The Guangdong style of cooking is probably the most familiar to the Western palate, for many Chinese restaurants established outside China are of this type. The name for this cuisine comes from the old name for the southern city now known as Guangzhou. Features of this style are the great variety of dishes and the beauty of their presentation. The abundant fresh vegetables in the area are cooked for the shortest time possible to maintain their natural crispness. The dishes have a slight tendency to be sweet, and spices are used with moderation. Guangdong food draws on an extraordinary range of ingredients, including some dogs, cats, rats, ants, snakes and snails.

Guangdong food covers the southeastern corner of the country. Within the Guangdong food family, there is an enormous range of various local cuisine in Chaozhou, Shantou, Dongjiang, Daliang, as well as the cooking of the Hakka people.

Some of the flavorings used in Cantonese cooking are oyster sauce, shrimp paste, plum sauce, and fish extract. Some of the best-known dishes are Roast Suckling Pig, Battle Between the Dragon and the Tiger (a stew of snake and cat), Fried Milk, Salt-baked Chicken, Dog Meat Casserole, along with roast duck, chicken, goose and pork.

Teahouses in Guangzhou and Hong Kong serve as places for breakfast. Customers drink tea accompanied by the consumption of light food. A variety of boiled, baked, fried and steamed delicacies are offered for customers’ convenience.

This article by Yang Tianqing and Daniel Kister.