Cantonese Cuisine, also known as Yue Cuisine, is one of China’s Four Great Cuisines and Eight Great Cuisines. It includes Guangfu Cuisine (Guangzhou Cuisine), Hakka Cuisine, Shanwei Cuisine (Hailufeng Cuisine), Western Guangdong Cuisine, Chaoshan Cuisine (Chaozhou Cuisine), as well as other local culinary cultures and cooking styles in Guangdong.Shunde, Macao and Chaozhou are all designated as “Cities of Gastronomy” by UNESCO.
Guangdong’s food culture shares the same origin with the Central Plains. Immigrants from successive dynasties brought Central Plains culinary traditions, especially during the Song Dynasty, when large numbers of Central Plains people moved south to the Pearl River Delta. After the Southern Song Dynasty, the techniques and characteristics of Cantonese cuisine gradually matured, partly due to the imperial and government chefs who gathered in Guangdong, particularly Guangzhou, following the Song court’s southward relocation.After the Song and Yuan dynasties, Guangzhou became a major trading port, driving the development of the catering industry and providing fertile ground for Cantonese food to flourish.The saying “Eating in Guangzhou” emerged because the Ming and Qing dynasties marked the real maturity of Cantonese dim sum and cuisine. By then, Guangzhou was a major commercial city, with teahouses, restaurants and eateries covering busy streets, offering an extraordinary variety of food.
Guangfu Cuisine
Guangfu Cuisine covers the entire Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong and Macao. Originating from the Central Plains, it features complex and refined techniques. For example, clay pot rice and roast suckling pig evolved from the “Eight Delicacies” of the Zhou Dynasty; roast goose derived from the famous roast duck of the Song Dynasty; and Central Plains pastries evolved into distinctive Cantonese dim sum after arriving in Guangdong.It integrates regional flavors from Nanhai, Panyu, Dongguan, Shunde, Zhongshan and the Five Counties.
As the representative of Cantonese cuisine, Guangfu Cuisine absorbs strengths from various culinary traditions and uses diverse, flexible cooking methods, reflecting the characteristic of “northern dishes spreading southward”.It mainly uses stir-frying and quick-frying, supplemented by braising, pan-frying and roasting. It emphasizes “clear but not bland, fresh but not vulgar, tender but not raw, oily but not greasy”.It is known for the “Five Tastes & Textures” (aromatic, crispy, soft, rich, full-bodied) and “Six Flavors” (sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, fresh).It excels at quick stir-fries, requiring precise control of heat and oil temperature, and also incorporates Western cooking techniques, paying attention to presentation and refinement.Shunde was awarded the title of “City of Gastronomy” by UNESCO. There is a famous saying: “Eat in Guangzhou, cook in Fengcheng” (Fengcheng is another name for Daliang, Shunde).
Famous Guangfu Dishes
Poached Chicken, Roast Goose, Roast Suckling Pig, Roast Squab, Honey-Stewed Barbecued Pork, Crispy Roasted Pork, Lobster in Superior Soup, Steamed East Star Grouper, Ah-Yi Abalone, Braised Sea Cucumber with Abalone Sauce, Poached Geoduck, Salt-and-Pepper Mantis Shrimp, Garlic Ribs, Poached Shrimp, Pen Cai, Bird’s Nest with Coconut Milk and Rock Sugar, Braised Snow Frog with Papaya, Dry-Fried Beef Ho Fun, Cantonese Morning Tea, Slow-Cooked Soup, Arhat Vegetarian Stew, Guangzhou Wenchang Chicken, Clay Pot Rice, Braised Lamb Belly with Bean Curd Sticks, Braised Beef Brisket with Radish, Cantonese Roast Duck, Steamed Spare Ribs in Black Bean Sauce, Fish Head Tofu Soup, Sweet-and-Sour Pineapple Pork, Lettuce with Oyster Sauce, Chinese Flowering Cabbage with Dace and Fermented Black Beans, Baby Bok Choy in Superior Soup, Salted Choy Sum, Fish Curd, Pan-Fried Hibiscus Egg, Dinghu Shangsu (Dinghu Mountain Vegetarian Delicacy), Braised Chinese Cabbage with Bacon, Braised Eggplant with Garlic Sauce, Lord’s Chicken, Crab-Flavored Dish, Braised Pork with Taro, Braised Mixed Vegetables with Red Fermented Bean Curd, Braised Shark’s Fin with Mustard Greens, Unicorn Mandarin Fish, Braised Swimming Crab with Ginger and Scallions, Rose Soy Sauce Chicken, Beef Triple Offal, Mixed Beef Offal, Rice Noodle Rolls, Shrimp Dumplings, Pig Intestine Noodle Rolls, Wonton Noodles, Jidi Congee, Boat Congee, Lotus-Leaf-Wrapped Rice, Bowl-Shaped Shark Fin Soup, Liusha Bao (Flowing Custard Buns), Pork Trotters with Ginger and Vinegar, Glutinous Rice Chicken, Bamboo Steamed Rice Cakes, etc.
