Cantonese cuisine (Traditional Chinese:廣東菜; Simplified Chinese:广东菜; Hanyu pinyin: Guǎngdōng cài; Jyutping: Gwong2 dung1 coi3) is one of the most famous varieties of Chinese cuisine, originating in Guangdong. It is perhaps the most well-known Chinese cuisine overseas, because many people from Guangdong and Hong Kong emigrated far and wide. It is highly regarded in China as one of the eight great traditions of Chinese cuisine.
Background
Cantonese cuisine's main emphasis is fresh ingredients, such as vegetables, meat, and seafood. However, dried and preserved food are sometimes used in order to give the food flavor, such as century eggs, pickled cabbage, Chinese sausage, and fermented tofu. Cantonese sauces are mild, unlike Sichuan and Hunan sauces, and are used only to enhance, not overpower, the food's flavor. The main cooking techniques are steaming and stir-frying, which preserve the food's natural vitamins and nutrients and seals in the flavor. Roasted meat, or siu mei (燒味) is another popular feature of Cantonese food, and is essentially the Cantonese equivalent of rotisserie meats.