Before the Chinese New Year officially begins, another festival quietly sets the mood. The Laba Festival marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year's festival vibe, carrying hopes and anticipation for the year ahead.
On this day, a carefully simmered bowl of Laba porridge offers Guangdong's first taste of the Chinese New Year.
Cantonese-style Laba porridge is known for its rich variety of ingredients. Beyond staples like rice and beans, signature Guangdong ingredients—such as dried longan, dried lychee, fruit seeds, and aged tangerine peel—are essential.
These Guangdong-grown ingredients add a gentle sweetness and a soft, comforting texture to Cantonese-style Laba porridge.
Beyond sweet Laba porridge, glutinous rice dishes are another seasonal favorite among people in Guangdong during this period.
A bowl of glutinous rice brings together ingredients from across Guangdong: glutinous rice from Zhaoqing, cured meats from Zhongshan, dried mushrooms from Zhaoqing, dried shrimp from Yangjiang, dried squid from Chaozhou, and a handful of peanuts from Yunfu—melding into a classic Lingnan delicacy.
For people in Guangdong, Cantonese-style glutinous rice embodies wishes for family togetherness and for a future that is, like this steaming bowl, warm and deeply satisfying.
Photo | IP Guangdong Creator: Nanfang Plus, Sun Junjie, Xinhui Media Convergence, Guangzhou Daily, Nanfang Daily, Yangcheng Evening News, Luoding Media Convergence, Dinghu Fabu, Yunfu Media Convergence, Zheng Jiaxiong.
