Cantonese cuisine in Guangzhou: the most authentic Cantonese dishes and photos
Cantonese cuisine is one of the most famous cuisines in China. It refers to Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macau.
How did Cantonese cuisine become so famous? Most of the immigrants who moved to other countries were from Guangdong province. And a lot of international guests of Hong Kong and Macau fell in love with this cuisine and brought the recipes home. Nowadays, mostly all Chinese restaurants in Europe offer Cantonese cuisine.
Is Cantonese food spicy?
Traditional Cantonese cuisine has nothing in common with a spicy flavour. The most common ingredients are vinegar, rice wine, salt, sugar, soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Pepper is used sparingly, so for lovers of spicy food Cantonese cuisine might be a bit tasteless.
There are many cooking methods in Cantonese cuisine, however, steaming and stir frying are preferred which corresponds to the Chinese culinary philosophy of preserving fresh food and taste.
Special attention should be paid to Cantonese morning tea or zaocha. It is a beautiful tradition that usually lasts for longer that just in the morning. The restaurants that serve morning tea offer a great choice of dainty snacks starting from vegetable salads and ending with jelly and buns. After you sat at a table you will be offered several kinds of tea to choose from: puer tea (is good in winter), flower tea (is good in summer), tieguanyin (good at any weather) and oolong tea. Then it's time to choose dim sum. Dim sum is a small bite-sized portions of food that are served at Cantonese morning tea. There are more than 2 thousand kinds of dim sum. Mostly all of them are steamed, so the stomach will not be overloaded.
Shrimp dumplings 虾饺皇
Shrimps with a bit of broth in a transparent dough.
Red rice rolls 红米肠
Finely chopped scallops, sausage, mushrooms and spices are mixed and wrapped in a sticky rice pancake.
Pan Fried Turnip Cake 萝卜糕
Fried cakes with turnip or radish is better to eat hot with a sauce.
Liushabao buns 流沙包 or very similar to them - egg custard buns 奶黄包
These are sweet yellow and white buns with an egg custard inside. It is a perfect dessert for everyone who has a sweet tooth.
Walnut bun 核桃包
Delicate buns with cream and walnuts inside.
Egg tart 蛋挞 and Portuguese egg tart 葡式蛋挞
Only in Cantonese cuisine there is a clear difference between these two kinds of egg tart. The second one has the origin in the colonial past of Macau. It’s made of a puff pastry case filled with custard with a crème brûlée–alike consistency, caramelized on top. The name “danta” spread around China as it sounds similar to Portuguese “nata” that means “cream”.
Except for the dishes that are served with Cantonese morning tea, you should definitely try:
Yuntun noodles 云吞面
This is a broth with noodles and small dumplings made of a very thin dough. The most popular filling for the yuntun is shrimps and pork.
TingZaiZhou porridge 艇仔粥
This porridge is suitable for both vegetarians and meat lovers as you can put anything into the broth: vegetables, seafood, beef, chicken, etc.
Shunde Porridge Hotpot 顺德粥底火锅
No doubt, you’ve heard about Chinese hotpot - a simmering pot with a soup stock at a dining table with raw ingredients placed into it. Shunde porridge hot pot is a traditional dish in one of the districts of Foshan city - Shunde. The difference between a usual hot pot and this one is that they use a porridge instead of a water-based soup.
White cut chicken 白切鸡
Chicken is marinated in a special sauce and brewed with ginger and served as a cold dish. It’s a perfect dish for people who keep fit or if you just don’t want to overload your stomach.
Pork ribs in sweet and sour sauce 糖醋排骨
Pork is one of the most popular ingredients in Cantonese cuisine. The ribs are steamed in a special sweet and sour sauce.
Pineapple custard buns 菠萝包
Do not trust its name! You will not find any pineapples there! The name alludes to the rind-like pattern of the top of the bun. It consists of two layers: fluffy dough and sugary topping. This is the most Hong Kongnese breakfast you’ve ever seen. Sometimes it is served with a slice of butter.
Double skin milk 双皮奶
The dessert takes its roots in Foshan city, so coming here for furniture sourcing you should definitely try it. Double skin milk is a Cantonese traditional dessert made of milk, sugar and egg white. Its texture reminds panna-cotta dessert. It can be served hot as well as cold.
If you are going to source furniture in China with our company, you are definitely the luckiest person in the world. Foshan is located in Guangdong province ant it means that you have a great opportunity to try the most authentic Cantonese cuisine in the whole China.