Chaozhou, a city with a culinary history spanning over two millennia, has recently been honored with the title of “Creative City of Gastronomy” by UNESCO. This recognition places Chaozhou, located in South China’s Guangdong Province, alongside other renowned Chinese cities like Chengdu, Shunde, Macao, Yangzhou, and Huai’an in this prestigious category.
Chaozhou cuisine, an integral part of the broader Cantonese culinary tradition, is celebrated for its emphasis on freshness, tenderness, and a harmonious blend of flavors. It artfully avoids extremes of blandness or overwhelming intensity, focusing instead on the natural essence of ingredients. The cuisine is characterized by minimal use of salt, sugar, and oil, relying on fresh and light seasonings to enhance the natural flavors.
A range of cooking techniques such as steaming, stewing, blanching, stir-frying, braising, and simmering are employed in Chaozhou cuisine, with a deliberate avoidance of grilling and roasting. This approach has secured Chaozhou’s unique position within the diverse realm of Chinese culinary traditions.
Chaozhou’s culinary offerings include a variety of dishes that emphasize the freshness and sweetness of ingredients, creating invigorating flavors that connect with diners on a deeper level. From beef hot pot and marinated raw seafood to the simple yet delightful fish rice, each dish embodies the essence of Chaozhou’s culinary philosophy.
The city’s coastal location, at the convergence of the East China Sea and South China Sea, endows it with a rich variety of seafood. This bounty of aquatic products is a prominent feature of local cuisine, exemplified by dishes like fish rice and marinated raw seafood. Fish rice, despite its name, contains no actual rice but instead showcases the fresh, succulent flavors of locally caught fish.
Chaozhou cuisine’s history, dating back to the Han and Tang dynasties, includes over 500 dishes and more than 300 varieties of snacks. Recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, the culinary style reflects the city’s rich gastronomic legacy.
The city’s beef hot pot is renowned for its meticulous preparation, ensuring the freshness of the beef, served within hours of slaughter. Accompanied by a variety of cuts, each offering distinct textures and flavors, the hot pot is a culinary delight that has captivated diners from all corners.
The recognition of Chaozhou as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy is not just an accolade for the city’s culinary expertise but also an acknowledgment of its significant contribution to the global gastronomic landscape. As the city continues to evolve, Chaozhou cuisine remains a vibrant and essential part of China’s rich gastronomic heritage, attracting food enthusiasts worldwide and preserving the unique flavors and traditions of this ancient culinary sanctuary.
READ MORE: