Strategically located at the transitional area between the Inner Mongolia Plateau and the Northern China Plain, Chengde fostered a unique culinary culture due to the abundance of diverse agriculture production and game.

After the construction of the Mountain Resort by Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dyanasty, the royal family came here every year and brought many other styles of cuisines to Chengde, which made the local cooking improved and developed to a higher standard. Gradually Chengde has formed its own cuisine with famous dishes like chicken wrapped by lotus leaves, Pingquan frozen rabbit, black dragon and turtle, spiced deer meat, fried pheasant and game hotpot.

The local snacks include Donkey Rolling Rolls, crisp cake, eight-treasure rice pudding, bean-starch jelly, haw sheets, nansha cake, and Shaomai (steamed dumpling with the dough gathered at the top), etc.

Nowadays, there are more than 2000 restaurants in Chengde, which serve all kinds of cuisines to meet the tourists' demand.