Cantonese Cuisine

China! A civilization that has shook the entire world since the start of its existence. Thriving for 4000 years, the Chinese has influenced the world in many ways, including: ancient philosophies, inventions, culture, and of course the amazing cuisine passed down and perfected from generation to generation. China has various types of cuisines but there is one in particular that is the most popular within China and outside of China. If Chinese cuisines were the Kardashians then this particular cuisine would be the Kim. Hello everyone, my name is Kevin, welcome to Mei Wei Cafe's Rendezvous where we will be talking about the Kim Kardashian of Chinese cuisine,





                  Cantonese Food! (广东菜）

The Holy Grail of Canto cuisine, Dim Sum!

Cantonese Roast Duck, an alternative of Peking Duck

Black sesame and milk pudding!

Introduction:

Wow, where do we even begin? Cantonese food is good, Cantonese food is inescapable! If you are a beginner at Chinese food, then Cantonese cuisine is probably what you think of when Chinese food comes to mind. Because the influence that Cantonese cuisine has left is more than just an empire. I am not even Cantonese and I have to say I eat Cantonese dishes more so than any other Chinese dishes! The Psuedo-Chinese/ Westernized Chinese food that us here in America know, is mostly derived from Cantonese dishes.

Doesn't this Sweet and Sour Pork look like something you would get at PF Chang's? Oh man wait till you guys try an authentic version from South China

Cantonese cuisine is one of the biggest in China and here at Mei Wei Cafe, we will explore this empire of a cuisine. It is most definitely delicious, notorious, full of stories, and influential. Neih Hou! (Hello) there is so much to learn about this, so lets not waste any time and get started! Disclaimer! Cantonese cuisine is perhaps the largest cuisine with the largest amount of dishes and variations in the Chinese world. I know it will not be possible to cover everything there is to know about Cantonese food so please keep that in mind!


History and Geography:

To start with anything, we must start with the history. Cantonese food, also called 广东菜 (Guang Dong Cai) or 粤菜 (Yue Cai) is originated from the Guangdong province of China located in far southeast China. Guangdong and its capital, Guangzhou, are all very ancient and important places relevant to Chinese history and so much can be talked about! But we are here too talk about food, so back to the topic! The world of Cantonese food also encompasses Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzen, and other large neighboring cities.

Guangdong Province

Ancient Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province

To clear things up, Canton= Guangdong. Some early English speaking genius translated a whole bunch of Chinese cities into English. So Canton refers to Guangdong. Guangdong has always been very prosperous and praised for its cuisine. It is located at a very warm, tropical land with fertile soil and frequent rainfalls. This makes this place a haven for agriculture and cuisine. There is really an abundance of of ingredients! Located near the sea and the mountains, seafood, livestock, and poultry have been used in dishes. Fresh vegetables like leafy greens (for instance bok choy) luscious fruit trees, and rice paddies provide even more ingredients. One interesting thing about Guangzhou is that it is a port city. In fact it was one of the only port cities open to foreigners and the Western World. Most of Guangdong is also located on the Pearl River Delta which allowed for Chinese exploration. The delta and the trade port made Guangdong influenced with a Southeast Asian flavor and ingredients like mango, coconut, and sweet potato. So with years of exchange of ingredients, ideas, taste, and styles, Cantonese cuisine evolved into one of the most unique in China!

Dan Tat (Egg Tarts) is the most popular pastry in Canto cuisine. Egg tarts are actually Portuguese! Due to Portuguese trade and influence through colonization, the Dan Tat became a Canto version of this Western dessert. 

Canto Cuisine is well known for its seafood

Its hard to not have such a large cuisine culture which such lush lands

Being of the few and major port cities, Guangdong was exposed to other nations including Britain, Portugal, and Holland.

Taste:

The unique taste of Chinese cuisine really does depend on the geography. Due to the huge amount of food available and variety of ingredients, the Cantonese cuisine is reluctant to cover these flavors. So the special aspect of Cantonese food is preserving the freshness of its ingredients. Compared to other Chinese cuisines, Cantonese is more light and subtle. Chefs do not use too much spices and sauces because why do you need it when you can enjoy the fresh and natural flavors of what you have? Besides using scallions, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and light soy sauce, other spices are used conservatively and spiciness is almost absent. So for Cantonese chefs, it is not the seasoning that matters it is the effort used to magnify the natural flavor and the time used to prepare the dish. A lot of thought and passion is used to craft Cantonese dishes. Which is why live seafood and fish are displayed at Cantonese restaurants so both the customer and chef knows that the meal will be fresh. Some dishes will take hours and hours to prepare! Cantonese food, like most South Chinese cuisines, is more sweet than other Chinese cuisines in the West or North.

