tender and fragrant "guo chu liu," and richly aromatic perilla leaf cakes and glutinous rice cakes, each one sweet, soft, and chewy.

The variety of wheat-based foods here is no less impressive than in any major wheat-producing region. Northeastern children's steamers regularly yield an array of delights: towering piles of sauerkraut dumplings, leek pockets, and sugar-stuffed buns, each with thin wrappers and generous fillings, larger than a hand. Mothers skillfully bake all kinds of fluffy, sweet flatbreads, perfect for eating alone or "rolling up" with other ingredients—true all-rounders. Snubbing store-bought noodles, they keep their kitchens busy year-round, crafting chewy hand-pulled noodles paired with rich, locally inspired sauces, leaving diners stuffed to the brim.

In the icy, snow-covered world, delicious carbs serve as the engine of Northeasterners' warmth. With skillful hands, they fuel their lives with hearty meals—rice, wheat, and grains on the table, ready to dig in!

The carb paradise of morning markets.

Another winter arrives, and as cold air lingers, the steamed, fried, pan-seared, and boiled carbs at morning markets exude irresistible allure. The mingled aromas of rice and wheat weave an intoxicating spell, strong enough to make even the most dedicated dieters surrender to "carb dizziness."

Blessed with fertile land, Northeasterners grow the finest japonica rice—glossy, plump, and sweet when steamed, especially the seasonal Wuchang rice, which can be devoured plain. Grateful for this silky delight, they craft an array of chewy rice treats, letting the fragrance of rice dance on their tongues in myriad forms.

Take the most sinful calorie bomb of the morning market: the deep-fried cake, whose aroma spreads for hundreds of meters. Fresh from the oil, these fist-sized golden delights boast a crispy shell contrasting with a sweet, sticky interior, the smooth red bean paste melting on the tongue—pure bliss. Or the "guo chu liu," where cooks pour rice batter along the pan's edge, creating snow-white little cakes loved by all—crispy and porous outside, bursting with rich rice flavor, so addictive you’ll polish off half a bag without noticing.

Then there are the plump "babies" neatly arranged in steamers—perilla leaf cakes, their rice fragrance laced with herbal notes, and Korean-style glutinous rice cakes, pounded by hand and dusted with soybean powder, turning golden and utterly adorable.

Though the Northeast is a major rice producer, a breakfast trip to the morning market reveals locals' mastery of wheat-based treats. Rooted in this land, Northeasterners haven’t forgotten the culinary traditions brought by Shandong migrants—steamers stacked taller than a person hold giant carb monsters with thin wrappers and hefty fillings. Take the vegetable dumplings: plump and round, each packed with half a pound of filling, a single one enough to fill you up. Sauerkraut filling is the classic, but some prefer the simplicity of zucchini or celery. Then there are the sugar-stuffed buns, shaped like oversized starfruit, bursting with syrup and walnut bits—true sugar bombs.

Beyond steaming, pan-frying is another breakfast staple. Freshly made leek pockets sport golden, crispy shells but stay tender and juicy inside, the aroma of leeks and eggs lingering. Beef-stuffed pastries are a symphony of carbs and meat. For Northeasterners, flatbreads pair with everything—sugar-filled ones are kids' favorites, perfect with rice porridge, while delicate "jin bing" (springy pancakes) are adults' go-to, versatile enough to wrap anything.

Students flock to egg burger stalls, a "Northeastern-style hamburger" adults don’t get but kids adore. Street-corner king "kao leng mian" (grilled cold noodles) lures youngsters to spend their pocket money on a "supreme" bowl loaded with sausage and egg. Meanwhile, adults stock up on winter essentials—frozen tofu and glass noodles, perfect for stews. After shopping, they sit down for a couple of "da guo zi" (fried dough sticks) with tofu pudding, recharging energy... The Northeast, humble yet abundant, satisfies all with its carb variety.

In the -30°C snowy haze, plump dumplings and golden fried cakes make the morning market the heart of the Northeastern carb universe.

"How can Northeasterners eat more after a carb-heavy breakfast?" Outsiders who ask this clearly underestimate their love for carbs.

After a morning market where "five bucks fill you, ten bucks treat you," many finally crave a bowl of sweet, sticky Northeastern rice—only to realize, at a friend’s home for lunch, that rice is often absent from the table. With so many options, who needs it?

Northeasterners' carb feast lasts all day. Lunch might feature corn: freshly boiled "sticky corn" melts in the mouth, no chewing needed. In winter, home corn stockpiles are priceless—a few ears with steamed buns make a full meal. Ground corn flour shines too, like in "suan tang zi," a fermented corn noodle dish only locals truly appreciate. Even stews often skip rice, paired instead with cornmeal pancakes dipped in broth—so fragrant it’s intoxicating.

Even with modern abundance, coarse grains hold a sacred place in Northeastern cuisine, especially for elders who cherish their natural goodness. When "da cha zi" (broken corn porridge) simmers, grandparents urge kids to have seconds: "This is super healthy, you can’t get it outside!" At porridge shops, millet, red bean, black rice, or quinoa porridge outsells plain rice. And in summer, nothing beats chilled sorghum rice—cool and refreshing.

And let’s not forget wheat! Every winter, households stock up, carrying bags of both rice and flour—neither can be neglected. Beyond holiday dumplings, wheat plays a starring role. Northeastern moms scoff at store-bought noodles—why bother when hand-pulled ones are so easy? Rolled, stacked, sliced, and boiled, topped with fresh sauce, they make the perfect "guo shui da lu mian" (noodles with gravy).

A plate of egg sauce is the universal topping across the three Northeastern provinces, paired with cucumber shreds for a rich yet fresh bite. Pepper-pork or sauerkraut-pork sauces are also classics. Regional twists abound: Dalian’s bean-and-clam sauce, Dandong’s seafood sauce—each bursting with umami. Beyond gravy noodles, soup noodles are a staple too—spicy red-broth "dao xiao mian" in Jixi, or Shenyang’s clear, savory "chen mian," best paired with a side of dressed chicken carcass from the deli.

Of course, even Northeastern families have lazy days, resorting to the ultimate "slacker meal"—dough drop soup. Here, it’s not a side but the main event, with moms expertly flicking dough bits just right for flavor. Another lazy hack? The "roll-up": remember those springy pancakes from the morning market? Pair them with shredded potatoes or cold dishes wrapped in dried tofu skin, dipped in egg sauce—simple yet satisfying.

The golden and pliable spring pancake is most delicious when wrapped with vegetables.

In Northeast China, it's impossible to go hungry. Northeasterners cannot do without carbs in their three daily meals. These fragrant and varied carbohydrates give them boundless energy, forming the spirited foundation of their straightforward and hearty character, sustaining ordinary happiness amid the icy and snowy landscape.

This article is original content from [Di Dao Feng Wu].