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Best Xiaochi in Toronto

“Food from a street stall that comes in small portions and could never be considered a 'square meal' on its own.”

Xiaochi

What the real thing tastes like

Xiaochi (Chinese: 小吃; pinyin: xiǎochī; lit. 'small eats') is a category of Chinese street food commonly found in Chinese populated communities around the world. Xiaochi are substantial snacks, which can be eaten together or with more substantial dishes like the Spanish tapas or Levantine meze, or alone as a light meal or snack like the French goûter. Xiaochi are not typically cooked in homes nor are they featured prominently on the menus of more formal restaurants (although a few courses of a multi-course banquet might be xiaochi). Instead, they are street food sold in markets at special stalls or small restaurants that specialize in a few or even just one xiaochi. Night markets are especially known for their specialty xiaochi food items. Here, xiaochi are either served as carry-out or sometimes at small tables with stools for seating. 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 neve

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Xiaochi—literally 'small eats'—are the street food backbone of Chinese food culture, substantial enough to eat alone or pair with other dishes, yet too modest ever to appear on a formal restaurant menu. You find them in night markets and specialized stalls, served in small portions at folding tables or wrapped for carry-out, each city fiercely proud of its own signature versions. They shift with the seasons and whims, though certain classics endure, and they're as much about the particular stall that perfected them as about what's actually inside.

Order it here when it has

  • highly local and regionally distinctive
  • versatile—eaten alone or with other dishes
  • persistent staples alongside seasonal variety

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