Dishes especially seafood and vegetables, taste subtle but it is guaranteed to taste fresh and refined!

Dishes:

Flavorful, light, beautiful, fresh, and elegant. This is usually what defines dishes of Cantonese food. Lets explore some of the most iconic dishes of Cantonese cuisine!

Soup:
South China has some really great soups, but Cantonese soups take it to the next level! Soups usually take hours and hours to make and it uses very rare and delicate ingredients. And of course the broth is usually very light and not bombed with spices and flavors. Instead you can taste every ingredient in its full potential with every spoonful.

Cantonese soups take advantage of every ingredient in the region, like this lotus root

Soups like the Bird's Nest Soup takes a lot skill to craft and rare ingredients like a Swallow's Nest... It is strange but this delicacy can be very expensive!

BBQ:
Ok, I have spent a lot of my life in Nashville TN. That said, I know my BBQ! (Nashville has killer ribs!) Sorry fellow southerners but I think Cantonese BBQ is better! Granted the two are very different in style and cooking method. Have you ever walked around Chinatown and see roasted duck, chicken, and even whole roasted pigs hanging on the window? Yeah you have found yourself a Cantonese BBQ joint. Cantonese BBQ has a distinct sweet taste and not smoky like American BBQ. It is glazed and cooked with a more soy sauce base and usually served with rice! Char siu is a very famous cut of BBQ Pork that can be eaten as it is or used as an ingredient. Peking Duck isn't the only duck around, Cantonese roasted duck (One of my favorite dishes) is more tender and juicy. So next time, don't be intimidated by that duck dangling along the window, because it is made with the hard work and passion of a chef who has been preparing it for hours.

This is exactly how Roasted Duck should be like

A typical Canto BBQ

The sweet and tasty Char Siu!

Seafood:

Cantonese people pride themselves with some of China's best seafood. Being located on one of the busiest coast, seafood from China and imported form other nations have been a form of brilliant cuisine since early times. Every kind of seafood you can think of, Guangdong has got you covered. As stated earlier, freshness is key to good Cantonese food. So frozen and preserved seafood are never used as a main dish. If you order fish or any other seafood at a Cantonese place, then know that these critters were alive and swimming 30 minutes ago!

Cantonese lobster is one of the most well-known lobster styles in Asia. Lobster is very sacred, as it literally translates to "Dragon Shrimp" 

Sweets:

One of the most distinct flavors of Cantonese cuisine is the sweetness. Southern Chinese cities are historically more prosperous and has plentiful of food. With this prosperity they have the luxury and of course the climate to grow sugar and overtime Southern Chinese cities especially Guangzhou developed a sweet tooth. With this history and influences from Europe, Southeast Asia, and Japan, Cantonese Cuisine has some of the most distinct sweet dishes in China. 

Dou Fu Fa, a soft tofu with sugar/honey syrup. It is the softest thing you will ever have with a refreshing sweet taste

Tapioca pudding or sago. This is a very light and refreshing cold dessert usually served after a meal. A perfect way to finish of a meal and cleanse the palate.

Specialties:

Ok, to be honest, Cantonese cuisine has so many amazing dishes that cannot be listed entirely here. Some specialties are Chow Fun, various stir fry dishes, and simple green vegetable dishes.

Chow fun is a Cantonese flat flour noodle stir fry 

Bok Choy and other leafy greens are often simply stir fried without messing with original appearance and taste

Stir fries like this are very common and popular with locals. Dishes like this have a sweet and sour taste.

Dim Sum:
Ok, we all know what you came for, so here we go, Dim Sum! The pride and joy of Cantonese cuisine. Dim Sum 点心 means dessert in Chinese and it could literally translate to "touch the heart". It is also called Yamcha, which means tea ceremony. This tea party is nothing like the ones in Britain, as it comes in the form of a grand banquet. For Chinese people growing up in America, especially if we have lived in a large Chinese community, Dim Sum is a great memory for us. It was a time when our family got together and had a great time eating the various little dishes of food. Some were sweet, some were savory, some were familiar, and some were bizarre. Dim Sum is not just a meal, it is so much fun and involves interaction to get the best of the meal. The meal starts with some tea usually jasmine, black, or chrysanthemum, and then old ladies with carts would come around the table shouting what they have. We would then order and then dine! This style of eating is so unique because the dishes are small appetizer size portions allows us to try many dishes! Dim Sum is the best way to taste all of Guangdong. So many dishes like Chicken feet, dumplings, egg tarts, chow fun, steamed buns, radish cake, and really there are so many dishes served!! You can really spend a lot of time at one restaurant to try everything. Wow this is a huge topic that we barely covered. I am sure in the future I will make a sole post dedicated to Dim Sum, but for now, enjoy these mouth watering pictures!

