Cantonese cuisine

File:Cuisines of China.png

Map showing major regional cuisines of China

Cantonese or Guangdong cuisine, also known as Yue cuisine (Template:Lang-zh or Template:Lang-zh), is the cuisine of Cantonese people, associated with the Guangdong province of China, particularly the provincial capital Guangzhou, and the surrounding regions in the Pearl River Delta including Hong Kong and Macau. Strictly speaking, Cantonese cuisine is the cuisine of Guangzhou or of Cantonese speakers, but it often includes the cooking styles of all the speakers of Yue Chinese languages in Guangdong.

The Teochew cuisine and Hakka cuisine of Guangdong are considered their own styles. However, scholars may categorize Guangdong cuisine into three major groups based on the region's dialect: Cantonese, Hakka and Chaozhou cuisines. Neighboring Guangxi's cuisine is also considered separate despite eastern Guangxi being considered culturally Cantonese due to the presence of ethnic Zhuang influences in the rest of the province.

Cantonese cuisine is one of the Eight Great Traditions of Chinese cuisine, and chefs trained in Cantonese cuisine are highly sought after throughout China. Its prominence outside China is due to the large number of Cantonese emigrants; until the late 20th century, most Chinese restaurants in the West served largely Cantonese dishes.

Background

Guangzhou (Canton) City, the provincial capital of Guangdong and the centre of Cantonese culture, has long been a trading hub, and many imported foods and ingredients are used in Cantonese cuisine. During the early to middle Qing dynasty period from 1757 to 1842, Guangdong, known as Canton at the time, was the only port where trade was permitted between Chinese and foreign merchants. Cantonese cooks aimed to serve European tastes in restaurants, lending to an ongoing European influence on Cantonese cuisine. Staples of the European nobility diet at the time, particularly turtle soup, were available to British merchants and dignitaries visiting Guangdong. The British taught Cantonese cooks how to make the dish, with the Caribbean sea turtle typically used in Europe replaced by the Chinese softshell turtle. Besides pork, beef and chicken, Cantonese cuisine incorporates almost all edible meats, including offal, chicken feet, duck's tongue, frog legs, snakes and snails. Lamb and goat are less commonly used than in the cuisines of northern or western China. Many cooking methods are used, with steaming and stir-frying favoured due to their convenience and rapidity.

Wok hay is the name given to the unique Cantonese cooking technique, emphasizing the energy, or hay, of the cooking vessel itself. Wok hay emphasizes the multiple flavors at play when cooking, using certain ingredients to balance the harshness of others. Additionally, dishes are typically cooked over a medium heat for a more prolonged period. Guangzhou is known for its year-round warm and humid climate; wok hay helps prevent chefs from working in an environment where they can easily overheat from the sweltering kitchen temperatures. This concept lends to a sense of superiority among Cantonese cooks with respect to stir-fry technique. Other techniques include shallow frying, double steaming, braising and deep frying. Compared to other Chinese regional cuisines, the flavours of most traditional Cantonese dishes should be well-balanced and not greasy. Spices should be used in modest amounts to avoid overwhelming the flavours of the primary ingredients, which in turn should be at the peak of their freshness and quality. There is no widespread use of fresh herbs in Cantonese cooking, in contrast with their liberal use in other cuisines such as Sichuanese, Vietnamese, Lao, Thai and European. Garlic chives and coriander leaves are notable exceptions, although the former are often used as a vegetable and the latter are typically used as mere garnish in most dishes.

Guangzhou’s notability in its restaurants, teahouses, and snack shops was targeted by the reforms of the CCP, as top party leaders made efforts to transform Guangzhou from a center of culinary arts into an industrial powerhouse. Well-established culinary institutions were targeted as traditionalist remnants, replaced with communal-style eating halls. “Massification” became key to the reforming of Guangzhou’s culinary scene, with many delicacies such as sharkfin soup, bird's nest soup, and sea cucumber, which were often imported, ushered out of restaurants in favor of less expensive ingredients. Frugality was emphasized as a revolutionary ideal, with restaurants previously reserved for the wealthy elites now serving the working class, who had felt that these “Old Society” delicacies were withheld from them.

