Henan is a landlocked province in central China, on the middle Yellow River, that held the capitals of several dynasties. It is home to the Shaolin Temple, the Longmen Grottoes, the Shang dynasty Yin Ruins and Song dynasty Kaifeng, all linked by fast high-speed rail from Zhengzhou.
Henan (Yu) cuisine is the cooking of China's central plains, built on wheat, mutton, beef, river fish and slow braising rather than chilli heat. Zhengzhou's huimian (braised hand-pulled noodles), Kaifeng's soup-filled steamed buns and Yellow River carp, Luoyang's 24-course Water Banquet and Xinyang's tea-and-goose dishes show how the province mixes imperial-court dishes with everyday breakfast soups and flatbreads. Dishes are usually savoury, sour or mildly spicy and eaten with vinegar, garlic and freshly baked bread.
Must-try dishes
Iconic dishes that define Henan.
Huimian (烩面)
Braised, hand-pulled wide noodles in mutton broth with lamb, bean-thread and greens
Where to try: Heji Huimian and Xiaoji Sanxian Huimian, Zhengzhou
Price: ¥28-38 (~$4.2-5.7)
Guantang Bao (灌汤包)
Soup-filled steamed buns with thin pleated skins
Where to try: Di Yi Lou, Kaifeng
Price: ¥28-45 (~$4.2-6.7)
Luoyang Water Banquet (洛阳水席)
Twenty-four course banquet of soups and hot dishes served in sequence, headed by Peony Yan Cai
Where to try: Zhenbutong, Luoyang
Price: ¥168-388 (~$25-58) per table
Carp with fried noodles (糖醋软熘鲤鱼焙面)
Sweet-and-sour Yellow River carp with crisp fine noodles
Where to try: Henan Restaurant and Houdefu, Zhengzhou
Price: ¥78-188 (~$12-28)
Hulatang (胡辣汤)
Peppery thickened beef or lamb breakfast soup
Where to try: Fang Zhongshan, Zhengzhou
Price: ¥8-14 (~$1.2-2.1)
Daokou Roast Chicken (道口烧鸡)
Spice-braised chicken from Hua County, Anyang
Where to try: Yixingzhang, Daokou
Price: ¥60-90 (~$9-13)
Luoyang beef soup (牛肉汤)
Milky halal beef-bone soup eaten with shaobing bread
Where to try: Majesan Beef Soup, Luoyang
Price: ¥16-26 (~$2.4-3.9)
Top restaurants
Handpicked picks for the best dining experiences.
Restaurants by cuisine
Browse picks grouped by cuisine type.
Luoyang Water Banquet
Food tours & tastings in Henan
Eat your way through Henan with a guide.
Browse food experiences in HenanWe may earn a commission from bookings made through these links.
Street food
Local flavours at affordable prices.
Kaifeng peanut cake and night-market snacks
Sweet peanut cake, roast mutton skewers, fried sweet potato and pancake rolls
Price: ¥5-25 (~$0.75-3.7)
Donkey-meat flatbread (驴肉火烧)
Cold-braised donkey meat in a crisp baked flatbread
Price: ¥12-20 (~$1.8-3)
Shengjianbao (生煎包)
Pan-fried buns with a crisp base, often eaten with hulatang
Price: ¥8-12 (~$1.2-1.8)
Youtiao and tofu pudding (油条豆腐脑)
Fried dough sticks with savoury tofu pudding
Price: ¥3-8 (~$0.45-1.2)
Food markets
Where locals shop and graze.
Kaifeng Gulou Night Market (鼓楼夜市)
Kaifeng's biggest night food market around Gulou Square
Hours: 5:00 PM-1:00 AM
Zhengzhou City God Temple Snack Street (城隍庙)
Temple-market food stalls in the old city
Hours: 10:00 AM-9:30 PM
Luoyang Old Street (洛阳老街)
Pedestrian street with local snacks
Hours: 9:00 AM-10:30 PM
Dining etiquette & tips
Navigate the local food scene confidently.
Type the Chinese name into Amap (高德地图) or Baidu Maps (百度地图); Google Maps is unreliable in China.
Most local places accept only WeChat Pay or Alipay; Alipay's tourist version links foreign Visa and Mastercard.
Breakfast soups and beef-soup shops often close or sell out by early afternoon, so eat there early.
Menus are frequently Chinese-only; use the Google Translate camera mode or a downloaded offline pack, and point to photos.
Henan meals are wheat-based; say 'bu yao la' (不要辣) for no chilli.
At Water Banquet restaurants order by the set for 2-4 people rather than by single dishes.
- Vegetarian
- Limited but possible; Shaolin Temple vegetarian meals and Buddhist restaurants in Dengfeng serve tofu and mushrooms. Say 'wo chi su' (我吃素) and ask for no meat stock.
- Halal
- Widely available; halal beef and mutton restaurants (清真) are common in Zhengzhou, Kaifeng and Luoyang Old Town.
- Gluten free
- Difficult; wheat noodles, dumplings and bread dominate. Rice and plain stir-fried vegetables are the safest options.
Food budget guide
What to expect at different price points.
| Level | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | ¥40-70 (~$6-10.4) per day eating street food, huimian and breakfast soups | Street food, local eateries, and simple restaurants. |
| Mid-range | $15-40/meal | Sit-down restaurants with good service and varied menus. |
| Upscale | $40+/meal | Fine dining, international cuisine, and premium experiences. |