The area of Tianjin began to be inhabited when the digging of the Chinese Grand Canal was completed in Sui Dynasty (581-618), and Tianjin's cuisine began to develop from then on. Tianjin's cuisine is not only a delightful combination of the traditional Chinese culinary elements, tea and alcohol, but also a showcase of local culture and people. Tianjin's culinary delights have been unique and famous around the country for hundreds of years. Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong, the fourth emperor of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) who ruled from Beijing, so admired Tianjin food that he even once awarded his yellow jacket, a symbol of honor, to his chef and appointed him a fifth class official. In Tianjin, you can see an endless array of flavors streets and restaurants, offering delicacies that captivate your senses.

Tianjin's unique snacks include fried dough twists, Erduoyan Fried Cakes (fried cakes that look like an ear), Goubuli meat stuffing buns (buns that even dogs wouldn't be interested in), thin pancakes and fried dough sticks, rice crusts, chestnuts roasted in sand with brown sugar, wonton, etc.

Nanshi (Southern City) Food Street
The food street is located in Nanshi (southern city), where the city's hustle and bustle is. An exquisite parade of palace-like classic buildings house over one hundred restaurants that offer luxury dishes, snacks and flavors of styles from all around the country.

Beitang Seafood
Tanggu District is quite famous for its seafood due to its proximity to Tianjin Port.

Fried Dough Twist (Ma Hua)
The forefathers of Gui Fa Xiang Ma Hua were two brothers, who once opened two shops on the 18th Street o South Dagu Road of Tianjin. Because their shops were on the 18th Street, their Ma Hua was also called Shi Ba Jie Ma Hua (18th Street Fired Dough Twist). Shi Ba Jie Ma Hua was a result of creative thinking. By trial and error, these two brothers put such small condiments as osmanthus, ginger and walnut into their Ma Hua. The resulting taste was unique. Ma Hua makes a perfect gift for friends.

Ear Hole Fried Cake (Er Duo Yan Zha Gao)
Er Duo Yan Zha Gao has a history of over 100 years. In Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), a man named Liu Wanchun was living on making fried cakes. His excellent techniques gradually made his cakes unique and widely accepted. Because his shop was just located at the entrance to Er Duo Yan Hu Tong (Ear Hole Lane), his cakes were given a name Er Duo Yan Zhao Gao (Ear Hole Fried Cake), and this name is still used today. Now, Er Duo Yan Zha Gao is produced with modern facilities. It is nutritious, crisp, palatable and healthy.

Steamed Stuffed Bun That Dogs Are Not Interested In (Gou Bu Li Bao Zi)
It is a regret not eating Gou Bu Li Bao Zi if you come to Tianjin. What makes it so delicious is that all steps of the processing, including the selection of materials, mixing, stirring, rubbing and rolling, involve special techniques. More than 100 years ago, there was a man named Gao Guiyou. When he was small, his father had also given him an infant name Gou Zi, which means ¡°baby dog¡±. After he grew up, he made a living on making buns with meat stuffing. His buns were very popular and his business was exceptionally good. When he was doing business, he did not even have time to talk to his customers. People joked, "Gou Zi (baby dog) sells buns and heeds nobody." People simply said "Gou Bu Li Bao Zi" to reflect this, but its literal meaning is "stuffed bun that dogs are not interested in." With the passage of time, his bun together with its name was more and more famous but people forgot Gao Guiyou's name. Historically, Gou Bu Li Bao Zi was also a favorite of Empress Dowager Cixi of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Today, it is very popular with both Chinese and foreign visitors.

Thin Pancake (Jian Bing Guo Zi) and Rice Crust (Guo Ba)
Jian Bing Guo Zi is something quite unique of Tianjin. It is rarely found in other parts of the country. When presented to customers, the thin pancake is rolled over with a fried dough stick and some tailor-made condiments inside. It is prepared on the spot on request of the buyer and then sold. Guo Ba is made with sliced pancakes put into a boiling pot of thick gravy. The contents are then taken out together with the thick gravy. Some special condiments are put in. The result is Guo Ba. Both these flavors are appetizing, nutritious and healthy. If you are drunk, Guo Ba can even help you recover.