Foods

Sauces and condiments

In Cantonese cuisine, ingredients such as sugar, salt, soy sauce, rice wine, corn starch, vinegar, scallion and sesame oil suffice to enhance flavour, although garlic is heavily used in some dishes, especially those in which internal organs, such as entrails, may emit unpleasant odours. Ginger, chili peppers, five-spice powder, powdered black pepper, star anise and a few other spices are also used, but often sparingly.

English	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Jyutping	Pinyin
Black bean sauce			syun3 jung4 dau6 si6 zoeng3	suànróng dòuchǐjiàng
Char siu sauce			caa1 siu1 zoeng3	chāshāojiàng
Chu hau paste			cyu5 hau4 zoeng3	zhùhóujiàng
Hoisin sauce			hoi2 sin1 zoeng3	hǎixiānjiàng
Master stock			lou5 seoi2	lǔshuǐ
Oyster sauce			hou4 jau4	háoyóu
Plum sauce			syun1 mui4 zoeng3	sūméijiàng
Red vinegar			daai6 hung4 zit3 cou3	dàhóngzhècù
Shrimp paste			haam4 haa1 zoeng3	xiánxiājiàng
Shrimp paste block	蝦膏	虾膏	haa1 gou1	Xiāgāo
Sweet and sour sauce			tong4 cou3 zoeng3	tángcùjiàng

• Char siu is often marinated with plum sauce and honey for sweet flavour.
  Char siu is often marinated with plum sauce and honey for sweet flavour.
• Oysters steamed in two ways: with ginger and garlic, and in black bean sauce
  Oysters steamed in two ways: with ginger and garlic, and in black bean sauce

Dried and preserved ingredients

Although Cantonese cooks pay much attention to the freshness of their primary ingredients, Cantonese cuisine also uses a long list of preserved food items to add flavour to a dish. This may be influenced by Hakka cuisine, since the Hakkas were once a dominant group occupying imperial Hong Kong and other southern territories.

Some items gain very intense flavours during the drying/preservation/oxidation process and some foods are preserved to increase their shelf life. Some chefs combine both dried and fresh varieties of the same items in a dish. Dried items are usually soaked in water to rehydrate before cooking. These ingredients are generally not served a la carte, but rather with vegetables or other Cantonese dishes.

