Cantonese cuisine, one of the four major cuisines and eight major cuisines of the Han Chinese. Cantonese cuisine in the narrow sense refers to Cantonese cuisine (that is, Guangzhou Fu cuisine), and broadly includes Chaozhou cuisine ( Thaoshan cuisine ) and Dongjiang cuisine (also known as Hakka cuisine ). Cantonese cuisine originates from the Central Plains and inherits the Central Plains diet style of “don’t tire of eating fine, not tired of fine food “advocated by Confucius. Therefore, Cantonese cuisine is more complicated and delicate. For example, the clay pot rice and roast suckling pig in Cantonese cuisine originated from Zhou. Generation’s ” Eight Zhen” cuisine.
Cantonese cuisine includes the Pearl River Delta and Shaoguan, Zhanjiang, and other places. It has the characteristics of clear, fresh, refreshing, tender, and smooth. It is good at “five nourishments” and “six flavors”. It is good at small stir-fry and requires mastery of heat and oil temperature. Just right. It is also compatible with many western dishes, paying attention to the momentum and grade of the dishes. Cantonese cuisine is representative of Cantonese cuisine. Since ancient times, it has the reputations of “Eat in Guangzhou, cookout of Fengcheng (Shunde)”, “Eat in Guangzhou, taste in Xiguan”, Shunde has been awarded by UNESCO The title of “Gourmet Capital” of the world.
Chaozhou cuisine originated in the Chaoshan area of Guangdong. Chaozhou cuisine is the backbone of Cantonese cuisine and the representative of Cantonese cuisine. There is also a saying that “food is in Guangzhou and Chaozhou is tasted “.Won the Group Gold Medal in the Fifth National Cooking Technology Competition in 2004, Representing Cantonese cuisine in the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, and representing Chinese cuisine in the Yeosu World Expo in Korea in 2012. Chaozhou was selected as the “Most Chinese Food City Recommended by Global Netizens” by China Radio International in 2014.
Guangdong Hakka cuisine is mainly popular in Meizhou, Huizhou, Heyuan, Shaoguan, Shenzhen, and other places, including the Meijiang, Dongjiang, and Beijiang basins. Hakka cuisine can be subdivided into “mountain system”, “water system”, and “individual cuisine”. The “Hakka cuisine” of the mountain series is distributed in Meizhou and other places, while the water series refers to the “Dongjiang cuisine”. Meizhou is the hometown of Hakka cuisine, and Hakka cuisine is represented by Dongjiang cuisine. The dishes are mostly meat, few aquatic products, prominent main ingredients, strong flavor, heavy oil, salty flavor, and casserole dishes. Known well, the rustic flavor is strong.
Development History
The Cantonese cuisine in Cantonese cuisine combines the characteristics of local flavors such as Shunde, Nanhai, Panyu, Dongguan, Xiangshan, Siyi, Bao’an, and other provincial cuisines such as Beijing, Su, Huai, and Hangzhou, as well as the advantages of Western cuisine. . Cantonese cuisine draws on the best of hundreds of families, uses a wide range of ingredients, selects rare ingredients, and exquisite ingredients. It is good at innovating in imitation and cooked according to the preferences of diners. The cooking skills are varied and fickle, and the materials used are strange and wide-ranging. In cooking, it is mainly fried and fried, and both braised, fried, and roasted. It is clear but not light, fresh but not vulgar, tender but not raw, oily but not greasy. There are “five nourishments” (fragrant, loose, soft, Fat, thick), “six flavors” (sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, and fresh). Strong in season, light in summer and autumn, and rich in winter and spring.
Cantonese cuisine is the representative cuisine of China abroad. Cantonese cuisine is more complicated and sophisticated. Cantonese cuisine is a kind of culture, a kind of atmosphere, a kind of exaggeration, a kind of harmony, a kind of folk custom, a kind of color, and a manifestation of health standards.
Origin
Cantonese cuisine has a long history, originated from the Central Plains, and its origin can be traced back to the early Han Dynasty more than two thousand years ago. After more than two thousand years of development, it has gradually matured in the late Qing Dynasty. Guangdong is particularly rich in products, and you can cook and eat them, and you can develop a fresh and vigorous eating habit. With historical changes and dynasties, immigrants from the Central Plains continued to move south, bringing with them the Central Plains food style of “not tired of cooking and eating fine”.
Over the long years, Guangdong has not only inherited the traditions of the Central Plains food culture, but also learned from foreign and all aspects of cooking essence, and then according to local tastes, hobbies, habits, continuous absorption, accumulation, improvement, and innovation, thus forming a cuisine style Variety, sophisticated cooking, high-quality and delicious food features. In the past 100 years, it has become one of the most representative and most influential food cultures in China.
Form
The formation and development of Cantonese cuisine are closely related to the geographical environment, economic conditions, and customs of Guangdong. Guangdong is located in the subtropical zone, bordering the South China Sea, with abundant rainfall, evergreen throughout the year, and rich products. Therefore, Guangdong’s diet has always been unique. As early as the Western Han Dynasty, “Huainanzi·Spirit” contains a fine and extensive selection of Cantonese cuisine, and it can be imagined that the Cantonese more than a thousand years ago were already comfortable with cooking different peculiar smells with different cooking methods. Later, the Central Plains immigrants continued to move south, bringing with them the Central Plains diet style of “not tired of eating fine, not tired of fine food”. Over the long years, Guangdong has not only inherited the traditions of the Central Plains food culture, but also learned from foreign and all aspects of cooking essence, and then according to local tastes, hobbies, habits, continuous absorption, accumulation, improvement, and innovation, thus forming a cuisine style Variety, sophisticated cooking, high-quality and delicious food features. In the past 100 years, it has become one of the most representative and most influential food cultures in China.
