Guangzhou Gourmet rose to fame in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Cantonese cuisine is one of the eight Han Chinese culinary cuisines. Originating in Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), Cantonese cuisine consists of three major groups: Cantonese, Hakka, and Chaozhou cuisines. Traditional Cantonese cuisine usually refers to Cantonese or Guangzhou cuisine popular in the Pearl River Delta centering around Guangzhou, parts of western and northern Guangdong, plus Hong Kong and Macao. Cantonese-speaking regions are influenced by the Cantonese culinary culture.
Guangzhou has always retained an open tradition ever since its establishment some two thousand years ago. ZHAO Tuo – the emperor of Nanyue, joined Han central government during the reign of Emperor Wen (180–157 BC). Exchanges between Central China and Lingnan grew increasingly frequent from then on. Cooking methods and foods from Central China were introduced into the Lingnan region. They were then fused with local Lingnan culinary traditions, giving birth to Cantonese cuisine.
According to Ms. ZHU Xiaoqiu, Deputy Director of Guangzhou Museum, at the end of the Han Dynasty and later in the Southern Song Dynasty, huge swathes of aristocrats travelled southward from Central China, bringing the cooking techniques of Central China into Lingnan. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, Cantonese cuisine already emerged as an independent culinary style. The term “Nan Peng” (southern cooking) can be found in classics written in these two dynasties. Guangzhou’s night market during the Tang and Song Dynasties was located at the intersection of today’s Beijing Road. ZHANG Ji, a poet from the late Tang Dynasty captured the bustling night market: “Exotic noises packed the night market, and the busy scene lasted into twilight.” An eclectic collection of foreign delicacies could be found in the night market, setting the scene for an inclusive, all-embracing Cantonese cuisine.
ZHOU Songfang, a professor from Sun Yat-sen University found in his research that although Cantonese cuisine has a documented history of over two thousand years, it was only until the late Qing Dynasty that Guangzhou became the synonym for great food. The saying “Eat in Guangzhou” also came into being at around the same time. When Guangzhou was the only Chinese port open to the outside world, merchants from all around the world gathered in the Thirteen Hongs. People were extremely particular about food, which not only induced sophistication and refinement in Cantonese cuisine with a special focus on intricate processing, but also complemented Guangzhou’s culinary culture. Guangzhou became a trendsetter in many areas: the first modern teahouse “Sanyuan Teahouse” was founded in the Thirteen Hongs; the time-honored restaurant Guiliansheng rose to prominence because of its Manchu-Han Imperial Feast – a full formal banquet containing 108 dishes ranging from main dishes, local refreshments and seasonal fruits.
In the early Qing Dynasty, Shandong cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine and Jiangsu cuisine were hailed as the four major Chinese culinary cuisines. In the late Qing Dynasty, the rise of Zhejiang cuisine, Fujian cuisine, Hunan cuisine and Anhui cuisine contributed to the formation of eight major Chinese culinary cuisines.
Wen Garden, South Garden, Moshang and West Garden restaurants rocketed to fame during KMT’s rule (1911 – 1949). Crispy Chicken Stuffed with Minced Shrimp by Wen Garden, Boiled Sliced Snail by South Garden, Tender Fish Balls by Moshang and Dinghu Premium Vegetables by West Garden became household names across China. Guangzhou at that time was a place where diners could savor delicacies from different parts of China and different corners of the world regardless of their budget. In Shanghai, the Shanghai-style Cantonese cuisine was even awarded the title of “national dish”.
Cantonese Cuisine – A balanced presentation of food
An important component of the Lingnan Culture, Cantonese cuisine inherited the essence of Lingnan Culture. Cantonese culinary culture is the embodiment of diversity ever since it was at its fledgling stage. Cantonese cuisine (also known as Guangzhou cuisine) mainly features sophisticated dishes. In terms of preparation methods, it is best known for employing the techniques of stir-frying, stewing, frying, roasting and baking. Cantonese cuisine stresses clarity, freshness, tenderness, balminess and smoothness. In terms of flavors, it is mainly defined by naturalness, crispness, freshness and lightness. There was also a theory that food is characterized by five flavors (aromatic, soft, odorous, greasy and rich) and six tastes (sour, sweet, bitter, salty, pungent and refreshing).
