Guangzhou has been an important city in southern my country since ancient times. After Qin Shihuang unified Lingnan, Han and Vietnamese cultures and living customs quickly merged, and Guangzhou became the center of Lingnan culture.
The ancient Guangzhou area had crisscrossed rivers, abundant rainfall, and a pleasant climate. It was surrounded by hills to the west, east, and north, with lush forests and grass, Lingnan was rich in good fruits, and there were many birds and animals; in the south, it faced the sea and tidal flats. It is vast and produces many saltwater products and amphibians, making ancient Guangzhou one of the regions with the richest dietary resources in China.
The formation of Cantonese cuisine has a long history. A large number of Central Plains immigrants immigrated to Lingnan, making Guangzhou’s food culture deeply influenced by the Central Plains. As early as the Han and Wei dynasties, Guangzhou’s snake dishes, roast goose and fish soup had influence; in the late Song Dynasty, After the Opium War, missionaries and businessmen from European and American countries poured in in large numbers, and thousands of merchants gathered in Guangzhou, providing a broad market for the development of the catering industry.
Cantonese cuisine draws on the strengths of Central Plains cuisine and Western food, and then absorbs the advantages of local cuisine in Guangdong. Just like the culture of Guangzhou, it blends ancient and modern times, connects China and the West, and forms a unique and unique cuisine that is different from other regions in the country. Guangzhou's food culture has won the reputation of "eating in Guangzhou" and is famous at home and abroad. Countless tourists come here to taste the delicious food and experience this unique Lingnan food culture.
The most obvious thing about Guangzhou is that there are so many restaurants. As long as you want to eat, you can eat a variety of delicious food anytime and anywhere.
The tea market is the most attractive feature of Guangzhou’s food.
In the past, there was only "morning tea" in Guangzhou, but now it has developed into three tea markets: breakfast, lunch and night.
Almost all restaurants have a tea market. As soon as the guests sit down, the waiter immediately comes to greet them: "Who are there? What kind of tea are you drinking?" The tea market provides a variety of salty, sweet, dry and wet snacks, such as buffets. , everyone can get what they want according to their preferences, and the price is very affordable, which can be consumed by ordinary citizens.
The Guangzhou Tea Market has become an important social occasion for friends to meet and exchange ideas. It has become an important way for families to reunite and enjoy family life. It is an effective buffer for modern tense and fast-paced life and work. An important way for some people, especially the elderly, to relax is to read a morning newspaper or two in a cup and sit for several hours while eating, reading, and chatting about family affairs, national affairs, and world affairs.
The selection of ingredients in Cantonese cuisine is very wide and unique. Snakes are dragons, chickens are phoenixes, cats are tigers, and mice are deer. Almost everything that flies in the sky, crawls on the ground, and swims in the water is included in the cooking. .
Cantonese cuisine pays attention to freshness and smoothness, light in summer and autumn, and rich in winter and spring. It uses unique seasonings and uses techniques such as pot, roast, soak, stir-fry, boil and fire to create unique local flavor. Delicious food.
The "raw seafood" in Cantonese cuisine is unique. Many restaurants have not decorated their dining rooms. They must first design a seafood pool at the entrance and display dozens of kinds of fresh seafood to attract customers.
Stewing and drinking herbal tea in Cantonese cuisine are pioneering efforts of Guangzhou people to adapt to the geographical climate environment and local conditions. "What are you making hot today?" is a must-have topic for housewives to meet and chat. Lao Huo Liang Tang is one of them There is really a lot of knowledge.
The dishes in Cantonese restaurants are ever-changing. Every once in a while, restaurants will create new dishes with new raw materials and different combinations to enhance their competitiveness. There are also new dishes on the market. This often sets off new food trends, which is the strong vitality of "Eat in Guangzhou".
The analysis of the natural landscape and humanistic environment of "Eating in Guangzhou" has rich cultural connotations.
First, it is open.
Guangzhou is located on the coast with convenient transportation. It has been an important port for economic and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries since ancient times.
The open environment has given Guangzhou people an open way of thinking, which is reflected in the open mind of "eating everything" when it comes to food. The streets of Guangzhou are dotted with restaurants with flavors from all over the country, almost all over the country. A wide range of cuisines and flavors from all over the world can be found.
The second is compatibility.
An open culture must also be compatible.
Lingnan culture has the characteristics of being eclectic and accommodating all rivers, which is also fully reflected in Guangzhou’s food.
The third is pioneering.
Guangzhou people dare to eat anything, and are good at discovering traditional local flavor foods and cooking methods, constantly transplanting and transforming them, and innovating new ones.
There is an ancestral saying among Cantonese chefs: "There is tradition, but there is no authenticity.
" This reflects the courage and pioneering and innovative spirit of Guangzhou people to be the first in the world.
In addition, Guangzhou people do not waste food when they are full and "pack" it back if they are not finished, which reflects the Cantonese people's love for food and their thrifty character.
Guangzhou cuisine elevates eating and cooking to the realm of art, becoming an important part of Lingnan culture and greatly enriching the connotation and characteristics of Lingnan culture. It has a profound impact on the food culture of my country and the Asia-Pacific region. influence.
With the development of economy, social progress, and the continuous expansion of opening up to the outside world, Guangzhou’s food culture is also constantly developing and changing.
On the one hand, Guangzhou’s food culture has been impacted by foreign cultures, such as Western fast food culture represented by McDonald’s and KFC, which have occupied the market of many young people and children, making many people’s Life customs and cultural concepts have also undergone new changes.
On the other hand, the continuous improvement of people’s living standards has laid an economic foundation for the development of Guangzhou’s food culture. “Food in Guangzhou” also faces good development opportunities, showing the following development trends: First , combining food and tourism.
The establishment of restaurants is in line with the development of tourist attractions, attaches great importance to the protection and construction of time-honored brands, and promotes each other with the overall planning of tourism products; the tourism department holds the "Guangzhou International Food Festival" every year, attracting visitors from all over the world. Extensively promote Guangzhou’s food culture and effectively combine food and tourism.
Second, dining is more convenient.
In response to the fast-paced world of modern work and life, all types of ready-to-eat foods, semi-finished products, and fast food have developed rapidly and are widely welcomed.
Third, food nutrition should be scientific.
From "eating well" to "eating well", Guangzhou people have gradually paid attention to the scientific combination of nutritional structure, food supplements, dietary therapy, and medicinal diets. The study and research of nutrition is in the ascendant.
Fourth, the raw materials are natural.
Guangzhou people pay more and more attention to environmental protection and sustainable development. Safe vegetables and safe meat have become common concerns among citizens. The market demand for green food and pollution-free food is growing day by day.
Fifth, food becomes interesting.
Guangzhou’s restaurants are paying more and more attention to decoration, elegant style, comfortable environment, room furnishings, dish naming, waiter’s clothing, etc., all reveal the taste of food culture.
Coupled with melodious and pleasant music, there may be dance performances, fashion shows, or karaoke, allowing diners to entertain themselves while dining and drinking in a beautiful artistic atmosphere.
This combination of food, culture and art has continuously improved the taste of Guangzhou’s food, and diners will enjoy an increasingly rich food culture.
The colorful food culture is an important window reflecting Guangzhou’s economic and social development.
I believe that with the construction and development of Guangzhou’s modern central city, “Food in Guangzhou” has unlimited potential and its future prospects will be even more brilliant.