Cantonese Cuisine

Cantonese cuisine, or yut choi(粵菜), is the traditional cuisine of much of Guangdong(廣東), Hong Kong(香港), Macau(澳門), and surrounding areas. Cantonese cuisine has become well-known internationally and influenced many other cuisines. Many popular Chinese dishes in America are based on Cantonese foods. Cantonese cuisine is famous for its wide range of small dishes known as dim sum(點心).

Canton is a former name for the city Guangzhou, an important port city and trading hub at the center of the metropolitan Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area(粵港澳大灣區) surrounding the Pearl River Delta. Hong Kong and Macau are also part of the region and very wealthy.

Sticky rice cake, or nin gao(年糕), is served at Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival(春節) or lunar new year. Nin gao and other foods are traditionally offered to folk gods at shrines. Lion dance(舞獅) is a traditional dance popular among Cantonese people, often performed at lunar new year or other celebrations.

Traditional Cantonese architecture can be found throughout the Lingnan(嶺南) region, including Guangdong and surrounding areas. Structures often use brick. Common features include pillars, alleys, narrow doors, and decorative sculptures. Relief carvings are sometimes used. Upward-curving roofs are found on some temples and pagodas.

Ingredients

Rice is the major staple food of Cantonese cuisine. Sticky rice is used for some dishes. Rice is processed to make noodles such as cau ho fan(炒河粉).

Dausi(豆豉) is a sort of paste made from fermented black soybeans.

Garlic is widely used. Ginger and pepper are sometimes used. A number of sauces are used including oyster sauce(蠔油 hou yau), hoisin sauce(海鮮醬 hoi-sin zoeng), char siu sauce(叉燒醬 ca-siu zoeng), plum sauce(蘇梅醬 siun-mui zoeng), shrimp sauce(鮮蝦醬 ham-ha zoeng), sweet and sour sauce(糖醋醬 tong-cou zoeng).

Rock sugar(冰糖) is used in many Cantonese sweets.

Green leafy vegetables include mustard greens or gai choi(芥菜), choi sam(菜心), gai lan(芥蘭), and bak choi(白菜).

Winter melon(冬瓜 dung gua) is used in dishes such as soups.

Dong leaf(苳葉) is used to wrap rice dumplings. This type of leaf or related varieties are also used in Vietnam and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Pandan leaf(蘆兜葉) is also used for certain types of rice dumplings. Bamboo leaves may also be used.

White fungus(銀耳) is a type of parasitic yeast used for soups.

Many kinds of shrimp(蝦 ha) are used in Cantonese cuisine as well as various seafood like oyster(耗 hou), scallop, and cuttlefish(墨魚 mak yu). Various fish are also enjoyed. Mud carp or dace(鯪) is used to make fish balls.

Duck and pork are popular meats.

Alkaline water, or kansui(鹼水), is used in some foods like zung and mooncakes. It is also known as lye water. In the old days, ashes from hay(禾稈草) were used to make alkaline water, which was used to make ash zung(灰粽).

Dishes

• steamed rice(白飯)
• bou zai fan(煲仔飯): rice meal cooked in a clay pot
• zuk(粥): rice porridge, often topped with pork and preserved egg
• ham juk zung(咸肉粽): steamed sticky rice dumpling with salted pork and mung bean or similar filling, wrapped in bamboo leaf and steamed
• gwo zing zung(裹蒸糭 or 裹蒸): steamed sticky rice dumpling with pork, mung bean, and often additional ingredients such as salted egg yolk, mushroom, or chestnut; traditionally wrapped in dong leaf and shaped like a pyramid
• lou dau zung(蘆兜粽): sticky rice dumpling with fillings like azuki, pork, egg yolk, and spices; wrapped in pandan leaf; long and cylindrical in shape
• gan soei zung(鹼水粽): sticky rice dumpling made with alkaline water, usually with azuki or other sweet filling
• radish cake(蘿蔔糕 lobak gou): mild flavored cake made from grated radish and rice powder
• cheung fan(腸粉): sticky rice noodle roll
• chau mein(炒麵): stir-fried noodles
• lou mein(撈麵): noodles without broth, usually with vegetables and seafood or meat
• ha gau(蝦餃): shrimp dumpling
• hou yau choi sam(蠔油菜心): choy sum cooked with oyster sauce
• braised abalone
• zing hu(蒸魚): steamed fish
• ziu yim ha(椒鹽蝦): salt and pepper shrimp
• (椒鹽魷魚): salt and pepper squid
• lou mei(滷味): stewed foods
• lou seui mak yu(滷水墨魚): marinated cuttlefish with dipping sauce
• gu lou yuk(咕嚕肉): sweet and sour meat
• cha siu(叉燒): barbecue spit roasted meat, typically pork
• siu mei(燒味): barbecue roasted meat, often pork or duck
• dung gua tong(冬瓜湯): winter melon soup
• white fungus soup(銀耳湯): sweet soup with white fungus and other ingredients like jujube
• zi ma wu(芝麻糊): sweet sesame porridge
• ye zi gou(椰子糕): coconut pudding cake
• nin gou(年糕): sticky rice cake, usually sweetened with brown sugar
• fan guo(粉粿): dough dumpling or jelly cake
• tong sui(糖水): sweet soup
• mooncake(月餅): cake with chewy crust and sweet lotus paste or other filling