Cuisine
Society
How Peking duck went from imperial Beijing to Singapore’s kopitiams
Once a delicacy savoured at imperial banquets, Peking duck has shed its exclusivity and reinvented itself for the masses — evolving in style, price and ritual as it finds an unexpected new home in the heartlands. Lianhe Zaobao lifestyle correspondent Tang Ai Wei finds out more.
Tang Ai Wei
15 May 2026
Economy
How caviar became China’s most unexpected success story
China’s culinary tradition prized technique over luxury ingredients. Now, rising affluence and innovation are changing that — turning caviar and other premium foods into symbols of status and engines of growth. Economist Li Jingkui looks at how high-end ingredients can play a part in boosting the economy.
Li Jingkui
29 Apr 2026
Culture
Inside a traditional Sichuan family restaurant [Eye on Sichuan series]
While Sichuan cuisine has always been one of the more well-known cuisines in China, in recent times, fad foods like Zibo barbecue have taken some of the attention away. But one homestyle restaurant in Shanghai seeks to preserve the traditional tastes of Sichuan. As Shanghai-based writer Kyle Muntz finds out, Sichuan cuisine is less about the spice and more about the freshness of ingredients.
Kyle Muntz
02 Jun 2025
Society
[Video] Pastel: A Brazilian street snack with surprising Cantonese origins
As China’s influence in Latin America grows, more Chinese companies and individuals in search of new opportunities are moving halfway across the globe to this diverse region with huge markets. In Brazil, some Chinese immigrants have opened stalls selling pastel, a street snack that fuses Cantonese and Brazilian flavours. Lianhe Zaobao China news correspondent Lim Zhan Ting takes a closer look at the popular snack, which has provided countless Chinese immigrants with both a livelihood and a sense of belonging.
Lim Zhan Ting
12 Feb 2025
Culture
Jiangnan cuisine: How the ancient literati wrote about it [Eye on JiangZheHu series]
Jiangnan cuisine shot to literary prominence in the 11th and 12th centuries when Song dynasty elites moved from the capital of Bianliang to Lin’an, today’s Hangzhou. Since then, Jiangnan cuisine has captivated many literati epicures including Qing dynasty poet, Yuan Mei. Academic and food writer Thomas DuBois explores the gastronomical charm of that era.
Thomas DuBois
24 Jan 2025
Culture
Cultural historian: Worth the train ride to Flushing, Queens for tasty jujube pastry
Never did cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai think that he would find the most authentic and delicious jujube pastry of his dreams in Flushing, Queens of New York City. How the suburb has changed in the last 40 years, transforming into somewhat of a Chinese food haven.
Cheng Pei-kai
09 Sep 2022
Culture
Snazzy mod-British cuisine to go with Shakespeare and Tang Xianzu
Contrary to stereotypical pronouncements of British cuisine as unappetising and boring, modern British fare is often delicious, featuring seasonal produce cooked to perfection, finds cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai. On a starry night, these dishes make a good accompaniment to chats on Shakespeare and Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu.
Cheng Pei-kai
31 Dec 2021
Society
Chinese economics professor: What to do when you have a stinky neighbour
A family stroll down a food alley has Chinese economist Li Jingkui teaching the Coase theorem while holding his breath and fleeing a luosifen stall and its pungent smells. If rights of stallholders are defined and transaction costs are low, then the optimal value of resources in society will be realised. That is, either the luosifen moves away under some compensation from his neighbour or it stays put and his neighbours cope with the negative externalities this presents.
Caixin Global, Li Jingkui
12 Nov 2021
Society
Chinese economics professor: If you like salty and spicy food, your ancestors might have been poorer folk
The Big Mac index as an informal gauge of the economic standards and consumption capacities of countries is well known. But actually, there's also the pickle index, the lipstick index, and the ultimate indicator from everyday life - the regional food flavours index. What do the saltier, bold-flavoured food in regions like Hunan, Jiangxi and Shandong, and the clean, light flavours of Jiangsu say about the relative states of their regional economies?
Caixin Global, Li Jingkui
08 Oct 2021