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Cantonese cuisine is diverse and sophisticated. Characterised by light spices, fresh ingredients and slow, measured preparation it may not appear to be the most effective option for a restaurant. Nonetheless, Cantonese cuisine keeps its position as a favorite of millions. Originating from the Guangdong province of China, this mode of cooking results in a menu that has something for everybody, no matter what their taste.
Because Canton (now called Guangzhou) is a port city on the coast of China one may expect seafood to be a salient part of any restaurant menu as indeed it is. Live fish and other seafood will frequently be kept in a tank until it's ordered by a customer.
As the ingredients are so fresh it isn't essential to use strong spices that overpower the taste. Whether a recipe is based on shark's fin or a whole fish you can rely on a Cantonese dish offering something that is was alive very recently.
Stir-frying is a popular cooking technique, but steaming and roasting are equally utilised. Roasted meats are frequently offered by street vendors and it is always fresh because they have such a high turn over. Likewise barbecued meats may be available, but when they are the sauces are light not heavy and sticky.
The seasoning that complements a Cantonese dish may be something as uncomplicated and tasty as Hoisin sauce which is thick and dark but the taste is not overpowering. Made from soy, garlic and chillies it gives just the right hint of flavour to a roast chicken.
Plenty of other spices can be found in the Cantonese chef's pantry. Ginger, spring onions and sesame oil are always there and five spice powder is obligatory in any Cantonese kitchen. A blend of the traditional five Chinese flavours - sweet, sour, bitter, savoury and salty, it is made from Tung Hing (a type of cassia), star anise, ginger root and cloves. However, in all Cantonese food it is used sparingly.
Cantonese cooking is not all about meat, spiced or otherwise. Congee, a variety of rice porridge, is a traditional offering, particularly for breakfast. Unlike its Western equivalent, white rice used for congee is boiled until it is nearly a thick soup until the rice is just about unidentifiable as individual grains. It is often mixed with flavoured duck eggs or century eggs (made from quail or other poultry, kept for weeks or months in lime and ash).
Slow-cooked soup is another time-honored Cantonese dish that takes a long time to cook (though, fortunately, not quite so long as century eggs). In one variant a whole chicken may be simmered in a pot with water all night, which is then gently seasoned and served warm.
Last, but not least, we owe the origin of dim sum to the Cantonese. A combination of foods, such as dumplings (sometimes stuffed with meat and sweetened with sauce), no visit to a Cantonese restaurant can be complete without ordering at least one portion for the table.
Some critics say that Cantonese cuisine is flavourless but that really isn't true. Delicate, fresh and light are terms which are more appropriate and while the food doesn't pack a punch is titilates the tastebuds nonetheless.
Liz Canham
As well as a love of Asian Food and Cookery, Liz seeks to help newcomers to the world of internet marketing with tools, tips and training from her Liz-e-Biz.com website. |
