What Makes it Unique?
A closer look at Cantonese food.
Chinese food you mean, right? Well, yes and no. Cantonese food is the most popular all over the world in terms of Chinese food. In fact, many foreigners regard Cantonese food as Chinese food, but there are great differences.
China’s vast geography and ancient history echo right through its cuisine. It’s best to divide its culinary origins, with the appropriate disclaimers, into that of four major regions. The northern plains, including Beijing; the fertile east, watered by the Yangtze River; the prolific west of Szechuan and Hunan Provinces; and the south, famous for the Cantonese cooking of Guangdong Province.
Canton is perhaps the most famous of the food areas. Long, warm, wet days throughout the year create the perfect environment for cultivating almost everything. And the coast provides ample seafood of many varieties. Cooking methods and recipes here are sophisticated, and the style highlights freshness. There is less reliance on loud, spicy sauces and a greater degree of subtlety
In contrast, the mountainous western provinces have restaurants filled with steamy heat and spicy foods. It may tell of the inclinations of the local palate or the locally grown chillies, though some would suggest they are used to mask the taste of foods that rot quickly in the heat!
To the east of Hunan lies ‘the land of fish and rice’. Like the west in latitude, it has the added bonus of lowlands for rice cultivation and an ocean’s edge for fish. Northwards, reaching into the Gobi Desert and Arctic winter winds, the hostile climatic conditions allow only for hardier fruits and vegetables. Wheat, barley, cabbage, millet, pears and apples, along with a prevalence of mutton and lamb constitute much of the diet.
As the mildest and most common of Chinese food, Cantonese tends to be more colourful, and is usually stir-fried, which preserves both the texture and the flavours. Steaming and boiling are also used instead of deep-frying, and vegetables are cooked in the shortest time possible in order to retain the natural crispness and taste. Because many Chinese immigrants to other countries are from the Canton/Hong Kong region, this style of cooking has become almost synonymous in the western world with Chinese cuisine.
Famous dishes include whole roast pork, crispy duck, roast pigeon, steamed fish, drunken chicken and a wide range of crispy green vegetables. In reverence to the Cantonese people, their diverse food supply and love of cooking, Amanda Bennett observes in the book, ‘Quotable Feast’, “Cantonese will eat anything in the sky but airplanes, anything in the sea but submarines, and anything with four legs but the table!”
And of course Canton is famous for Dim Sum, the tasty little dumplings and pastries. Literally meaning ‘to touch the heart’ or ‘heart’s delight’, there are more than a thousand varieties from all of the regions. Steamed prawn dumplings, pork ribs with black-bean sauce, roast pork buns and a myriad of others grace the lunch tables of Cantonese restaurants.
As K.C. Chang wrote in ‘Food in Chinese Culture’, “Few other cultures are as food-orientated as the Chinese.” Their food seems made for ritual and symbolises comfort and tradition. And the chefs today who glory in producing authentic Cantonese food exemplify the unique techniques and culinary skills that only in modern times have we really began to appreciate.
Here on Samui, you have a couple of options if you are after a spot of Cantonese cooking. For something more along traditional lines, head to Nanyuan Noodle, Samui in Choeng Mon. Here you can enjoy delicious dishes such as Egg Noodle with Shrimps Wanton or Steamed Rice and Roasted Duck for just 60 baht. There is also a variety of dim sum, and even whole roasted duck.
Meanwhile, also located in Choeng Mon, Donny Wong’s offers what they describe as UK and Australian style Chinese food – something closer to what you would find at your local takeaway back home. Although in this case it is more like 4-star food at takeaway prices. Their menu boasts 126 dishes, including chow mein and chop suey dishes, Hong Kong style sweet-and-sour dishes, as well as the popular curries, found in UK Chinese restaurants. You’ll also find short ribs, Mongolian-style lamb and Szechuan peppercorn and chilli dishes. They are also one of the few places on the island you can find that eternal favourite, Peking Duck.