Man! Dim Sum really does touch your heart, the possibilities of dishes, flavors, and joy are endless!

Chrysanthemum tea is my personal favorite with Dim Sum. It is very light and the most refreshing of tea.

Rice Rolls are some of my favorite dishes! You never know what to expect with any dishes of Dim Sum! My advise, try everything!

Greens like this Chinese broccoli is very popular after a nice oily or meaty portion of some other dish.

You can also order from the kitchen! You are not only limited to Dim Sum carts. Stir fried clams are very popular dishes served in most Dim Sum restaurants.

One of the most shocking dishes for beginners are chicken feet! Yes it is delicious and very popular with locals.

Niu za gua, beef entrails with radish. Whether you like it or not, this is a staple of Dim Sum.

Reputation:

So now we get to the controversial topic... There are a lot of jokes the Chinese people would make about people from Guangdong. "People from Guangdong will eat anything that swims, except for submarines. They will eat anything that flies except for airplanes, and they will eat anything with four legs except for a table!" While this is of course a joke, and a stereotype, Cantonese cuisine has such a wide selection of ingredients that they have a bad reputation of using very controversial ingredients. Bird's nest, shark fin, snakes, and crocodiles are only just the beginning. The Cantonese people are very passionate of cuisine, and due to this passion and superstitions (chicken leg make you run faster!) Cantonese cuisine is said to contain very strange and sometimes illegal dishes like various insects and monkey brain! So I want to make one thing clear, do not stereotype! This is not the case for a lot of people from Guangdong and people enjoying Cantonese cuisine. A lot of people from Guangdong and surrounding areas still think that this is shocking and is only done by a small minority. And do not be scared when trying Cantonese food, because rest assured, that is real beef. Here is another joke, "There was an alien that has reached China and was approached by 3 people, one from Beijing, one from Shanghai, and one from Guangzhou. The Beijinger wants to study the alien for the sake of science and research. The Shanghainese wants to do business with the alien for riches. And the lad from Guangzhou wants to eat the alien..."

I mean... try everything but don't force yourself! A lot of locals do not even eat these bizarre things. 

Influence:


Like Kim Kardashian, Cantonese cuisine has left its impact in this world. It is China's most influential cuisine. Cantonese is one of China's oldest language and cultures. Throughout Chinese history Cantonese has always been very influential, and when it comes to cuisine, it is top notch. People in China travel to Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, and Shenzen just to dine on one of China's most defined and refined cuisines. Cantonese cuisine is so influential that when people outside of China think of Chinese food, they will probably think about Cantonese food. Remember how Guangzhou was a port city? This also meant immigration. Cantonese people were one of the first Chinese people to migrate to the rest of the world. During the railroad era and the Gold Rush, Cantonese workers were sent to work in America. And thankfully they brought their cuisine with them. So the first Chinese food encountered by foreigners were Cantonese. And even today, the Americanized dishes in Panda Express are based off of original Cantonese dishes.

Fan of Lo Mein? Meet its originator, Cantonese Chow Mein. It is much more subtle in flavor, uses fresh ingredients, and much more easy on the fat and seasonings!

Closing Thoughts:

Wow! I cannot believe we just traveled throughout China and through history and learned about the beautiful and flavorful Cantonese cuisine. Once again there will be so much more to indulge in, and perhaps we will Rendezvous in Guangdong again. So if I missed anything please let me know! Also please leave any comment, concern, or question about anything we have covered now or later. Do you have any Canto dishes and restaurants you like? Let us know! And most importantly, please let me know where you would like to visit next. Your contribution and opinion really does matter. The world is full of beautiful flavor, mei wei, and we never know what deliciousness we will stumble upon. So take a chance and try new things and educate yourself on food that you are not familiar with. See you guys next time in Rendezvous.

Contact me at:
meiweicafe@gmail.com