Image	English	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Jyutping	Pinyin	Notes
File:Sliced century eggs with smashed chili at Guanshi Wing Bar, Xinjiekou (20220723132726).jpg	Century egg			pei4 daan2	pídàn	Can be found served with roasted dishes, in congee with lean pork, and in a sweet pastry with lotus paste.
File:Lachang Cantonese short.jpg	Chinese sausage			laap6 coeng2	làcháng	Usually added to rice together with preserved-salted duck and pork.
	Dried sea snail	螺頭 / 螺片	螺头 / 螺片	lo4 tau4 / lo2 pin2	Luótóu/ luópiàn	Usually added to clear soup.
File:HK SW 上環 Sheung Wan 皇后大道西 Queen's Road West 菜乾 dried choi vegetable October 2022 Px3.jpg	Dried bok choy			coi3 gon1	càigān
File:HK food 乾瑤柱 Dried scallop conpoy 沉 February 2020 SS2.jpg	Dried scallops			gong1 jiu4 cyu5	jiāngyáozhù	Usually added to clear soup.
File:Dry pot shrimp.jpg	Dried shrimp			haa1 gon1	xiāgān	Usually de-shelled, sliced into half and added to vegetable dishes.
File:Tôm khô.jpg	Dried small shrimp			haa1 mai5	xiāmǐ	Usually mixed with stir-fried vegetables.
File:Fermented bean curd in bowl (20220219181233).jpg	Fermented tofu			fu6 jyu5	fǔrǔ
File:2015 1012 Preserved black beans douchi close-up.jpg	Fermented black beans			dau6 si6	dòuchǐ	Usually added to pork and tofu dishes.
File:MeiganCaiBundle.jpg	Mei cai			mui4 coi3	méicài	Usually cooked with pork or stir-fried with rice.
File:曬蘿蔔乾 Dried radish.jpg	Chai poh / Dried preserved radish			coi3 pou2	càifǔ	A key ingredient for making chai poh omelette.
File:HK Aberdeen 東勝道 Tung Sing Road 得記燒臘飯店 Tak Kee Rice Restaurant Nov-2012 腊鴨比 Dried Duck legs.JPG	Preserved-salted duck			laap6 aap2	làyā	Usually eaten with rice in a family meal.
File:HK 紅磡 Hung Hom 馬頭圍道 Ma Tau Wai Road food shop Lap Mei Yuk December 2021 SS2 01.jpg	Preserved-salted pork			laap6 juk6	làròu	Usually eaten with rice in a family meal.
File:Telorasin.jpg	Salted duck egg			haam4 daan2	xiándàn	May be eaten as it is or mixed with stir-fried vegetables and steam dishes or cooked with diced pork in congee.
File:ZS 中山市 Zhongshan 棠記海鮮餐廳 Tangji Seafood Restaurant 晚餐 dinner steamed salted fish May 2023 Px3 01.jpg	Salted fish			haam4 jyu2	xiányú	Usually paired with steamed pork or added to fried rice together with diced chicken.
File:Sayur asin pickles.JPG	Suan cai			haam4 syun1 coi3	xiánsuāncài	The key ingredient for making Haam Coi Pepper Hog Maw Soup (咸菜胡椒豬肚湯).
File:The Five of Jinwa Ham on the Lo Sam Yeung Chinese Food Shop.jpg	Jinhua ham	金華火腿	金华火腿	gam1 waa4 fo2 teoi2	Jīnhuáhuǒtuǐ	Usually added to clear soup.
File:VegetarianGoose.jpg	Tofu skin			fu6 pei4	fǔpí	Usually used as wrapping for ground pork dishes. It is fried in a similar manner as spring rolls.

Traditional dishes

A number of dishes have been part of Cantonese cuisine since the earliest territorial establishments of Guangdong. While many of these are on the menus of typical Cantonese restaurants, some simpler ones are more commonly found in Cantonese homes. Home-made Cantonese dishes are usually served with plain white rice.

Name	Image	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Jyutping	Pinyin
Cantonese-style fried rice	File:Cuisine of China 0055.JPG			gwong2 sik1 cau2 faan6	guǎng shì chǎofàn
Choy sum in oyster sauce	File:Taste of Beijing, Soho, London (4363228093).jpg			hou4 jau4 coi3 sam1	háoyóu càixīn
Sampan congee	File:Cantonese Sampan Congee (Boat Congee).jpeg	艇仔粥		teng5 zai2 zuk1	Tǐngzǐzhōu
Congee with lean pork and century egg	File:Pork preserved duck egg congee.jpg			pei4 daan2 sau3 juk6 zuk1	pídàn shòuròuzhōu
Steamed egg	File:Chinese steamed eggs (cropped).jpg			zing1 seoi2 daan2	zhēngshuǐdàn
Steamed frog legs on lotus leaf				ho4 jip6 zing1 tin4 gai1	héyè zhēng tiánjī
Steamed ground pork with salted duck egg	File:HK Food 棟記飯店 Tung Kee 咸蛋蒸肉餅 Meat Cake.JPG			haam4 daan2 zing1 juk6 beng2	xiándàn zhēng ròubǐng
Steamed spare ribs with fermented black beans and chilli pepper	File:Dimsumpaigui.jpg			si6 ziu1 paai4 gwat1	chǐjiāo páigǔ
Stewed beef brisket	File:HK Food Brisket Noodle 1.JPG			cyu5 hau4 ngau4 naam5	zhùhóu niú nǎn
Stir-fried hairy gourd with dried shrimp and cellophane noodles				daai6 ji4 maa1 gaa3 neoi5	dàyímā jiànǚ
Stir-fried water spinach with shredded chilli and fermented tofu	File:Rau muống xào tỏi.jpg			ziu1 si1 fu6 jyu5 tung1 coi3	jiāosī fǔrǔ tōngcài
Sweet and sour pork	File:Cuisine of China 0068.JPG			gu1 lou1 juk6	gūlūròu
Shunde-style fish slices	File:Shunde yusheng.jpg			seon6 dak1 jyu4 saang1	shùndé yú shēng

