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Easily the most well-known of the Chinese regional cuisines,
Cantonese cuisine comes from the region around Canton in
Southern China. Simple spices and a wide variety of foods used
in cooking characterize Cantonese cuisine. Of all the Chinese
regions, Canton (Guangdong province) has the most available food
resources. Its proximity to the sea offers a veritable marine
cornucopia to be added to its dishes, making possible such
delicate matings as Seven Happiness, a dish that includes
shrimp, scallops, fish and lobster along with chicken, beef and
pork. The light, delicate sauce, quick cooking and subtle
spicing allows the natural flavors to shine through rather than
being overwhelmed and blending together.
The spices used in Cantonese cooking tend to be light and
simple: ginger, salt, soy sauce, white pepper, spring onion and
rice wine. For many who are used to the more rich, spicy and
complex flavors of Hunan and Szechwan cooking, Cantonese cooking
may seem bland - but the subtle blends of flavor and aroma are
created by the hand of a master chef.
All Chinese cuisine takes far more into account than the flavor
of a dish. Chinese cooking is a presentation of texture, color,
shape and aroma with even the name of the dish contributing to
its overall presentation. In true Oriental fashion, a meal is
poetry, with every part of it contributing to the overall
effect. Chinese courtesy demands that a guest be treated with
honor, and to present a guest with anything less than perfection
is the height of rudeness.
As an honor to guests, freshness is one of the ultimate
'ingredients' in Cantonese regional cooking. In many
restaurants, guests can choose their meal from a seafood tank in
the dining room. It's not unusual for a patron to be brought a
live fish or crab at the table as proof of the freshness of the
meal about to be prepared. Vegetables are likewise fresh, crisp
and sweet, and the quick cooking methods preserve each flavor
separately to play against the others.
Light sauces with subtle seasonings bring out the natural
sweetness of seafood - but the Cantonese chef will only use the
very freshest seafood in those dishes. For 'stale' seafood,
Cantonese cuisine offers thick, spicy sauces meant to mask the
characteristic odor of fish. Pungent/sweet dishes like sweet and
sour butterfly shrimp might be served this way.
There are few Cantonese desserts that are indigenous to the
region, though many restaurants serve a mango based pudding or
tapioca. Most meals are served with plain boiled rice, and
accompanied by either tea or rice wine.
Wherever in the world you are, you're likely to find restaurants
that serve Cantonese cuisine. It has been carried across the
world by emigrants from the Quangdong province, and its light,
delicate flavors are easy on the Western palate. To truly
appreciate it though, takes more than the taste buds. Cantonese
cuisine is a treat for the eyes and the nose as much as for the
mouth. Appreciate it.
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a food and nutrition expert specializing the
Mexican, Chinese, and Italian food. Visit
http://www.food-and-nutrition.com/ for more information on
cooking delicious and healthy meals.
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