Eating in Guangzhou

Food and drink are the indispensable material conditions on which human beings live. The ancestors of more than 2000 years ago told such a truth: Food is the first necessity of the people. As the science, technology and social materials develop, the level of catering has become an important standard for the civilization of a nation.

As the famous saying goes, "Eating in Guangzhou", Catering has been the relatively active industry of the economy of Guangzhou and also the sensitive industry to the society. Judging from the history, as long as the society is stable, the economy develops, the restaurants must be flourishing. Therefore, people regard catering industry as the weather glass of the politics and economy of the society.

Nowadays, catering industry not only reflects the new situation of the reform and opening up of Guangzhou, but also one of the pillar industries for enlarging internal demand and increasing the economic development. The business value of the catering industry in 1998 reached RMB 15.838 billion, increasing by 25.7% annually in the past 20 years, 18.48% over the average increasing rate in the 29 years before reform and opening up. "Eating In Guangzhou" reflects the characteristics of its catering market, skill and convenience, which rank first in China. The statistics show that there are 18,000 restaurants of all kinds in Guangzhou including a good number of historic ones and new ones. There are also countless traditional and creative famous dishes, dim-sums and appetizers. The visitors are always attracted by the variety, color, fragrance, taste and shape of the dishes.

Cantonese Food, one of the four major food styles in China, become eminent with the development of its unique history, culture, geography and technology. Cantonese food gathers the advantages of other food styles. There are various extractive materials and seasonings like birds, beasts, games, sea foods, wild vegetables.

The cooking skill pays priority to light, fresh, clear, slippery, tender and nutrition, which also change with the seasons. The "morning tea", which becomes popular all of China, has delicate and tasty dim sum. Guangzhou flavor snack has large variety and diversity, such as the inexpensive and tasty radish cake, rice noodle, steamed zongzi (rice wrapped in leaves), fried river snail, cattle entrails, Shahe rice noodle, wonton with noodle, skinned milk, stewed stuff, boat porridge, jidi porridge and pot rice.

Guangzhou concentrates the dishes of all of China. You could find local food and food from outside, like Chaozhou food, Hakka food, Sichuan food, Shandong food, Hunan food, Beijing food, Jiangsu food, Northeast China food, Muslim food and Royal food.

People could taste Chinese royal dishes of Qing dynasty, full Man and Han ethnic dishes, Beijing roasted duck, Yunnan Guoqiao rice noodle, Shanghai Longxiang steamed bun, Tianjin Goubuli steamed bun, xi'an royal court dumpling, Chongqing chafing dish, Lanzhou beef noodle, Chaozhou snack and Shanxi chopped noodle.

The tasty dish of the world are brought to Guangzhou, including the French raw oyster, Japanese sushi, sashimi, Thai potted fish and chicken claw, Korean BBQ, Indian fried curry chicken, Vietnamese grilled gold edge fish and cuisine from Nepal, Middle East, Italy, U.S.A. and South East Asia.

What ever local flavor, country snack and traditional cuisine are available in Guangzhou. All kinds of restaurants cover every street and commercial area, no matter it is a well known one or a snack bar. In recent years, dining out has become an indispensable activity of people in the daily life and catering industry has attracted more investors to join in. Therefore, the number of restaurant increased tremendously, the competition method are diversified, which takes on a flourishing phenomena.