Deep-fried dishes

There are a small number of deep-fried dishes in Cantonese cuisine, which can often be found as street food. They have been extensively documented in colonial Hong Kong records of the 19th and 20th centuries. A few are synonymous with Cantonese breakfast and lunch, even though these are also part of other cuisines.

English	Image	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Jyutping	Pinyin
Dace fish balls	File:HK food 酥炸 鯪魚球 Dacefish meat balls Nov-2013 九記 Kau Kee Restaurant.JPG			leng4 jyu4 kau4
Youtiao (sometimes called "Chinese donut"	File:Chinese fried bread.jpg			jau4 zaa3 gwai2
Ox-tongue pastry	File:HK WCD 灣仔 Wan Chai 軒尼詩道 432 Hennessy Road 人和悅大廈 Yan Wo Yuet Building shop 忠記粥品 Chung Kee Restaurant 牛脷酥 Ox-tongue pastry night October 2022 Px3.jpg	牛脷酥		ngau4 lei6 sou1	niúlìsū
Zaa leung	File:Zhaliang.jpg			zaa3 loeng5

Soups

Old fire soup, or lou fo tong (Template:Lang-zh), is a clear broth prepared by simmering meat and other ingredients over a low heat for several hours. Chinese herbs are often used as ingredients. There are basically two ways to make old fire soup – put ingredients and water in the pot and heat it directly on fire, which is called bou tong (Template:Lang-zh); or put the ingredients in a small stew pot, and put it in a bigger pot filled with water, then heat the bigger pot on fire directly, which is called dun tong (Template:Lang-zh). The latter way can keep the most original taste of the soup.

Soup chain stores or delivery outlets in cities with significant Cantonese populations, such as Hong Kong, serve this dish due to the long preparation time required of slow-simmered soup.

English	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Jyutping	Pinyin
Cantonese seafood soup			hoi2 wong4 gang1	hǎihuáng gēng
Night-blooming cereus soup			baa3 wong4 faa1 bou1 tong1	bàwánghuā bāotāng
Snow fungus soup			ngan4 ji5 tong1	yín'ěr tāng
Spare ribs soup with watercress and apricot kernels			naam4 bak1 hang6 sai1 joeng4 coi3 zyu1 gwat1 tong1	nánběixìng xīyángcài zhūgǔ tāng
Winter melon soup			dung1 gwaa1 tong1	dōngguā tāng

Seafood

File:CantoneseRestaurantSeafood.jpg

Seafood tanks in a Cantonese restaurant

Due to Guangdong's location along the South China Sea coast, fresh seafood is prominent in Cantonese cuisine, and many Cantonese restaurants keep aquariums or seafood tanks on the premises. In Cantonese cuisine, as in cuisines from other parts of Asia, if seafood has a repugnant odour, strong spices and marinating juices are added; the freshest seafood is odourless and, in Cantonese culinary arts, is best cooked by steaming. For instance, in some recipes, only a small amount of soy sauce, ginger and spring onion is added to steamed fish. In Cantonese cuisine, the light seasoning is used only to bring out the natural sweetness of the seafood. As a rule of thumb, the spiciness of a dish is usually negatively correlated to the freshness of the ingredients.

