Cantonese cuisine is one of the four major cuisines in China and is the representative cuisine of lingnan. Cantonese cuisine in the broad sense includes Cantonese cuisine, Teochew cuisine and Hakka cuisine. Cantonese cuisine in the narrow sense refers to Cantonese cuisine, commonly known as Guangzhou cuisine, which is prevalent in the Pearl River Delta region. Guangzhou cuisine has the characteristics of clear, fresh, refreshing, tender and smooth, "five zi" and "six flavors" are excellent, gold medal dishes, specialties, famous dishes are widely circulated, and new dishes emerge in an endless stream. Dr. Sun Yat-sen once proudly said: "The progress of diet is still unmatched by civilized countries. China is known internationally as the "culinary kingdom", and the Cantonese cuisine is the "crown of the culinary kingdom", and "food in Guangzhou" has always been an important business card of Guangzhou.
Cantonese cuisine originated in the Central Plains, and after more than 2,000 years of development, it has gradually matured in the late Qing Dynasty. During this period, Cantonese cuisine melted Chaozhou flavor, Dongjiang flavor, Fengcheng stir-frying, Foshan Zhuhou food, northern game and Western food fried baking method as a furnace, the dish taste is fresh, the style is unique. Foreigners call cantonese cuisine "dragon and tiger stew" is the world's first dish. In the 1930s, Liang Xian, a famous Cantonese chef, won the gold medal at the Panama International Culinary Competition, known as the "World Chef King" and "Food in Guangzhou", which was all the rage and his reputation was mapped.
The rise of Cantonese cuisine is marked by the prosperity of restaurants and the emergence of famous dishes, especially in the 1930s when Chen Jitang was the main Guangdong. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Guangzhou's prestigious restaurants included Fulaiju, Guiliansheng, Pinliansheng and other large brands. Later, there were four famous restaurants at home and abroad: Wenyuan, South Garden, Moqin, and West Garden. The tea houses include Tao Tao Ju, Hui Ru Lou, Lian Xiang Lou, etc., which are mainly distributed in the eighteen fu, in front of the Finance Hall and in the area of the Long Causeway. Other eateries are numerous and can be found throughout the city. In addition, each restaurant has its own brand-name dishes. These brand-name dishes not only focus on the characteristics of Cantonese cuisine, but also reflect the prestige of Cantonese cuisine. Guiliansheng's "Full Table of Manhan ( a total of 108 models); the masterpiece of wu Luan, a famous chef of the Third Yuan, "Braised Large Flock Of Wings", which is famous at home and abroad; the Jiangnan Hundred Flowers Chicken in Wenyuan Garden, which has the characteristics of being fragrant and smooth; the raw fried ribs of the Yiyuan Restaurant, which was an essential dish for banqueters at that time; the Jinhua Yushu chicken in Jufengyuan, which was imitated by peers; and the dragon and tiger stew of the Snake King Man, which was praised as a Chinese treasure at home and abroad. There are also crisp crucian carp and hand-torn chicken from Fu lai ju, braised abalone slices and white scorched snail slices from South Garden, Dinghu Shangsu in West Garden, xiang slippery perch balls from Mo Qian, suckling pigeons with western juice baked in Taipingguan, fried crabs from Tao Taoju, suckling pigs with skin and white cloud pig hands from Lu Yuju, Wenchang chicken from Southwest Restaurant, etc.
The cooking techniques of Cantonese cuisine mainly have the following common characteristics: the selection of ingredients is vast and bizarre, there are many varieties and patterns, birds and animals, fish, shrimp and crabs, almost all of which can be served. The dosage is fine and fine, the ingredients are numerous and clever, the decoration is beautiful and colorful, and it is good at innovating in imitation, and there are many varieties. Flavor pays attention to quality and taste, the taste is relatively light, and strive to seek freshness in the clear, and seek beauty in the light. There are more than 20 kinds of cooking methods of Guangzhou cuisine, mainly including stir-frying, frying, baking, baking, stewing, frying, potting, stewing, buttoning and so on. The taste is mainly fresh and tender, paying attention to light but not light, fresh but not vulgar, tender but not raw, crisp but not scorched, oily but not greasy. There is a difference between the so-called five tastes (fragrant, loose, soft, fat, and strong), and the six flavors (sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, and fresh). Strong seasonality, summer and autumn strive to be light, winter and spring are more intense, especially the ringworm who loves omnivorous food. The cooking method of Chaoshi cuisine is less than that of Guangzhou cuisine, and it is mainly known for stewing and stewing. "Braised large flock of wings", "Buddha jumping off the wall", "open stove roasted snail", "Chaozhou bean sauce chicken", "cold green roasted goose goose", "Chaozhou brine goose", "bergamot ribs", "crispy fruit meat", "cloud leg protection national dish", "fragrant taro puree", etc., are well-known Chinese and foreign famous dishes. Dongjiang cuisine cooking main ingredients are prominent, pay attention to fragrant, heavy oil, salty taste, pay attention to fire, simple shape, known for stewing, roasting, baking, especially in the sand pot dish and "brewing" production skills are good at. Dongjiang cuisine still retains some of the kit kat cooking techniques that are very characteristic of ancient Zhongzhou. For example, the dish "Rose Baked Double Pigeon" of the wine baking method has a different flavor from other places, showing the unique charm of Dongjiang cuisine. In the long process of development, Dongjiang cuisine has contributed to the prosperity of Guangdong culinary culture.
Cantonese cuisine has the characteristics of Bo, Fine, Fresh and Run. That is, a wide range of materials to eat; exquisite production to pursue enjoyment; fresh ingredients and light taste; pay attention to the continuous production of soup and porridge water. Especially soup, any hotel or restaurant that operates Cantonese cuisine must have an "old fire soup" on the menu. This "old fire soup" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in Lingnan and has evolved into a culture.
After experiencing the ups and downs of the market, Guangzhou's catering industry has always flourished. Hotel catering, specialty restaurants, catering food and other formats have grown rapidly according to their respective market positioning, the traditional Chinese meal service method still occupies the main position, and the food culture of "food in Guangzhou" is still fully reflected.