Editor's Note

No trip to Guangdong would be complete without trying snacks. Hundreds of delightful dim-sums in bamboo steamers or plates are served with pots of Chinese tea for breakfast traditionally and for anytime you like nowadays. Steamed BBQ Pork Bun, Xiguan Salty Pancake, Sampan Congee, Wonton Noodles, Shrimp Dumplings and Shahe Rice Noodle are just some of the local favorites. Its ever-changing tastes are beyond words. So, try some of our wonderful delicacies! 

The translucent shrimp dumplings is a traditional Cantonese dumplings served in dim sum. The filling usually contains shrimp, cooked pork fat, bamboo shoots, scallions, cornstarch, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, and other seasonings. 

 
Cantonese siumai
Chinese: 烧卖

As prepared in Cantonese cuisine, siumai is also referred to as "pork and mushroom dumpling". Its standard filling is a combination of ingredients, consisting primarily of seasoned ground pork, whole and chopped shrimp, and Chinese black mushroom in small bits. The outer covering is made of a thin sheet of lye water dough. The center is usually garnished with an orange dot, made of roe or diced carrot, although a green dot made with a pea may be used. The decorative presentations vary. 

Wonton noodles, one of the most popular traditional dishes in Guangzhou, is usually served in a hot broth, garnished with leafy vegetables, and wonton dumplings. 

Major ingredients include pork liver, intestines, kidney etc.

Story: In the Ming Dynasty, a boy who had a great gift in poems in Xiguan of Guangzhou city was too poor to go to school and had to sell vegetable for living.

One day he was starving and passed by a shop selling congee. Showing appreciation in the boy's gift, the shop owner bought part of his vegetable and offer congee to him for free. Since then, the boy can eat different congee with flavorings like pork liver, intestines or kidney in this shop everyday. After several years of schooling, the boy became the No. 1 Scholar at that time.

To pay back to the shop owner who offered free congee to him, the boy visited him as soon as he became the No. 1 Scholar. The shop owner prepared a congee with pork liver, intestines, kidney for the Scholar, hence "NO.1 Scholar" Congee came into being.

Ginger milk pudding is originated in Shawan town of Panyu district, Guangzhou city. The main ingredients are ginger, milk, and sugar. 

Steamed rice flour rolls are snow, thin, aromatic, smooth and tasty. 

Ji Zai Biscuits, Guangzhou's leading kind of biscuits, was originally known as "Xiao Feng Biscuits". Legend has it that Ji Zai Biscuits were created by a female domestic helper named "Xiao Feng" in the wealthy Wu family at Xiguan in Guangzhou during the reign of Emperor Xian Feng (1850-1861) of the Qing Dynasty. But, the biscuits didn't become famous until half a century later when, frustrated by the sluggish sales of mid-autumn festival moon cakes, biscuit makers at Guangzhou's Chengzhu Teahouse made the bold move to adopt the Xiao Feng biscuit production technique and use a mixture of mashed moon cakes, pork and cabbage hearts as fillings to produce sweet and salty and crispy new "Chengzhu Xiao Feng Biscuits".

It is flavored with cream, mashed garlic, ground pepper powder, five-spice powder, and salt. Xiao Feng Biscuits are shaped like chicken, hence its nickname of "Ji Zai Biscuits" ("Ji Zai" means chicken).

Ji Zai Biscuits is a famous snack in Chengzhu Restaurant. It can be also found in traditional restaurant like Lian Xiang Lou, Guangzhou Restaurant, and Tao Tao Ju. 

A specialty of Guangzhou, Shuang Pi Nai or Double-Skin Milk is enjoyed by both young and old. The dish is actually simmered milk with a solid covering made from a mixture of egg white and milk, hence the name Double-Skin Milk.

When prepared, the dish appears to be pure white in colour and semi-solid in exture with a soft and sweet taste. Most importantly, it has nutritional value so is considered good for one's health.

Recipe: Boil fresh milk placed in a pan until a milk skin is formed on the surface. After the milk cools, separate the milk from the skin and place it into another bowl. Braise the milk skin with sugar and protein until another layer of milk skin forms. Pour the braised milk skin into a bowl over the separated milk to get "double-skin milk". 

Sampan Congee is one of the most popular Cantonese snacks. Major ingredients include pork, fillet, fried peanuts, sliced fried egg, cut-deep-fries dough sticks etc.

It is said that in the past the Sampan Congee was first served by scholars and tourists who took a boat tour in the suburbs of Guangzhou, later, many local restaurants began to prepare such Congee and people now can taste Sampan Congee everywhere in Guangzhou.

Pantang Water Chestnut Cake, yellow and transparent in color with smooth taste and delicate fragrance of water chestnut, is a famous pastry in Panxi restaurant. The pastry is made by steaming the mixture of water chestnut flour and syrup. 

Shahe Rice Noodle, believed to originate from Shahe town of Tianhe district, Guangzhou city, has a history of hundreds of years.

The noodle is white, thin but tenacious. There are many ways of cooking, it can be boiled, steamed or fried, with sour, sweet, bitter, spicy and salty tastes. Sometimes, the vegetable juice and fruit juice are added when cooking, making the noodle more colorful and even more different in taste. 

 
Cantonese-style Moon Cake
Chinese: 广式月饼

Cantonese-style moon cake is beautifully shaped with clear and exquisite pattern. There are two different tastes: salty and sweet. The different fillings include: lotus seed, almond, olive kernel, peach kernel, green bean, sesame, salty egg, roast goose, dried mushrooms, ice meat, sweet wax gourd, shelled shrimps, etc.

Lian Xiang Lou Restaurant, Guangzhou Restaurant, Tao Tao Ju Restaurant, Quxiang Cookhouse, etc, are the representatives of producing Guangdong-style moon cakes. The most famous moon cakes are "Taotaojusang Moon Cake" made by Tao Tao Ju Restaurant and "Lotus Moon Cake" made by Lian Xiang Lou Restaurant, etc. 

Xiguan, traditionally known as Guangzhou's Liwan district, is a heaven for gourmets, as the local cuisine combines color, flavor, and taste, presenting a sensory feast of perfect food.

Dechang Salty Pancake, famous for its bright color and unique flavor, is one of the traditional Cantonese snacks popular in Xiguan. 

 
Cantonese-style Boiling Congee
Chinese: 生滚粥

"Boiling" in Cantonese refers to putting fresh raw ingredients into the hot and continuously boiling plain congee, their flavors enhancing the soft-textured congee. With just a sip, its warmth creeps through your body.

Besides popularized sidewalk snack booths, high-end traditional restaurants like Tao Tao Ju also serves Boiling Congee. 

The buns are filled with barbecue-flavored cha siu pork and are served as a type of dim sum during yum cha. It can be either steamed to be fluffy and white or baked with a light sugar glaze to produce a smooth golden-brown crust. 

Nanxin's milk jelly was found by Huang Jingyun in 1939. "Milk jelly" is also called "Double-skin Milk" by the locals. Nanxin's milk jelly was praised as the best in the city during last 80s.

Nanxin's special milk jelly is made of milk from water buffalo. Only the buffalo milk can coagulate when cooled.

Nanxin's ginger-milk is also popular especially during autumn and winter.