Image	English	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Jyutping	Pinyin
File:Ginger scallion lobster.jpg	Lobster with ginger and scallions			goeng1 cung1 lung4 haa1	jiāngcōng lóngxiā
File:Lobster with soup yi fu noodles.jpg	Lobster with e-fu noodles in soup / Cheese lobster with e-fu noodles	上湯龍蝦伊麵 / 芝士龍蝦伊麵	上汤龙虾伊面 / 芝士龙虾伊面	soeng6 tong1 lung4 haa1 ji1 min6 / zi1 si2 lung4 haa1 ji1 min6	Shàngtāng lóngxiā yīmiàn / Zhīshì lóngxiā yīmiàn
File:Shrimp Type Things Covered in Garlic (2891424375).jpg	Mantis shrimp			laai6 niu6 haa1	làniàoxiā
File:Orangesquid.jpg	Orange cuttlefish			lou5 seoi2 mak6 jyu4	lǔshuǐ mòyú
File:Food 清蒸檸檬魚, 泰鄉雲餐廳, 台北 (17167116250).jpg	Steamed fish			zing1 yu4	zhēngyú
File:Minced garlic glass noodle scallops.jpg	Steamed scallops with ginger and garlic			syun3 jung4 zing1 sin3 bui3	suànróng zhēng shànbèi
File:HK SYP food 晚餐 dinner 白灼蝦 February 2021 SS2 09.jpg	White boiled shrimp			baak6 zoek3 haa1	báizhuóxiā

• Typical ingredients for Cantonese-style hotpot are razor shell (Script error: No such module "Lang".), crab (Script error: No such module "Lang".), prawn (Script error: No such module "Lang".), chicken sausage (Script error: No such module "Lang".) and dace fishball (Script error: No such module "Lang".).
  Typical ingredients for Cantonese-style hotpot are razor shell (), crab (), prawn (), chicken sausage () and dace fishball ().

Noodle dishes

Noodles are served either in soup broth or fried. These are available as home-cooked meals, on dim sum side menus, or as street food at dai pai dongs, where they can be served with a variety of toppings such as fish balls, beef balls, or fish slices.

English	Image	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Jyutping	Pinyin	Notes
Beef brisket noodles	File:HK TKL 調景嶺 Tiu Keng Leng 新樂園魚蛋粉 Sun Lok Yuen Noodle Restaurant 將軍澳 Tseung Kwan O 常寧路 Sheung Ning Road food 牛腩湯麵 April 2019 SSG 03.jpg			ngau4 laam5 min6	niú nǎn miàn	May be served dry or in soup.
Beef chow fun	File:Beefchowfoon.jpg			gon1 caau2 ngau4 ho2	gān chǎo niú hé	Fried beef noodles made with hor-fun, typically chilli oil is also added.
Chow mein	File:Chow mein 1 by yuen.jpg			caau2 min6	chǎo miàn	A generic term for various stir-fried noodle dishes. Hong Kong-style chow mein is made from pan-fried thin crispy noodles.
Jook-sing noodles				zuk1 sing1 min6	zhúshēngmiàn	Bamboo log pressed noodles.
Lo mein	File:Real lo mein.jpg			lou1 min6	lāo miàn	Boiled wheat noodles mixed with a sauce, or served with a sauce alongside. Traditionally not stir-fried.
Rice noodle roll	File:Cha siu choeng.jpg			coeng2 fan2	chángfěn	Also known as chee cheong fun.
Shahe fen	File:Rice noodles (4681330292).jpg			ho4 fun2	héfěn	Also known as hor-fun.
Rice noodles	File:Rice noodles vermicelli mie.jpg	米粉		mai5 fan2	mǐfěn	Also known as rice vermicelli
Silver needle noodles	File:Fried-Lao-Shu-Fen Fried-Lou-Syu-Fan Fried-Short-Rice-Noodles.jpg			ngan4 zam1 fun2	yín zhēn fěn	Also known as rat noodles (Template:Lang-zh).
Yi mein	File:Lobster with E-Fu Noodle.jpg			ji1 min6	yī miàn	Also known as e-fu noodles.
Wonton noodles	File:HK Sai Ying Pun Centre Street 雲吞 Wonton noodle July-2012.JPG			wan4 tan1 min6	yúntūn miàn	Sometimes spelled as wanton noodles.

