粤菜文化 Cantonese Cuisine Culture

[Ho Kwok Leung]

**粤菜文化：一部千年商贸史孕育的舌尖传奇**
作为中国四大菜系中唯一以海洋文明为底色的饮食体系，粤菜的历史堪称一部岭南文明的进化史。公元前214年秦始皇开凿灵渠，中原移民首次大规模南迁，将青铜炊具与炙烤技艺带入百越之地。南越王墓出土的烤乳猪铜炉和禾花雀残骨，印证着两千年前岭南贵族对野味的极致追求。

**海上丝路催生饮食革命**
唐代广州设立市舶司，成为全球香料贸易中心。阿拉伯商人带来的茴香、波斯湾的藏红花与本地槟榔、荔枝碰撞，催生出"五滋六味"的调味哲学。宋代《岭外代答》记载，广州酒楼已出现用柠檬汁腌制的"鱼生"，这种生食传统比日本刺身早诞生三百年。

**十三行时代的味觉全球化**
1757年清廷实行一口通商，十三行商人宴客的"满汉全席"中开始出现葡式蛋挞、马来咖喱等异域元素。十三行买办潘振承发明的"太史蛇羹"，用柬埔寨燕窝搭配广西乌梢蛇，开创官府菜兼容并蓄之风。这一时期形成的"三茶两饭一夜宵"饮食节奏，至今仍是广府人的生活韵律。

**华侨文化重塑粤菜版图**
1840年后，数百万粤籍劳工下南洋，将沙爹酱引入煲仔饭，用古巴蔗糖改良叉烧酱。旧金山淘金热期间，"杂碎馆"发明左宗棠鸡，实际上源自台山厨师的甜酸排骨技法。1980年代，顺德厨师在香港创造的"XO酱"，现已成为全球中餐标准调味品。

**现代粤菜的三大基因密码**
1. **水文化基因**：珠三角密集河网孕育出极致鲜味的追求，从唐宋"鱼脍"到现代顺德鱼生，对水产鲜度的把控精确至分钟
2. **商贸文明基因**：千年通商史造就"不时不食"的时令哲学，春季禾虫宴、秋季禾花雀，食材周期与贸易季同步
3. **移民文化基因**：广府、潮汕、客家三大民系在饮食上的竞争融合，诞生了潮州打冷、客家酿菜等独特支脉

今日粤菜版图已超越地理界限：墨尔本烧腊师傅用澳洲和牛改良传统叉烧，硅谷中餐馆用分子料理技术重现失传的"龙虎斗"。这种永不停歇的革新精神，正是岭南文化"敢为天下鲜"的最佳注解。

**Cantonese Cuisine Culture: A Culinary Legend Forged by Millennia of Trade**

As the only culinary system among China's Four Great Cuisines rooted in maritime civilization, the history of Cantonese cuisine mirrors the evolution of Lingnan culture. In 214 BCE, Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s construction of the Lingqu Canal triggered the first mass migration of Central Plains settlers to the Baiyue region, introducing bronze cookware and roasting techniques. Artifacts like the bronze suckling pig roaster and bunting bird bones unearthed from the Tomb of the Nanyue King attest to the Lingnan aristocracy’s pursuit of wild delicacies over two millennia ago.

**The Maritime Silk Road’s Culinary Revolution**
During the Tang Dynasty, Guangzhou’s establishment of the Maritime Trade Office transformed it into a global spice hub. The collision of Arabian fennel, Persian Gulf saffron, and local betel nut and lychee birthed the "five essences and six flavors" seasoning philosophy. The Song Dynasty text *Lingwai Daida* records that Guangzhou restaurants served "yu sheng" (raw fish marinated in lemon juice) – a raw dining tradition predating Japanese sashimi by 300 years.

**Globalized Palates in the Thirteen Hongs Era**
In 1757, the Qing Dynasty’s Canton System concentrated foreign trade in Guangzhou. The Thirteen Hongs merchants’ "Manchu-Han Imperial Feast" incorporated exotic elements like Portuguese egg tarts and Malay curry. Pan Zhencheng, a comprador, created "Taishi Snake Soup" using Cambodian bird’s nest and Guangxi black snakes, pioneering the fusion of official cuisine styles. The dietary rhythm of "three teas, two meals, and one night snack" established during this period remains integral to Cantonese life.

