Randy Chandler
While cheese is a staple in many cuisines around the world, it is notably absent from traditional Chinese food. In fact, cheese consumption in China has historically been limited to nomadic tribes living on the fringes of society. However, cheese does have a place in Chinese history, with references to cheesemaking in medieval literature and a thriving cheese industry around Shanghai in the 16th century. Today, cheese is more commonly found in the diets of ethnic minorities in remote rural communities, such as Tibetans and Inner Mongols, and in the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian, where a type of cheese called nguri or niúrǔ has been produced since at least the Ming Dynasty.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Chinese dishes with cheese | Cheese wontons, dumplings, curries, soups, pastries, and Tibetan dishes |
| Chinese cheesemaking history | Dairy was a regular part of China's medieval diet, and cheesemaking is referenced in medieval Chinese literature. There was once a thriving cheese industry around Shanghai, and cheese has been produced in the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian since at least the Ming Dynasty. Inner Mongolia was the centre of Chinese cheese production until a few decades ago. |
| Current cheese consumption in China | Cheese is not a regular part of the diet for most people in China, and dairy products are considered exotic Western ingredients. |
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What You'll Learn
- Chinese dishes with cheese are rare, but cheese wontons are one example
- Dairy was a regular part of China's medieval diet, with cheese-centred recipes including stews, steamed dishes and pastries
- In the 16th century, dumplings were stuffed with cheese, poppy seeds, scallions and spices
- In Tibetan cuisine, fresh, undried chhurpi is cooked in curries and soups or pickled with cucumber and radish
- Inner Mongolia was the centre of Chinese cheese production until a few decades ago
Chinese dishes with cheese are rare, but cheese wontons are one example
Chinese dishes with cheese are rare. While dairy was a regular part of China's medieval diet, and cheese was available across the country for centuries, it is now largely absent from Chinese cuisine. In fact, ask most people in the country, and they’ll tell you that Chinese people traditionally don’t eat cheese at all.
Cheese consumption in China was historically limited to nomadic tribes living on the fringes of society who were generally viewed as outsiders or barbarians. There was once a thriving cheese industry around the city of Shanghai, with surviving 16th-century recipes for dishes such as cheese-filled dumplings. Further south, in parts of the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian, locals have been producing a type of cheese since at least the Ming Dynasty (14th to 17th centuries). Known as nguri or, in standard Mandarin, niúrǔ, it is made from the rich, fatty milk of water buffalo, similar to Italian buffalo mozzarella.
Cheese is also widely used in Tibetan cuisine. Fresh, undried chhurpi can be cooked in curries and soups or pickled with cucumber and radish. Once dried, hard Tibetan cheese can be softened in hot soup or tea or grated into a variety of dishes, both savoury and sweet, often combined with the Tibetan staple of tsampa (roasted barley flour).
Despite the rarity of cheese in Chinese cuisine, cheese wontons do exist. However, one source states that they are "about as far removed from traditional Chinese cuisine as strawberry Pop-Tarts dipped in Mountain Dew".
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Dairy was a regular part of China's medieval diet, with cheese-centred recipes including stews, steamed dishes and pastries
Dairy was a regular part of China's medieval diet, with cheese-centred recipes including stews, steamed dishes, and pastries. Dumplings stuffed with cheese, poppy seeds, scallions, and spices were also enjoyed in the eastern Jiangsu Province (present-day Shanghai).
Cheese is widely used in Tibetan cuisine, with fresh, undried chhurpi cooked in curries and soups or pickled with cucumber and radish. Hard Tibetan cheese can be softened in hot soup or tea or grated into a variety of dishes, both savoury and sweet.
Despite this, cheese is not a common ingredient in modern Chinese cuisine. Dairy products are considered exotic Western ingredients by most Chinese people, and cheese is not typically served in traditional Chinese, Japanese, or Korean restaurants.
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In the 16th century, dumplings were stuffed with cheese, poppy seeds, scallions and spices
Cheese was a regular part of China's medieval diet, and there was once a thriving cheese industry around the city of Shanghai. However, today, cheese is not a common ingredient in Chinese cuisine. Dairy products are considered exotic Western ingredients by most Chinese people, and cheese is not eaten as part of the regular diet in the country's south and east.
