Tag: Dairy free chinese food

While dairy has not traditionally formed a core part of the staple diet in China, the culinary landscape is changing. This has led to an important question for those with dietary restrictions: is Chinese food typically dairy free? While much of traditional Chinese cooking avoids dairy, modern influences and regional variations mean the answer is not a simple 'yes' or 'no'.

Over 90% of the Chinese population is lactose intolerant, a major historical and genetic factor explaining why traditional Chinese food is generally not made with milk. The historical reliance on agriculture over large-scale dairy farming also shaped the cuisine, favoring ingredients like soy milk and other plant-based proteins as alternatives. This has led to a widespread misconception that no Chinese food contains dairy, though modern and regional variations do exist.