Hakka Cuisine (Dongjiang Cuisine)
Hakka Cuisine is a major branch of Cantonese cuisine, mainly popular in Meizhou, Huizhou, Heyuan, Shaoguan, Shenzhen and other areas along the Mei River, Dong River and Bei River, represented by Dongjiang Cuisine. It serves as a cultural and economic bridge in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.Originating in Hakka settlements along the Dong River, it uses a wide range of ingredients, mostly poultry and livestock, with relatively little seafood. Cooking methods focus on stewing, braising and baking, emphasizing original flavors and heat control, retaining Central Plains culinary heritage. It features tender, rich, fragrant, light and fresh tastes.
Classic Dongjiang Dishes
Yannanfei Tea Field Duck, Hakka Stuffed Tofu, Braised Pork with Mustard Greens, Salt-Baked Chicken, Chicken Stuffed in Pork Stomach, Stuffed Bitter Melon, Mustard Greens Pork Patty, Hakka Noodles, Stir-Fried Pork Intestines, Hakka Slow-Cooked Pork Soup, Four-Star Moon Viewing, Taro Dumplings, Three-Cup Duck, Dongjiang Dongpo Feast, Dongjiang River Clams, West Lake Charm, Dongjiang Crisp Balls, Eight-Treasure Stuffed Duck, Fried Carp with Egg, etc.
Shanwei Cuisine (Hailufeng Cuisine)
Shanwei Cuisine excels in seafood and integrates strengths from Guangfu, Minnan, Chaoshan and Hakka cuisines to form its own style. Known as “Da Leng” in Hong Kong, it originated in Shanwei and carries distinct Hailufeng cultural characteristics.Its eating habits are close to those of southern Fujian while influenced by Guangzhou, gradually blending both traditions. It emphasizes knife skills and presentation, and is skilled at braising, stewing, roasting, deep-frying, steaming, stir-frying and blanching. It is especially distinctive in cooking seafood, soups and sweet dishes.
Representative Dishes & Snacks
Roast Goose, Huguo Vegetable, Clear Soup Crab Balls, Oil-Poached Conch Balls, Braised Sweet Pork, Tai Chi Taro Paste, Zhelang Maw Fish, Jiazi Fish Balls, Chenzhou Oysters, Jiesheng Sea Urchin, Fisherman’s Zongzi, Tofu Cubes, Jiadong Seaweed, Chicken with Pig Intestine and Preserved Cuttlefish, Luhe Oil Tea.
