The cuisine is generally salty, with a prevalence of light-color sauces. The dishes feature choice of materials, adept skill in slicing and perfect cooking techniques. Shandong cuisine is representative of northern China 's cooking and its techniques has been widely absorbed by the imperial dishes of Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Shandong is the birthplace of many famous ancient scholars such as Confucius and Mencius. And much of Shandong cuisine's history is as old as Confucius himself, making it the oldest existing major cuisine in China . Shandong is a large peninsula surrounded by the sea to the East and the Yellow River meandering through the center. As a result, seafood is a major component of Shandong cuisine. People in Shandong like to eat onions and scallion and to use them as a seasoning. The dishes include braised sea cucumber with onion, cartilage stewed with onions, and meat stewed with onions. Roast meats are also served with onions.