Xiaochi
Chinese street food sold in markets and night markets.
Xiaochi (小吃, xiǎochī, meaning "small eats") refers to a category of Chinese street food found in Chinese communities worldwide. These are hearty snacks that can be shared alongside larger dishes—similar to Spanish tapas or Levantine meze—or eaten on their own as a light meal or snack, much like the French goûter. Xiaochi are rarely made at home or listed on formal restaurant menus (though a few courses in a multi-course banquet might qualify). Instead, they are sold at market stalls or small eateries that focus on just a few items, sometimes only one. Night markets are especially famous for their xiaochi offerings, served as takeout or at tiny tables with stools.
Xiaochi are deeply local. A particular city, market, or even a single stall can become renowned for a specific dish, with the city name used as a mark of quality—for instance, "Chengdu xiaochi" in Beijing. Trends shift year to year, but staple items endure. Xiaochi often make up the fourth meal of the day, called xiaoye (宵夜), a late-evening snack or supper. Even smaller pre-made side dishes, usually eaten with alcohol or a main meal, are known as xiaocai (小菜, "small dish").
Across Chinese communities worldwide, xiaochi come in a vast and eclectic range. They are typically sold in high-traffic areas like temples, markets, and commercial centers. Mainland China’s so-called "four great xiaochi clusters" are all temple-based: the Temple to Confucius in Nanjing, Xuanmiao Temple in Suzhou, the City God Temple in Shanghai, and the Fire Temple in Changsha. Traditionally, xiaochi were eaten as light snacks between meals during temple or market visits, so they are often portable and self-contained. In modern times, dedicated xiaochi markets have emerged, such as Beijing’s Jiumen Xiaochi (九门小吃), opened in 2006, where stalls offer items like Qian’s glutinous rice cake, Wei’s cheese juice, Li’s flour tea, pouch-shaped baked wheaten cake, Yue Sheng Zhai’s stewed marinated beef, Ma’s water-boiled sheep head mutton, Bai’s jellied bean curd, Feng’s boiled beef stomach, and Chen’s boiled pork small intestines and lungs with baked cake.
Many larger towns and cities boast a wide variety of xiaochi, and some dishes are unique to one or a few places. Examples include soup-based dishes (soup noodles, rice vermicelli, wontons, tofu skin wraps, gluten wraps, tangyuan), pastries (jiaozi, baozi, mantou, xiaolongbao, fried
- field
- Street food
- known_for
- Small, substantial snacks sold in markets and night markets
- region
- Chinese populated communities worldwide
- associated_meal
- Xiaoye (宵夜; supper or midnight snack)
- related_term
- Xiaocai (小菜, 'small dish')
Lore & Background
Xiaochi occur in large and eclectic varieties throughout ethnically Chinese areas worldwide. They are most commonly served by outlets ranging from market stalls to teahouses and restaurants in areas of heavy pedestrian traffic, such as near temples and markets in commercial centres. The so-called 'four great xiaochi clusters' of mainland China are all based around temples: the Temple to Confucius in Nanjing, the Xuanmiao Temple in Suzhou, the City God Temple in Shanghai, and the Fire Temple in Changsha. Traditionally, xiaochi is consumed as a light meal or snack between meals when visiting temples and markets, and they are often self-contained and easily portable.
Reader's Guide
Xiaochi are highly local and, in some cases, one city's markets, or even one particular market or restaurant, can become famous for a particular type of food. The city will often become known for that food and the city name be used as an identifier or an attribution of quality (e.g. Chengdu xiaochi in Beijing). Specific types of xiaochi will often change from year to year with passing fads but staples persist. In more modern times, markets have been built where the xiaochi is the main attraction, such as Beijing's Jiumen Xiaochi market built in 2006. Taiwanese food critic Shu Kuo-chih describes xiaochi as 'food from a street stall, shop or even a restaurant that comes in small portions and could never be considered a "square meal" on its own.' In Taiwan, xiaochi have become an important part of the culinary culture, incorporating influences from Portuguese-style egg tarts, Middle-Eastern-derived shawarma, American steaks, Japanese udon noodles, and many mainland Chinese foods.
Did You Know?
- Xiaochi can be eaten together or with more substantial dishes like Spanish tapas or Levantine meze, or alone as a light meal or snack like the French goûter.
- The 'four great xiaochi clusters' of mainland China are all based around temples: the Temple to Confucius in Nanjing, the Xuanmiao Temple in Suzhou, the City God Temple in Shanghai, and the Fire Temple in Changsha.
- Taiwanese food critic Shu Kuo-chih said that in New York, 'hot dogs or nachos could be xiaochi.'
- Xiaochi can often form part of the fourth meal of the day, the xiaoye (宵夜; 'supper' or 'midnight snack').
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Xiaochi (小吃)?
Xiaochi is a broad category of hearty, small-format street snacks found across Chinese-speaking communities worldwide. The term literally translates to 'small eats' and covers everything from a single-item stall specialty to a shared plate of bites that accompany a bigger meal.
Where do you actually buy Xiaochi?
You'll almost never see it on a formal restaurant menu or in a home kitchen; instead, it's sold by market-stall vendors or tiny eateries that specialize in just one or a handful of items. Night markets are the most iconic setting, where dozens of stalls each offer their own signature snack.
How is Xiaochi different from tapas or meze?
The format is similar—small, shareable portions meant to be eaten alongside other dishes or as a light meal on their own—but Xiaochi is specifically tied to the Chinese street-vendor tradition rather than a restaurant table service. It's closer to the French goûter in spirit: a casual, standalone snack experience rather than a structured course.
What's the link between Xiaochi and Xiaoye (宵夜)?
Xiaoye refers to the late-night or midnight snack meal, and Xiaochi items are the go-to foods people grab during that window. A bowl of noodles, a skewer of grilled meat, or a plate of fried dough sticks at a 2 a.m. night-market stall is the classic Xiaoye moment.
How does Xiaochi differ from the related term Xiaocai (小菜)?
Xiaocai—'small dish'—tends to refer to a modest side plate that accompanies a main course, while Xiaochi is the standalone street-food snack you grab on the go. In practice the overlap is real, but Xiaochi carries the stronger association with market stalls, night markets, and the vendor's single specialty.
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