Siu mei

Siu mei (Template:Lang-zh) is essentially the Chinese rotisserie style of cooking. Unlike most other Cantonese dishes, siu mei solely consists of meat, with no vegetables.

All Cantonese-style cooked meats, including siu mei, lou mei and preserved meat can be classified as siu laap (Template:Lang-zh).

File:HKloumei.jpg

A roasted pig and char siu

English	Image	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Jyutping	Pinyin
Char siu	File:HK Mongkok Maxims BBQ Meat Rice Lunch with Green vegetable.JPG			caa1 siu1	chāshāo
Poached duck in master stock				lou5 seoi2 aap3	lǔ shuǐ yā
Roast duck	File:Dry for 5 hours cropped.jpg			siu1 aap3	shāoyā
Roast goose	File:Roastedgoose.jpg			siu1 ngo4	shāo'é
Roast pigeon	File:Fried pigeon.jpeg			siu1 jyu5 gap3	shāorǔgē
Siu laap platter	File:Siu lap platter.jpg			siu1 laap6 ping6 pun4	shāolà pīnpán
Siu mei platter	File:HK food Kennedy Town New Chinese Rest BBQ Mix.jpg			siu1 mei6 ping6 poon4	shāowèi pīnpán
Siu yuk	File:Hong Kong style roast pig (3946366822).jpg			siu1 yuk1	shāoròu
Soy sauce chicken	File:Soy Sauce Chicken.jpg			si6 jau4 gai1	chǐ yóu jī	Typically found in traditional Chinese restaurants.
White cut chicken	File:BeiQieJi-WhiteCutChicken.jpg			baak6 cit3 gai1	bái qiè jī	Also known as white chopped chicken (Template:Lang-zh) in some places.

Lou mei

Lou mei (Template:Lang-zh) is the name given to dishes made from internal organs, entrails and other left-over parts of animals. It is widely available in southern Chinese regions.

Image	English	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Jyutping	Pinyin
File:Niubaiye.jpg	Beef entrails			ngau4 zaap6	niú zá
File:牛腩煲仔饭 Beef Brisket Hotpot Rice - Soup, Box Hill (2171826488).jpg	Beef brisket			ngau4 laam5	niú nǎn
File:HK 灣仔 Wan Chai Lockhart Road Municipal Services Building 駱克道市政大廈 Lockhart Road Market 駱克道街市 Hung Kee Chiu Chow food Sept 2017 IX1 04.jpg	Chicken scraps			gai1 zaap6	jī zá
	Duck gizzard			aap3 san6	yā shèn
File:HK Sheung Wan 皇后大道中 329 Queen's Road Central 嘉寶大廈 Carbo Mansion shop 新園興記燒臘飯店 Sun Yuen Hing Kee Siu Mei Restaurant May 2023 Px3 06.jpg	Pig's tongue			zyu1 lei6	zhū lì

Meat and rice plates

A portion of meat, such as char siu, served on a bed of steamed white rice. A typical variant consists of half-and-half portions of two types of siu mei and lou mei (or sometimes more than two). A steamed vegetable (such as choy sum) is frequently, but not always included.

English	Image	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Jyutping	Pinyin
Rice with char siu and siu yuk	File:HK STT 石塘咀 Shek Tong Tsui 皇后大道西 Queen's Road West BBQ food shop 唐順興 Tang's Roast BBQ 燒味肉 meat n choi sum vegetable May 2021 SS2 01.jpg			caa1 siu1 siu1 juk6 faan6	chāshāo shāo ròu fàn
Rice with Chinese sausage and char siu				laap6 ceung4 caa1 siu1 faan6	làcháng chāshāo fàn
Rice with roast goose and goose intestines				siu1 ngo4 ngo4 coeng4 faan6	shāo é é cháng fàn

Little pot rice

File:Claypot Chicken Rice, Singapore.JPG

Little pot chicken rice with vegetable and Chinese sausage

Little pot rice (Template:Lang-zh) are dishes cooked and served in a flat-bottomed pot (as opposed to a round-bottomed wok). Usually this is a saucepan or braising pan (see clay pot cooking). Such dishes are cooked by covering and steaming, making the rice and ingredients very hot and soft. Usually the ingredients are layered on top of the rice with little or no mixing in between. Many standard combinations exist.

