Guangzhou Food
One Cantonese saying goes that anything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies is edible. Another says that the only four-legged things that Cantonese people won't eat are tables and chairs.But antonese cuisine is characterized by the use of very mild spices.
Guangdong Province in South China, with its mild, subtropical climate, grows an abundance of foods all year, including rice, fruit and vegetables.And plentiful feed for livestock means high-quality meat and poultry is in abundance.
As a result, Cantonese chefs take pride in their cooking. They use fresh ingredients every day to retain the unique flavour and texture of each dish.
No wonder that for centuries local residents have been noted for their sophisticated cuisine, and their keen interest in food.
Its recipes, first appearing in the literature of the Han, Wei, Southern and Northern Dynasties (220-589), have become famous both at home and abroad since the beginning of the 20th century.Because their food is of such superlative quality, local people consider themselves connoisseurs of both flavour and taste.
With the advantage of all delicacies from all over the country, Guangdong cuisine has gradually formed its own characteristics.Using a wide variety of ingredients, it offers food of all tastes, shapes and colours, serving different types of dishes for all seasons.Light food is provided in summer and autumn, while winter and spring see strong and mellow food.Spinach, cabbage, peppers, broccoli and dried mushrooms are widely used.
Ginger, spring onion, sugar, salt, soy sauce, rice wine, corn starch and oil are sufficient for most Cantonese cooking. Five spices (prickly ash, star aniseed, cinnamon, clove and fennel), white pepper powder and many other spices are used in Cantonese dishes, but usually very lightly.
With a long culinary history, the Cantonese are also very inventive, and happy to incorporate non-native ingredients in their cooking.
Cantonese cooking also specializes in the quick stir-frying of vegetables, which helps to retain colour, flavour and nutrients, and roasting a wide variety of meats, poultry, and seafood.
The cooking techniques include Shao (boil, then fry in oil), Bao (cooking with a special kind of boiler), gently frying in oil, soft stir-frying and steaming in clear soup.Roasted and barbecued meats are also popular at restaurants and butchers.
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