Dalian local cuisine is derived from Shandong cuisine, which is located in Jiaodong region and has at its heart the famous saying “living from what the land and sea can give”. Dalian is located in the north temperate zone with an annual average offshore water temperature of around 10℃, the annual average rainfall precipitation is 550-950 mm, and the salt content in the seawater is about 30‰ a fact that according to the research of aquatic scientists, marine products is ideal for the growth and success of seafood. Dalian is rich in fish, shrimp, crab, shellfish and algae and is one of the key aquatic products producers in China.
It is a great pleasure for many tourists to visit the beautiful scenery of Dalian and eat Dalian seafood. Red roasted whole shrimps, sea cucumbers with lanterns, sea cucumbers from heaven, colourful snowflake scallops, steamed scallops and purple abalone shells are all Dalian’s special seafood dishes.
Dalian’s culture is extremely inclusive and has a rich variety of food and beverage. In addition to the local old Dalian cuisine, there are Sichuan cuisine, Hunan cuisine, Guangdong cuisine, Huaiyang cuisine, Hangzhou dishes, Chaoshan cuisine, Japanese and Korean cuisine, various western foods, etc. Local snacks can best reflect the folk customs. Walking around the streets of Dalian, you will experience a blend of cultures with pancake fruit, Chinese hamburger, octopus balls, sugar-coated haws, pearl milk tea, Portuguese tart, Xinjiang mutton skewers and much else readily available. In Dalian, you can enjoy lots of Chinese snacks, but the most distinctive is Menzi which is unique to Dalian. The pudding-like taste brings the delicate flavour of garlic and soy sauce to the extreme, with the crispy shell fried on the outside, bringing fragrance in the lips and teeth.