**Overseas Chinese Reshaping Cantonese Cuisine**
Post-1840, millions of Cantonese laborers migrating to Southeast Asia infused satay sauce into claypot rice and refined char siu sauce with Cuban cane sugar. During the San Francisco Gold Rush, "chop suey houses" invented General Tso’s chicken, adapted from Toishan chefs’ sweet-and-sour spare ribs techniques. In 1980s Hong Kong, Shunde chefs created XO sauce, now a global Chinese culinary staple.

**Three Genetic Codes of Modern Cantonese Cuisine**
1. **Aquatic Culture Gene**: The Pearl River Delta’s waterways cultivated an obsession with freshness – from Tang-Song "fish sashimi" to Shunde’s modern yu sheng, where seafood freshness is measured in minutes.
2. **Mercantile Civilization Gene**: A millennium of trade forged the "seasonal eating" philosophy – spring rice worm feasts and autumn bunting bird dishes sync with trade cycles.
3. **Migrant Culture Gene**: The culinary rivalry and fusion between Cantonese, Teochew, and Hakka communities birthed unique branches like Teochew cold dishes and Hakka stuffed cuisine.

Today’s Cantonese cuisine transcends geography: Melbourne roast masters reinvent char siu with Wagyu beef, while Silicon Valley chefs resurrect the lost "Dragon-Tiger Stew" using molecular gastronomy. This relentless innovation epitomizes Lingnan culture’s spirit of "daring to pioneer freshness for the world."

[Ho Kwok Leung]

粤菜即广东菜，是中国四大菜系、八大菜系之一。粤菜包括潮汕菜（又称潮州菜）、广府菜（即广州菜）、东江菜（又称客家菜）、粤西菜以及其他广东地方饮食文化和烹饪技艺的风味菜。顺德、澳门、潮州三市是联合国评定的“世界美食之都”。

潮汕菜（潮州菜），简称潮菜，是享誉中外的一大菜系，是粤菜菜系的主干和代表之一，它食材讲究、选料广博、做工精细、中西结合、质鲜味美、注重养生，着意追求色香味俱全，有中国最高端菜系之称。潮菜被称为“国际上最好的中华料理”，连续三次被官方指定作为中国饮食文化唯一代表参与世博会，潮汕菜主要分布在汕头、潮州、揭阳。

广府菜源自中原，做法比较复杂、精细，如煲仔饭、烤乳猪源自周代“八珍”美食；烧鹅源自宋朝名菜烤鸭；点心从中原传到广东后演变出广式点心。广府菜集南海菜、番禺菜、东莞菜、顺德菜、中山菜、五邑菜等地方风味的特色。

广东客家菜是粤菜的一个主干代表，主要流行在梅州、惠州、河源、韶关、深圳等地，范围包括梅江、东江和北江流域，是粤港澳大湾区人文与经济的沟通桥梁。

粤西菜以广东省粤西地区的湛江、茂名、阳江等地为代表。高凉菜属于粤西菜式之一，发源于古代高凉郡，包括粤西地区茂名、阳江等地。湛江地区的代表菜式是湛江菜，烹饪食材用料广泛，有热带亚热带特色。疍家菜，属于粤菜一种，是岭南地区地方菜式之一。

汕尾菜与闽南比较接近，同时又受广府美食的影响，集两家之长，风味自成一格，注重刀工，擅用调味品。

资料来源：百度百科

**Cantonese Cuisine**
Cantonese cuisine, one of China's Four Great Cuisines and Eight Major Culinary Traditions, encompasses Teochew cuisine (Chaozhou cuisine), Cantonese cuisine (Guangzhou cuisine), Hakka cuisine (Dongjiang cuisine), Western Guangdong cuisine, and other regional culinary traditions and cooking techniques from Guangdong. The cities of Shunde, Macau, and Chaozhou have been designated as "UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy."