English	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Jyutping	Pinyin
Rice with Chinese sausage and preserved meat			laap6 coeng2 bou1 zai2 faan6	làwèi bāozǎifàn
Rice with layered egg and beef			wo1 daan2 ngaw4 juk6 faan6	wōdàn niúròu fàn
Rice with minced beef patty			juk6 beng2 bou1 zai2 faan6	ròubǐng bāozǎifàn
Rice with spare ribs			paai4 gwat1 bou1 zai2 faan6	páigǔ bāozǎifàn
Rice with steamed chicken			zing1 gai1 juk6 bou1 zai2 faan6	zhēng jīròu bāozǎifàn

Banquet and dinner dishes

A number of dishes are traditionally served in Cantonese restaurants only at dinner time. Said banquets were typically served in the capital's famous tea houses. Guangzhou’s tea houses have historically served as meeting places for the public, where political movements could foment and lead to action. The main draw of these tea houses was to enjoy dim sum. While eating dim sum in tea houses grew in popularity during the nineteenth century, the different snacks and small bites that were enjoyed grew Guangzhou staples to encompassing culinary traditions from China’s numerous provinces. After the Qing’s defeat in the first Opium War, culinary influences outside of China found their way into the dim sum served at tea houses, with ingredients such as Worcestershire sauce and Ketchup becoming staple ingredients. Dim sum restaurants stop serving bamboo-basket dishes after the yum cha period (equivalent to afternoon tea) and begin offering an entirely different menu in the evening. Some dishes are standard while others are regional. Some are customised for special purposes such as Chinese marriages or banquets. Salt and pepper dishes are one of the few spicy dishes.

English	Image	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Jyutping	Pinyin
Crispy fried chicken	File:Crispyfriedchicken.jpg			zaa3 zi2 gai1	zhá zǐ jī
Duck with taro				can4 pei4 wu6 tau4 aap3	chén pí yùtóu yā
Fried tofu with shrimp	File:CantoneseTofuwithShrimp.jpg			haa1 joeng4 caau2 dau4 fu6	xiārén chǎo dòufǔ
Pork chop with salt and pepper	File:Salt and Pepper Pork Chop with Rice - CK Bistro.jpg			ziu1 jim4 zyu1 paa2	jiāo yán zhū pà
Roast pigeon	File:Chinese squab.jpg			jyu5 gap3	rǔ gē
Roast suckling pig	File:Shaoruzhu.jpg			siu1 jyu5 zyu1	shāo rǔ zhū
Seafood with bird's nest	File:Seafoodbirdsnest.jpg			hoi2 sin1 zoek3 caau4	hǎixiān quècháo
Shrimp with salt and pepper	File:Pepper salt prawns.jpeg			ziu1 jim4 haa1	jiāo yán xiā
Sour spare ribs	File:Spare ribs with Chinese barbecue sauce cropped.jpg			saang1 cau2 paai4 gwat1	shēng chǎo páigǔ
Spare ribs with salt and pepper	File:Свиные рёбрышка.jpg			ziu1 jim4 paai4 gwat1	jiāo yán gǔ
Squid with salt and pepper	File:Fried baby squid.jpg			ziu1 jim4 jau4 jyu2	jiāo yán yóuyú
Yangzhou fried rice	File:Yeung Chow Fried Rice.jpg			Joeng4 zau1 cau2 faan6	Yángzhōu chǎofàn

Dessert

After the evening meal, most Cantonese restaurants offer tong sui (Template:Lang-zh), a sweet soup. Many varieties of tong sui are also found in other Chinese cuisines. Some desserts are traditional, while others are recent innovations. The more expensive restaurants usually offer their specialty desserts. Sugar water is the general name of dessert in Guangdong province. It is cooked by adding water and sugar to some other cooking ingredients.

