The North was the land of millet, meat and dairy products, while in the South, rice and other water foods dominated wheat and barley.

Since frogs and snails were eaten in the South, the Northerners called the Southerners barbarians . However, Southern cuisine had a greater variety of vegetables and fruits, moreover, their cooking was more elaborate.

Since the Sui government was particularly interested in grain production, they built various graineries along the rivers which are used as security reserves.

Staple: Millet (though rice was more popular in the South)

Salt was so prominent that the government had to set up salt monopoly to earn money. However, pickling vegetables, which needed large amounts of salt, was still the favourite way to preserve vegetables.

Eastern crops were also introduced to China: sugar beet, spinach, lettuce, almond and fig.

Since the dynastic family was of part-Turkic background, foods like cream, yogurt, kumys (fermented mare's milk), cheese, curds and butter emerged into China.

Craze for tea —which was originated in Burma—was started by a Buddhist monk who introduced it to China. Soon afterwards, it became a new exotic drink in Tang Dynasty.

China’s first known cookbook and nutrition textbook appeared.