Recently, Guangdong's Chaozhou was named a Creative City of Gastronomy by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Following Shunde, Chaozhou is the second city in Guangdong to receive this designation.
As an integral part of Cantonese food, Chaozhou cuisine originates in the Tang Dynasty and underlines the freshness of ingredients for taste and flavor, offering culinary wonders at every turn. Let's embark on a gastronomic adventure in Chaozhou, where delectable delights await and taste buds rejoice.
Beef hotpot
A must-try delicacy in Chaozhou, the beef hotpot showcases locals' exacting standards for beef quality and freshness. Hand-sliced beef, often served within hours of slaughter, undergoes varying cooking times to unlock its full flavor potential. The broth is typically an ox bone soup stock with slices of radish and sweet corn, accentuating the innate flavors of the ingredients.
(Photo: Guangdong Fabu)
Besides, don't forget to try the beef meatballs, which are hand-pounded for 30 minutes each!
Raw pickled seafood
Chaoshan's raw pickled seafood has been a hit in China recently owing to its freshness and delicate, creamy texture. Fresh seafood such as crabs, mantis shrimp, regular shrimp, and blood cockles undergo a meticulous preparation process involving washing, removal of entrails, sterilization with high-quality white wine or white vinegar, and marination in a flavorful concoction of onions, ginger, garlic, coriander, and chili. The marination period often ranges from half an hour to two days, depending on the seafood variety.
(Photo: Guangdong Fabu)
Note: Please pay attention to the freshness of seafood before you sample the dish, and don't eat too much if experiencing stomach discomfort.
Marinated goose
In the Chaoshan region, there's a folk saying, "No goose, no feast." The shitou goose, or lion-head goose, is a special breed in the Chaoshan region and the largest cultivated goose breed in China, and it derives the lion-head moniker from the large dewlap.
Featuring glistening skin, amber hue, and special aroma, marinated shitou goose is a favored delicacy among epicures. A key element of this dish is the brine, typically composed of an array of spices and medicinal herbs, providing extra fragrance. The mellow and succulent goose meat, tender goose liver, crispy goose intestine, and other parts of the goose beckon to be tasted.
In addition to geese, locals love to marinate poultry and other food as well. These marinated delicacies are the pop stars at late-night food stalls.
Guo
In Chaozhou, "guo (kway)" refers to a special category of food made with sticky rice flour, glutinous rice flour, and similar ingredients. Locals usually kickstart their day with a bowl of "guo zhi (kway chap)," where the rice cake is sliced and boiled in water until it becomes saucy, then combined with marinated sauce and meat.
Rice cakes such as peach-shaped guo, pomegranate-shaped guo, and fried triangular guo are also popular local snacks.
(Photo: Local Chronicle Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province)
Fish rice
Contrary to its name, "fish rice" does not contain actual rice. It's generally believed that this name stems from the prevalence of fish, which has become as ubiquitous as rice in the Chaoshan region (mainly encompassing Chaozhou, Shantou, and Jieyang). Freshly caught fish is washed, boiled in seawater or salt water in bamboo baskets, and then air-dried. This process imparts a distinctive sweetness to the fish, while the natural juices form a uniform jelly layer within the skin.
(Photo: Guangdong Fabu)
Reporter | Holly
Poster | Mia
Editor | Olivia, Monica, Abby, James
With input from VCG.COM