A wide variety of sweet and savory snacks: sesame paste, tofu pudding, ginkgo soybean milk soup, peanut soup, three-bean soup, clam spring balls, dog hair cake, grass jelly, fish congee, shrimp congee, pork congee, sweet fermented rice, dumplings, winter solstice clam cakes, Xiaomi (tapioca dumplings), wontons, sweet balls, savory balls, pig intestine cakes, layered rice cakes, vegetable buns, bowl cakes, peach-shaped cakes, water rice cakes, oil-fried rice cakes, small tripod cakes, sweet rice cakes, steamed rice cakes, pine rice cakes, grass jelly zongzi, ox-foot zongzi, triangular zongzi, fried rice squares, bean cakes, fried dough sticks, oil dumplings, fried dough puffs, thin pancakes, mooncakes, cut pastries, bean crisps, card cakes, sesame cakes, egg rolls, fried cuttlefish cakes, oyster omelets, radish balls, beef balls, beef cakes, Jiazi fish balls, Jieshi jar congee, seafood congee, five-fruit soup, Lufeng rice noodle rolls, crystal dumplings, crystal buns, egg cakes, radish cakes, savory buns (bean sprout buns), fried taro cakes, fried squid balls, glutinous rice stir-fried with shrimp and mushrooms, bowl cakes, ginger sweet potato soup, sweet noodles, sweet balls, sweet dough strips, stir-fried rice cakes, shrimp cakes, peanut crisps, wheat pigeons, mulberry cakes and assorted pastries.
Western Guangdong Cuisine
Western Guangdong Cuisine is represented by Zhanjiang, Maoming and Yangjiang. Gaoliang Cuisine is one of its core styles, originating in ancient Gaoliang Prefecture. Zhanjiang Cuisine uses a wide range of tropical and subtropical ingredients. Tanka Cuisine (Boat People’s Cuisine) is another distinctive branch of Cantonese cuisine in Lingnan.Western Guangdong Cuisine favors boiling, blanching and steaming, served with delicate simple sauces, pursuing a return to natural simplicity. Its flavor can be summarized as clear, fresh, fragrant and tender.
Gaoliang Cuisine
With a long history, Gaoliang Cuisine emphasizes ultimate original flavors, using fresh ingredients and simple but refined preparation. It mainly uses blanching, boiling and pan-frying with minimal seasoning to bring out the natural taste of ingredients.
Top Ten Famous Gaoliang Dishes: Braised Squab with Ginger, Zhenlong Starfruit Duck, Shiwen Golden Pig, Yisheng Salt-Baked Chicken, Pan-Fried Cuttlefish Cake, Steamed Reservoir Fish Head with Sichuan Lovage and Angelica, Steamed Chicken in Water, Dianbai Fried Oysters and Eels, Poached Shuidong Mustard Greens, Zhenlong Fish Curd.Top Ten Famous Snacks: Ancient Chinese Yam Cake, Boyang Ash Water Rice Cake, Boji Cooked Rice Cake, Huazhou Sweet Soups, Chai Gun Noodles, Tapioca Rice Cake, Huazhou Mixed Beef Offal, Shiguanzui Noodles, Xiadong Bean Cakes, Gaozhou Bean Sprout Noodles.
Zhanjiang Cuisine
Its biggest feature is the use of fresh, live ingredients and preserved original flavors, embodying the lightness of Cantonese cuisine to the fullest.Representative dishes: Poached Sand Ginger Chicken, Poached Shuidong Mustard Greens, Stir-Fried Jellyfish with Bean Sprouts, Pan-Fried White Bream.Specialties: Leizhou Yellow Cattle, Anpu Raw Fish Congee, Wuchuan Crab Juice, Leizhou Big Zongzi, Xuwen Goat, Stir-Fried Rice Noodles in Wok, Sweet Potato Soup, Pig Cage Cakes, Wuchuan Hemp Duck, Anpu Chicken Rice, Tangpeng Braised Pork, Duck Rice, Mixed Noodles, Tapioca Noodles, Charcoal-Grilled Oysters, Egg Yolk Shrimp Cakes, Leaf-Wrapped Cakes, etc.
Tanka Cuisine (Boat People’s Cuisine)
A unique branch of Cantonese cuisine popular among fishing communities along the coasts and rivers of Guangdong, Fujian and Hainan. It focuses on fresh seafood — fish, shrimp and crab — with simple, rustic cooking.