Cantonese cuisine is known for its diverse, wide-ranging and sometimes eccentric choice of main ingredients. People of Southern Song did not exaggerate when they made the following statement: Cantonese people eat everything from poultry to beasts and snakes. Different types of seeds, meat and poultry have been unearthed from a Han Dynasty tomb in Guangzhou. Small animals such as blood cockles, cockles and yellow-breasted buntings have also been excavated from the same site. The Qing Dynasty Confucian scholar QU Dajun was right in saying that “Anything edible can be found in Eastern Canton, whereas food ingredients seen in Eastern Canton may not be available elsewhere in the country.”
Diversity is what distinguishes Cantonese cuisine (dim sum) from its counterparts. “Expo for Famous Dishes and Dim Sum of Guangzhou” held in 1965 featured a total number of 5,457 Cantonese dishes, showcasing awe-inspiring abundance and plentifulness.
Refinement is yet another factor contributing to the unrivaled popularity of Cantonese cuisine (dim sum). The high level of refinement in Cantonese cuisine (dim sum) has been widely praised both at home and abroad. Juicy Char Siu Bao, an ingenious reinvention of the traditional Char Siu Bao created by the deceased Cantonese dim sum master Chef CHEN Xun, has been hailed as one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Cantonese dim sum. By filling the dough disc with freshly barbequed Char Siu and placing the stuffed buns into the steamer immediately, the recipe managed to retain the juice within the steamed Char Siu Bao. If you tear a Char Siu Bao apart, the delicious gravy will instantly flow out of the bun.
Cantonese cuisine has been relentlessly seeking aesthetic perfection. Chrysanthemum-Shaped Sweet and Sour Crispy Fish is a signature dish curated by ZHUANG Weijia, former Executive Chef of White Swan Hotel. As a world-class master chef and one of the top ten chefs of Guangdong, Chef Zhuang came up with this beautifully crafted Cantonese culinary masterpiece after studying Western food presentation. Chef Zhuang used asparagus as the stem, cucumber slices as the leaves, tomato and eggplant gravy as the “mud”, and grass carp or grouper as the blooming chrysanthemum. The Canadian guests Chef Zhuang received were awestruck by the sight of Chrysanthemum-Shaped Sweet and Sour Crispy Fish, and they could barely bring themselves to stick their chopsticks into the dish.
Cantonese culinary culture also champions innovation. A new generation of Cantonese chefs injected minimalism, sustainability, culture and dialogue into Cantonese cuisine: foie gras marinated in Teoswa style, the use of Italian vinegar as an alternative to traditional white vinegar and grease, and the introduction of caviar as a side dish… These are the works of Seven, a new-school Cantonese chef who aims at reinventing contemporary Cantonese dishes with an eye for creativity and innovation, offering a refreshing gastronomic experience to diners.
Guangzhou Restaurant joined hands with renowned experts and scholars in the fields of culture, history and food to uncover classic recipes by gathering and analyzing extensive historical texts. It has developed a series of classic banquets, including Manchu-Han Imperial Feast, Five-Dynasty Feast, King of Nanyue Feast and Early 1900s Style Cantonese Banquet to interpret the cultural charisma of “Eat-in-Guangzhou”.
Globalization of Cantonese Cuisine
Guangdong boasts a unique geographic location. It is the place where the East meets the West and Northern China meets Southern China. It is also a place where inland culture greets ocean culture. Given its special location, it is only natural that Cantonese cuisine has been endowed with the historic mission of “going global”. The earliest globalization attempt of Cantonese cuisine can be traced back to 1843 when Shanghai was forced open to the rest of the world. Many Cantonese businessmen flooded into Shanghai vying for fortune and success. As a result, Cantonese restaurants sprang up like mushrooms in Shanghai. With its exquisite taste and fine presentation, Cantonese cuisine soon captivated the palate of writers, artists, local residents and expat businessmen. “Eat-in-Guangzhou” became a widely accepted idea through word of mouth. In her book How LU Xun’s Lived and Ate in Shanghai, SHI Xiaoyan pointed out that Cantonese cuisine was the most well-established culinary tradition in KMT-ruled Shanghai. Cantonese cuisine took the spotlight in newspaper food columns.