There are some exceptions to this. Cheese is widely used in Tibetan cuisine, and Inner Mongolia was the centre of Chinese cheese production until a few decades ago. In addition, in parts of the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian, locals have been producing a type of cheese known as nguri or niúrǔ since at least the Ming Dynasty (14th to 17th centuries).
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In Tibetan cuisine, fresh, undried chhurpi is cooked in curries and soups or pickled with cucumber and radish
Although cheese is not a common ingredient in Chinese food, it is widely used in Tibetan cuisine. Fresh, undried chhurpi is cooked in curries and soups or pickled with cucumber and radish. Once dried, hard Tibetan cheese can be softened in hot soup or tea or grated into a variety of dishes, both savoury and sweet. It is often combined with tsampa, a Tibetan staple made from roasted barley flour.
Cheese was a regular part of China's medieval diet, and there are references to it in medieval Chinese literature. There was once a thriving cheese industry around Shanghai, with 16th-century recipes for dishes such as cheese-filled dumplings. Further south, in the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian, locals have been producing a type of cheese since at least the Ming Dynasty (14th to 17th centuries). Known as nguri or niúrǔ, it is made from the rich, fatty milk of water buffalo, similar to Italian buffalo mozzarella. However, these cheeses are now a distant memory, and people in the country's south and east do not eat cheese as part of their regular diet. Dairy products are still considered exotic Western ingredients by many Chinese people.
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Inner Mongolia was the centre of Chinese cheese production until a few decades ago
Although cheese is not a common ingredient in Chinese cuisine, there are some dishes that do contain it. Ethnic minorities in remote rural communities, such as the nomadic tribes living on the fringes of society, have a history of cheesemaking. In fact, cheese is referenced in medieval Chinese literature, and there was once a thriving cheese industry around the city of Shanghai, with 16th-century recipes for dishes such as cheese-filled dumplings. Further south, in parts of the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian, locals have been producing a type of cheese since at least the Ming Dynasty (14th to 17th centuries). Known as nguri or, in standard Mandarin, niúrǔ, it is made from the rich, fatty milk of water buffalo, similar to Italian buffalo mozzarella.
Inner Mongolia, a province in northeastern China, was the centre of Chinese cheese production until a few decades ago. The region is home to most of China's ethnic Mongols, who traditionally subsisted on dairy as nomadic herders of "the Five Snouts" (cows/yaks, horses, sheep, goats, and camels). Each family or community would make cheese from their own milk as part of their everyday food preparation. However, as China has pushed to modernise the region, encouraging people to abandon nomadic life and move to cities, an increasing portion of the cheese in Inner Mongolia is now made in small factories. Traditional cheese products are often produced for sale to Chinese tourists.
Mongolian cheesemakers do not use salt and add kefir (sour yogurt) to milk as a coagulant rather than rennet or acid, or they may simply allow the milk to sour on its own. The ancient technique of Mongolian cheese production has rarely been investigated, but it is known to follow a unique artisanal method of production, resulting in a product with high nutritional value and a long shelf life.
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Frequently asked questions
Although cheese is not a common ingredient in Chinese cuisine, there are a few dishes that do include it. In the 16th century, cheese-filled dumplings were popular in Shanghai. In the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian, a type of cheese called nguri or niúrǔ has been produced since at least the Ming Dynasty. In Tibetan cuisine, fresh, undried chhurpi is used in curries and soups, while dried, hard Tibetan cheese is grated into sweet and savoury dishes.
Cheese consumption in China was historically limited to nomadic tribes living on the fringes of society, who were generally viewed as outsiders or barbarians. Today, people in the country's south and east do not eat cheese as part of their regular diet. Dairy products are still considered exotic Western ingredients by most Chinese people.
Yes, in recent years, dairy products have become more popular in China, particularly in coffee shops that serve elaborate cappuccinos and American-style dishes like pizza and pasta.