Chaoshan Cuisine (Chaozhou Cuisine)
Chaoshan Cuisine is world-renowned and a pillar of Cantonese cuisine. It is known for selective ingredients, extensive sourcing, exquisite craftsmanship, integration of Chinese and Western styles, delicious fresh flavors and health emphasis. Often called China’s most high-end cuisine, it has been officially selected three times as the sole representative of Chinese food culture for World Expos. It is mainly distributed in Shantou, Chaozhou and Jieyang.
Famous Chaoshan Dishes
Fish Rice, Chaoshan Marinated Raw Seafood, Chaoshan Braised Meat Platter, Chaoshan Beef Hot Pot, Braised Pork Trotters, Braised Goose Liver, Oyster Omelet, Chaozhou Da Leng, Hibiscus Shrimp, Satay Beef, Chaoshan Beef Balls, Crystal Buns, Chicken with Bean Paste, Huguo Vegetable, Assorted Wushan Ginseng, Deep-Fried Shrimp Dates, Stir-Fried Small Clams with Basil, Pumpkin Stuffed with Taro Paste, Chaoshan Fish Balls, Puning Bean Paste Chicken, Puning Dried Tofu, Colorful Frozen Shredded Duck, Candied Taro, Braised Mustard Greens with Mushrooms, Unicorn Abalone Slices, Braised Eel Soup, Three-Color Wild Grouper, Steamed Fresh Seafood, Beef Rice Noodle Soup, Layered Pork, Rice-Free Cakes, Stir-Fried Rice Cakes, Glutinous Rice Pig Intestines, Rice Noodle Soup, Chaozhou Rice Cakes, Ginkgo Sweet Taro Paste, Crystal Balls, Sesame Dates, Shrimp Dumplings, Yan Mu Nian (Sweet Taro Balls), Braised Ginkgo Nuts, etc.
General Features of Cantonese Cuisine
The greatest strength of Cantonese cuisine is its rich and skillful use of ingredients, ranging from mountain delicacies to seafood, local produce to imported foods.It strictly follows seasonal principles: “Eat only what is in season”.For fish: “bream in spring, carp in autumn, shad in summer, and perch in winter”.For shrimp: “Qingming shrimp are the plumpest”.For vegetables: only seasonal greens are chosen, e.g., “Choy sum is sweetest when north winds blow”.Beyond peak freshness, it also emphasizes selecting the best parts of ingredients.
These careful sourcing and light, fresh tastes explain Cantonese cuisine’s worldwide popularity. It pursues clear, fresh, tender, smooth, crisp and aromatic flavors, highlighting the natural taste of ingredients.While it uses all six basic flavors (sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, fresh), it relies on small amounts of ginger, scallion and garlic as aromatics, rarely heavy spices or excessive salt and sugar. This style suits Guangdong’s climate and modern nutrition, making it a scientific food culture.
Cantonese Tea Culture & Other Specialties
Cantonese tea culture is an integral part of dining. Teahouses and restaurants serve morning, afternoon and evening tea, which becomes a social occasion for business, news and meetings. Tea is accompanied by dim sum, congee, noodles and side dishes.
Notably, Chaozhou Gongfu Tea is inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, bringing Guangdong’s total intangible cultural heritage items to five. It uses special purple-clay teapots, small white porcelain cups and oolong tea with a high leaf-to-water ratio, producing a strong, aromatic, slightly bitter brew.
Cantonese dim sum is one of China’s three great pastry styles, with a long history, brilliant colors, exquisite shapes and novel tastes.Cantonese congee is fully boiled and well-seasoned, including silky chicken congee, raw fish congee and Jidi congee.Cantonese noodles feature Shahe noodles (soft yet firm) and wonton noodles, a classic snack originating in Guangzhou.
Sweet Soups (Tangshui) are the general term for Han Chinese desserts in Guangdong, popular as after-meal treats or late-night snacks.