Guangzhou, a vibrant southern city with rich history and charm, is renowned worldwide for its diverse and distinctive cuisine. For foreign friends visiting Guangzhou, tasting the local native foods is undoubtedly an excellent way to deeply experience the city’s allure. Here are some delicious dishes that you shouldn’t miss when coming to Guangzhou.
1. Guangzhou Rice Noodle Rolls
Guangzhou Rice Noodle Rolls are one of the iconic business cards of Guangzhou cuisine. It originated in Guangzhou during the late Qing Dynasty. Initially, local vendors sold it on the streets. The production process of rice noodle rolls is meticulous. Grind rice into a rice milk. When steaming, spread a thin layer of rice milk in a special drawer – type steamer, and then add fillings such as shrimps, beef, barbecued pork, and vegetables according to personal taste. After steaming, the rice noodle rolls have a smooth and tender texture, with a strong rice aroma. Drizzle with special soy sauce, and it tastes moderately salty and extremely delicious. This unique food can be used as breakfast to start a energetic day, or as a snack to enjoy in your free time, allowing you to feel the local atmosphere of Guangzhou.
2. Roasted Meats
Roasted meats play an important role in Guangzhou’s food culture, with roasted goose and barbecued pork being classic representatives. For roasted goose, local black – brown geese are selected. After careful processing, it is marinated with various spices, then inflated, scalded, coated with sugar color, and finally roasted in a special oven with lychee wood. The unique aroma of lychee wood penetrates into the goose meat, making its skin crispy, meat tender, fatty but not greasy, with a golden – red color and a strong aroma. Barbecued pork uses pork as the main ingredient. After marinating with seasonings such as soy sauce, sugar, and wine, it is roasted in a special oven. Barbecued pork has tender and juicy meat, sweet and delicious taste, with a slightly crispy outer skin. Like roasted goose, it is often served with rice or sold as cooked food alone, and is deeply loved by Guangzhou people and tourists.
3. White – Cut Chicken
White – Cut Chicken is a traditional Cantonese dish that seems simple but is actually quite challenging. It uses fresh chicken as the raw material. Put the chicken into boiling water with scallions, ginger, and cooking wine for immersion cooking. The control of heat and time is crucial. It is necessary to ensure that the chicken is thoroughly cooked while maintaining a smooth and tender texture. After cooking, take out the chicken and soak it in cold water to make the chicken skin more firm and smooth. When eating, cut the chicken into small pieces and serve on a plate, accompanied by ginger – garlic sauce or sand ginger dipping sauce. White – Cut Chicken retains the original freshness of the chicken to the greatest extent. The skin is yellow and the meat is white, fat, tender, and delicious, with the original flavor. It is a common dish on the dining tables of Guangzhou people, especially suitable for foreign friends who like a light taste.
4. Tingzai Congee
Tingzai Congee originated from the boat – dwelling people in the Pearl River Delta. In the past, these boat – dwelling people cooked and sold congee on small boats, hence the name. To make Tingzai Congee, fresh fish slices, fried peanuts, deep – fried dough stick shreds, floating skin, jellyfish shreds, egg shreds, etc. are usually used as ingredients, and they are combined with carefully cooked white congee. The congee base is made from high – quality rice, slowly cooked until it is smooth and thick. When eating, the rich textures of various ingredients are intertwined with the dense congee base. The freshness of the fish slices, the crispness of the peanuts, the softness of the deep – fried dough sticks, etc., bring a multi – level taste experience. It tastes delicious, is rich in nutrition, and makes people aftertaste. It is one of the traditional congee products loved by Guangzhou people.
5. Shrimp Dumplings
Shrimp Dumplings are one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Cantonese morning tea and a classic representative of Guangzhou cuisine. Its history can be traced back to the early 20th century, invented by a villager named Wu Cun from Wufeng Village, Henan District, Guangzhou. Traditional shrimp dumplings use transparent Cheng – skin to wrap fresh and tender shrimps, paired with fillings such as pork and bamboo shoot dices, pinched into a small and delicate half – moon shape. The production of shrimp dumplings requires extremely high craftsmanship. Not only should the skin be thin and tough, but the wrapped fillings should be plump and juicy. After steaming, the outer skin of the shrimp dumplings is crystal – clear, faintly revealing the pink shrimps inside. Taking a bite, the shrimps are elastic, the fillings are fresh and fragrant, with a rich taste. It is an essential delicacy on the morning tea table and is highly favored by foreign friends.
Guangzhou’s cuisine is far more than these. Each one carries the history and culture of this city. When coming to Guangzhou, be sure to taste these native foods in person and let your taste buds immerse in the unique gastronomic charm of Guangzhou.