English	Image	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Jyutping	Pinyin
Black sesame soup	File:BlacksesameSoup.jpg			zi1 maa4 wu2	zhīmahú
Coconut pudding	File:Coconutbar.jpg			je4 zap1 gou1	yēzhīgāo
Double skin milk	File:Shuangpi Nai.jpeg			soeng1 pei4 naai5	shuāngpínǎi
Mung bean soup	File:Food 綠豆湯, 冰糖銀耳, 阿猜嬤, 甜湯鹹圓, 台北 (17296663148).jpg			luk6 dau6 saa1	lǜdòushā
Red bean soup	File:CantoneseHybridRedbeansoup.jpg			hong4 dau6 saa1	hóngdòushā
Sago soup	File:Tapioca pudding-2.jpg			sai1 mei5 lou6	xīmǐlù
Shaved ice	File:Bing guan cau mei.jpg			paau4 bing1	bǎobīng
Steamed egg custard				dan6 daan2	dùndàn
Steamed milk custard				dan6 naai5	dùnnǎi
Sweet Chinese pastry	File:HK Sheung Wan 上環 Shun Tak Centre 信德中心 shop 聖安娜餅店 Saint Honore Cake Shop evening April-2012 Ip4.jpg			gou1 dim2	gāodiǎn
Sweet potato soup	File:SweetpotatoTongsui.jpg			faan1 syu4 tong4 seoi2	fānshǔ tángshuǐ
Tofu flower pudding	File:David enjoying Dòuhuā.jpg			dau6 fu6 faa1	dòufǔhuā
Tortoise Jelly	File:Guilinggao.jpg			gwai1 ling4 gou1	guīlínggāo

Delicacies

Certain Cantonese delicacies consist of parts taken from rare or endangered animals, which raises controversyTemplate:According to whom over animal rights and environmental issues. This is oftenTemplate:According to whom due to alleged health benefits of certain animal products. For example, the continued spreading of the idea that shark cartilage can cure cancer has led to decreased shark populations even though scientific research has found no evidence to support the credibility of shark cartilage as a cancer cure. Consumption of shark fin soup dates back to the Song dynasty, with the dish ultimately becoming ingrained into Cantonese food culture and Chinese food culture as a whole in the royal banquets of the Ming. Conservation efforts by the Chinese government and various NGOs have been historically difficult to implement. It can be difficult for fishermen who rely on the sale of shark fins to adopt alternative occupations, in addition to corruption at the local level impeding attempts at dismantling the shark fin trade.

English	Image	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Jyutping	Pinyin
Bird's nest soup	File:Bird's-nest-soup-Miri-Malaysia.jpg			jin1 wo1	yànwō
Braised abalone	File:Chineseabalonecuisine.jpg			mun6 baau1 jyu4	mèn bàoyú
Jellyfish	File:CantoneseJellyfish.jpg			hoi2 zit3	hǎizhé
Sea cucumber	File:Seacucumbercuisine.jpg			hoi2 saam1	hǎishēn
Shark fin soup	File:Chinese cuisine-Shark fin soup-04.jpg			jyu4 ci3 tong1	yúchì tāng

See also

• Cantonese culture
• Chinese food therapy
• Dim sum
• Hong Kong cuisine
• List of Chinese dishes
• Macanese cuisine
• Restaurant industry in Guangzhou

Further reading

• Eight Immortal Flavors: Secrets of Cantonese Cookery from San Francisco's Chinatown, Johnny Kan and Charles L. Leong. Berkeley, California: Howell-North Books, 1963

External links

• 恭和堂繼承人董蕙芬訛稱單親媽媽情騙
• 恭和堂太子女董蕙芬大麻販毒或假宣傳