Guangzhou is home to a number of time-honored catering brands: Guangzhou Restaurant, Taotaoju, North Garden, Panxi Restaurant and Datong Restaurant… These names are the gems embedded in the history of Cantonese cuisine. Thanks to reform and opening up, the influence of Cantonese cuisine expanded into the inland from South Guangdong in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Cantonese restaurants found their way into many major Chinese cities. Going to a Cantonese restaurant became a trendy and classy activity.
04-Cantonese Gourmet Around the World
Some say wherever there is an ocean there will be Cantonese people, and wherever there are Cantonese people there will be Cantonese food. According to Stories of the Chinese Cantonese Cuisine, Lingnan culture is influenced by ocean culture precisely because Lingnan is situated at the Southeastern point of the Eurasian continent, and has a very long coastline. Ocean has long been an innate part of the Cantonese culinary system.
Chinese living overseas were among the first to bring Cantonese cuisine to the rest of the world. Stories of the Chinese Cantonese Cuisine recorded that when hardworking Cantonese migrants moved to California in the 1840s and 1850s, they opened food stalls selling dishes from their hometown to overcome homesickness and earn extra income, which inadvertently brought Cantonese cuisine into the local food scene, and Sweet and Sour Pork has become a Cantonese dish known to many Americans.
Cantonese restaurants soon became the busiest business in China Town. In 1852, The Daily Alta California wrote that “At one point, almost all restaurants in this city were run by Chinese.” A Chinese official who traveled to the U.S. in the 1860s or 1870s described the Cantonese cuisine they tried in San Francisco in his diary: “Yuanfang Restaurant served delicacies of every kind. The way they cook their dishes is no different from that in Chinese Mainland.” In 2010, the famous Cantonese food Stir Fried Rice Noodles came first in the Top 10 Recipes of 2009 published by Los Angeles Times.
In 1982, Guangzhou Municipal Government held an event to enhance exchange and cooperation on culinary culture with its sister city Fukuoka. Mr. WANG Jinjing, Leading Connoisseur of the Guangzhou Intangible Heritage Pictographic Dim Sum was assigned as the Chief Dim Sum Chef. The pictographic dim sum Mr. Wang brought with him created a local buzz. A Japanese TV station interviewed Wang and asked him how many different types of dim sum he could make. Wang’s answer stunned everyone, “I can make at least 2,000 types of dim sum, while my mentor LUO Kun can make at least 4,000.”
The early overseas success of Cantonese cuisine was more or less incidental. However, the subsequent globalization of Cantonese cuisine was driven by a strong, orchestrated initiative. As Cantonese people traveled around the world, Cantonese cuisine established a presence in different countries. “Eat-in-Guangzhou” has become the tagline of Cantonese cuisine across the globe.
Award-Winning Gourmet
White Swan Hotel participated in the National Cooking Competition for the first time at the end of 1993. A Chinese saying stated that while some skills may be difficult to assess, others can be measured through contests. By following a set of carefully designed criteria, it is possible to rank different styles of cuisine. Though a first-time contestant, White Swan Hotel won Team Gold Medal – the highest honor in the competition, with an impeccable performance. The score was determined by show booth design as well as sales. Dishes produced by White Swan Hotel were highly spoken of by food enthusiasts and connoisseurs as they were flawless in terms of presentation and taste. Ten years later, White Swan Hotel once again took part in the National Cooking Competition and took home the Team Gold Medal for a second time.
As time ticked away, Cantonese cuisine gradually gained international popularity and global recognition. Cantonese cuisine not only offers a gateway for people to understand the stories of Guangzhou, but also proves that civilizations will become richer and more colorful through exchanges and mutual learning. Cantonese cuisine will continue to boost the cultural significance of Guangzhou, adding palatable touches to the city’s identity while enabling people to keep in mind what Guangzhou is about.
Top ten Cantonese dishes: Cantonese Roast Suckling Pig, White Cut Chicken, Crispy Roast Goose, Eight Treasures Winter Melon Soup, Lobster Poached in Chicken Broth, Steamed Seafood and River Catches, Braised Baby Pigeon, Tender Fish Balls, Sweet and Sour Pork, Lo Foh Tong (Cantonese Slow-cooked Soup)
Text and Images by: Understanding Guangzhou Studio, Guangzhou Daily