Cantonese Cuisine

Cantonese cuisine originates from Guangdong, the southeastern province of China. The region’s warm tropical climate, fertile agricultural lands, proximity to the coastline and imported ingredients, influenced the evolution of Cantonese cuisine. A wide variety of fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs, such as ginger, garlic and scallions are used to prepare Cantonese cuisine. The cooking style focuses on preserving natural colors, crispy textures, and subtle flavors. Cantonese cuisine is a sophisticated cuisine, emphasizing high-quality ingredients, advanced culinary techniques and an elaborate presentation.

Cantonese cuisine originates from Guangdong, the southeastern province of China. Guangzhou is the capital city of Guangdong, located on the Pearl River. The Port of Guangzhou serves as a major trading hub, since many centuries, between China and the West. The region’s warm tropical climate, fertile agricultural lands, proximity to the coastline and imported ingredients from other countries, influenced the evolution of Cantonese cuisine. A wide variety of fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs, such as ginger, garlic and scallions are used to prepare Cantonese cuisine. Cantonese cooking techniques prioritize simple steaming, light stir-frying and slow braising that preserve the flavors, textures and freshness of all ingredients. Cantonese cuisine is a sophisticated cuisine, emphasizing high-quality ingredients, advanced culinary techniques and an elaborate presentation.

Cantonese Specialties

Cantonese cuisine is refined, diverse and flavorful. The Cantonese cooking style focuses on natural colors, tender and crispy textures, subtle and mild flavors. A variety of fresh seafood, prepared with a light seasoning, is a constituent part of Cantonese cuisine. Cantonese seafood specialties include steamed fish, salt and pepper shrimp, steamed scallops, seafood congee and dim sum. The steamed whole fish, seasoned with soy sauce, is topped with fresh ginger and scallions, and drizzled with hot oil. The shell-on shrimp or shell-off shrimp is deep-fried and flavored with salt and pepper. Fresh scallops steamed with ginger and garlic have a sublime flavor. Our preferred seafood congee, a flavorful rice porridge, is prepared with crabmeat, shrimp, julienned ginger and aromatic herbs. Dim Sums are traditional small dishes steamed in bamboo steamers. Delicate dumplings are stuffed with a combination of fillings, comprising seafood, meat and vegetables.

Cantonese cuisine features an assortment of savory soups, full-flavored casseroles, bean curd dishes and sweet desserts. Bean curd skin stuffed with different fillings is either steamed or deep-fried. The braised bean curd in silky abalone sauce, has a delicate texture and an exceptionally delicious flavor. The abalone sauce is made with an abalone extract combined with other seasonings, resulting in a distinct umami-rich flavor.

A variety of Cantonese desserts includes sweet soups, glutinous rice balls, steamed puddings, fried sesame balls and sweet pastries. Egg tarts are small pastries filled with creamy custard. The glutinous rice balls, deep-fried or steamed in soup, have red bean or black sesame fillings. A sweet pastry with a durian filling is a unique and flavorful delicacy. Cantonese cuisine, refreshing and full-flavored, utilizes a perfect combination of fresh ingredients, simple cooking techniques and light seasoning.