Guangzhou paradise of Canton fare(2)
Dining out in Guangzhou is an adventure and options include myriad Chinese, Asian, Western and other cuisines.
"But unlike people from other regions, the Cantonese emphasize the food's natural flavor," says Jacky Chan, executive Chinese chef of Shangri-La Hotel, Guangzhou. "Take fish for example. Sichuan and Hunan people prepare sliced fish in hot chili oil; people in the north braise it in soy sauce, but in Guangzhou fish is mostly steamed, with no seasoning."
Chicken, fish, seasonal vegetables and soup are local favorites, according to the Hong Kong-native chef who's been cooking in Guangzhou for five years.
Seasonal vegetable are essential and chicken or fish is a fixture in "meaty" dishes. But most important is a bowl of soup before the meal, Chan says.
In traditional Chinese medicine, specially prepared nutritious Cantonese soups are said to have health benefits.
One specialty is lao huo tang (lo foh tong) or slow-cooked soup in the clay pot. The clear broth is prepared by simmering meat and other ingredients for hours. A whole chicken may simmer for at least six hours. Chinese herbs may be added.
The main attraction is the liquid; solids are discarded unless they are valuable, such as abalone or snake.
Traditionally, Cantonese families eat this type of soup at least once a week, says food critic Deng. But today many working families cannot afford the time. "Still, wealthy families with servants and cook enjoy the luxury every day," he says.
The most internationally famous - and probably the most costly - slow-cooked soup is Fo Tiao Qiang or Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. It's so named because Buddha, a vegetarian, even sneaked out of a monastery and jumped wall to enjoy it. Since the Qing Dynasty, the rich soup has been a delicacy made from expensive ingredients such as abalone, quail eggs and shark's fin. It takes a day or two to prepare.
Deng says Cantonese soup is cooked differently in different seasons, catering to varying tastes and needs and using seasonal vegetables. For example, locals enjoy duck and wax gourd soup to reduce internal heat in summer, while in winter they have warming soup with seeds of Job's tears (pearl barley) and pig's stomach.
"The Cantonese are increasingly taking health benefits into account when it comes to dining," says chef Chan.
"One of the big changes is in drinking habits. Locals used to favor baijiu (distilled liquor), but they now increasingly drink tea or fresh juice and prefer hot drinks to chilled ones," Chan says.
Many local diners also reject endangered species. "Locals used to be fond of shark's fin and fa cai (fat choy) or black moss, a Chinese New Year's favorite for its auspicious pronunciation, but now we hardly use these ingredients. Instead we are more likely to see Chinese caterpillar fungus, sea cucumber and matsutake mushrooms," he says.
Dining in Guangzhou is delighted - both for the palate and the wallet. Despite all the acclaim and rising prices around the country, Cantonese food is still reasonably priced.
A decent zao cha usually costs an average of around 40 yuan (US$6.27) per person.
"Cantonese people don't buy the costliest food, they don't believe the more expensive the better," says critic Deng. "What they trust is the palate. As long as the food is tasty, whether it's in a fancy, high-end restaurant or a streetside eatery doesn't matter at all."
