Flavors of China

Flavors of China > Guangdong cuisine

The capital of Guangdong province - and virtually the capital of Chinese cooking - Canton or Guangzhou is situated in a subtropical climate close to the sea. In Canton, you can expect to be served everything except the table and chair, according to a local joke. Crabs, clams, prawns, scallops, oysters and squid are grilled or sautéed and are part of many dishes. Throughout this province more beef is eaten than anywhere else in China. It is also the homeland of the lychee, of wok cookery, and of bird’s nest and shark’s fin soups. But perhaps most significantly, this is where dim sum originated, a meal made up of many varied little dishes that has become famous throughout the world. Dim sum - the name means “delights of the heart” - may include meat, poultry or seafood based dishes, steamed or fried dumplings or buns, often combining both salty and sweet. (The Cantonese favour a slightly sweet style of cooking and it is not unusual for their recipes to call for a little sugar.) Some restaurants in the region offer hundreds of varieties of dim sum dishes, presented in individual portions on little carts that are rolled by customers’ tables. Diners simply choose plate after plate from the carts… until they can’t manage another bite.

Walking around Canton you will encounter countless merchants on foot every hour of the day or night. This is not a city where the shutters are closed up as soon as soon as night falls. If you are looking for an exotic and completely different experience, see if the “wild” restaurant of Yeweixiang on Beijing Lu is still open. There you can have a taste of animals you’ve only ever seen in zoos - ones you’ve probably never envisaged as roasts or chops. Also pay a visit to the Qingping farmers’ market to experience in its riot of sights and smells all the richness of Cantonese cuisine.