Cantonese cuisine continues to absorb the cooking skills of other places, especially the cooking skills of northern China and western cuisine, and it is flexible and adaptable and connects China and the West. Cantonese chefs adhere to the flexible and divergent thinking style of Cantonese. They have a quality, that is, they are always endlessly researching all edible things, how to make them delicious and more delicious, so as to meet people’s dietary requirements of “eating often, always new”.
Cantonese cuisine has the foundation of being inclusive of all the rivers. It is good at taking the best of each family and using it for me. The transplantation of Cantonese cuisine does not just follow the same rules. It is a combination of Guangdong’s extensive raw materials, fresh texture, and people’s taste for freshness and freshness. From the “blasting method” in the north to the “oil-soaking method”; from the “steak” of plastic cooking to the “steak” that cooks the upper plate separately, expanding the range of materials; introducing the baking method and Kyrgyzstan of western food The deep-fried method, pork chop, and beefsteak were transformed into their own cooking methods and famous dishes; the SAUCE (sauce) method of Western food was used for reference, and the sauce seasoning method of Cantonese cuisine was pioneered, all reflecting the innovation of Cantonese cuisine.
Cantonese chefs also dared to boldly deny the tradition and constantly filter and screen. For example, in the cooking theory of Cantonese cuisine, there is a saying that “the pig does not lose the ginger and the sheep do not lose the sauce”. It means that when cooking pork and lamb, ginger and soy sauce should not be added, otherwise the umami taste of the meat will be lost. The younger generation of Cantonese chefs bravely broke through the precepts left by their predecessors. Through continuous exploration and research, a batch of innovative dishes such as ginger gravy, braised lamb’s feet, lamb chops with XO sauce, etc. was launched into the market. Well received by consumers. In addition to the formal dishes, Guangdong snacks, dim sum is also ingenious, and around the eating habits also has it’s own unique, such as Guangdong morning tea, Chaozhou of Gongfu, these eating habits beyond the “eat” category, as Guangdong’s food culture.
Dishes introduction
Cooked chicken without makeup（白斩鸡）
White-cut chicken, also known as boiled chicken and three-flavored yellow chicken, is a Chinese specialty dish that originated in Guangdong. It is a classic Cantonese dish and is prevalent in southern cuisines, such as Cantonese cuisine, Shanghai cuisine, and Hakka cuisine (Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Guangxi). It originated in folk hotels in the Qing Dynasty. Because the chicken is cooked without any seasoning and is chopped as it is eaten, it is called “white-cut chicken.”
The poached chicken has a beautiful shape, yellow skin and white meat, and is fat, tender and delicious. It tastes extremely delicious and very tasty. The meat is white and has a buttery texture, with the aroma of scallion oil. The scallion segments are decorated with patterns and the chicken is served with minced ginger, mashed garlic and soy sauce, which preserves the freshness and original flavor of the chicken and gives it a unique flavor.
Honey BBQ Pork（蜜汁叉烧）
Friends who love food must know that Cantonese barbecued pork is a very flavorful and distinctive local delicacy. Guangdong locals love it, and foreigners who have eaten authentic Cantonese honey barbecued pork in Guangdong will never forget it. If you want to learn how to make it, as long as you have an oven at home, you can also make honey barbecued pork with a similar taste!
Steamed Sea Bass（清蒸海鲈鱼）
Steamed sea bass is a home-cooked dish. The main ingredients are sea bass, etc., and the taste is salty and fresh.
Braised Pigeon（红烧乳鸽）
Braised pigeon is one of the traditional dishes of Guangdong Province and belongs to the Cantonese cuisine. The main ingredients are pigeons, which are characterized by crispy skin, smooth meat, tender bones and juicy texture. Braised Shiqi pigeon in Zhongshan, Guangdong is a famous dish for state banquets.
There has always been a saying among the people that “one pigeon is better than nine chickens”. Braised pigeon is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. When eating braised pigeon, most people will not spare even the bones, because the pigeon that has been braised and then fried is so fragrant to the bone.
It is an indispensable delicacy in the banquets of Guangdong people. It is made of young and tender pigeons through many processes such as pickling, frying, and braising. Its skin is crispy, the meat is tender, and the juice is rich and delicious, which makes people unable to stop.
Cantonese roasted goose(广式烧鹅)
Guangdong’s roast goose is famous throughout the country. It is a classic barbecue dish in Guangdong and a leader in Cantonese cuisine. The main features of this dish are its golden and shiny appearance, rich flavor, crispy skin and tender meat. It is made from local free-range geese, marinated with special seasonings and then grilled.
Lobster Poached in Chicken Consommé(上汤焗龙虾)
Baked lobster in soup is a traditional dish with good color, aroma and taste, belonging to the Cantonese cuisine. This dish is made with lobster as the main ingredient and is a seafood delicacy made with soup.
The meat of this dish is white and tender, delicious, high in protein, low in fat, and rich in nutrition. It is especially suitable for nourishing consumption.
Sweet and Sour Pork(糖醋咕噜肉)
Sweet and Sour Pork is a traditional Guangdong dish that originated in the Qing Dynasty. It is widely popular for its unique sweet and sour taste and crispy texture. This dish is mainly made of pork and sweet and sour sauce. It is golden in color, crispy, slightly spicy, and slightly sweet and sour. Its name “Sweet and Sour Pork” comes from the “gurgling” sound made by diners when they taste it. In Guangzhou, many foreign friends are not used to eating sweet and sour spare ribs with bones, so Guangdong chefs make large meatballs with lean meat after deboning, fry them and coat them with sweet and sour sauce, making it a favorite choice for Chinese and foreign guests.