**Teochew Cuisine (Chaozhou Cuisine)**
Teochew cuisine, a renowned branch of Cantonese cuisine, is celebrated for its premium ingredients, diverse selection, meticulous preparation, fusion of Chinese and Western techniques, fresh flavors, health-conscious approach, and emphasis on balancing color, aroma, and taste. Often regarded as China's most sophisticated culinary tradition, it has been hailed as "the world's finest Chinese cuisine" and was officially selected three consecutive times as the sole representative of Chinese culinary culture at World Expos. Teochew cuisine is primarily centered in Shantou, Chaozhou, and Jieyang.

**Cantonese Cuisine (Guangzhou Cuisine)**
Originating from Central China, Cantonese cuisine features intricate and refined techniques. Dishes like claypot rice and roast suckling pig trace their roots to the Zhou Dynasty's "Eight Delicacies," while roast goose evolved from the Song Dynasty's roast duck. Dim sum, adapted from Central Chinese snacks, developed into the iconic Cantonese style. It incorporates regional specialties from Nanhai, Panyu, Dongguan, Shunde, Zhongshan, and Wuyi.

**Hakka Cuisine (Guangdong)**
As a cornerstone of Cantonese cuisine, Hakka cuisine is primarily popular in Meizhou, Huizhou, Heyuan, Shaoguan, Shenzhen, and other areas across the Mei River, Dong River, and Bei River basins. It serves as a cultural and economic bridge within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

**Western Guangdong Cuisine**
Represented by Zhanjiang, Maoming, and Yangjiang, Western Guangdong cuisine includes Gaoliang cuisine—originating from the ancient Gaoliang Commandery (encompassing Maoming and Yangjiang)—and Zhanjiang cuisine, which highlights tropical and subtropical ingredients. Tanka cuisine, a branch of Cantonese cuisine, reflects the culinary traditions of the boat-dwelling communities in Lingnan.

**Shanwei Cuisine**
Shanwei cuisine blends influences from Minnan (Southern Fujian) and Cantonese culinary traditions, combining the strengths of both with unique flavors, refined knife skills, and expert seasoning techniques.

**Source:** Baidu Encyclopedia

[Ho Kwok Leung]

东江菜系简介
东江菜又称客家菜。东江乃是珠江水系的东支，源自江西省南部，南流到广东龙川县五合附近折向西流，经珠江三角洲到狮子洋出虎门入海，因在粤东，故名东江。广东客家人多聚居在这一带，因此将自家的菜肴雅称为东江菜。
所谓客家，是古代从中原迁徙而来的汉人。《嘉应州志》记载：“客家人祖先本齐晋人，至秦时被迫而迁于豫皖。”因其时中原动荡，战乱频繁，大批居民流离失所，结队南逃。先是在江西、福建、安徽等地定居，后逐渐南迁到广东东部地区、广西、台湾及至海外各地。为区别于当地的居民，这部分外来的远客就被称为客家人。其实，在东江聚居的客家人并不是客，而是主。当初这些迁徙的人们是多群体有组织而迁，整村整族而徙，在今广东的紫金、五华、大埔、丰顺、河源、梅县、兴宁、龙川、惠州、惠东、惠阳以及附近的东莞、清远、英德、曲江等县的广阔地域定居后，反客为主。他们的生活习俗不易被同化，反而同化了不少土籍人。因此，他们的语言，仍保留中州古韵；他们的菜肴风味，也保留中州古代传统特色。
在广东菜的三个流派中，广州菜、潮州菜都曾经历过秦代以后的“汉越融合”阶段，而东江菜却一如既往。究其原因是东江地区与客家人的祖籍中原就地理条件和物产而言都较为接近；居住地属内陆腹地，远离海边，故食货多禽畜，水产品极少。乃有“无鸡不清，无肉不鲜，无鸭不香，无肘不浓”之说，加之在较长时间交通阻塞与外界接触少而使菜肴自成一家。
东江菜烹制主料突出，讲究香浓；下油重，味偏咸；注重火功，造型古朴，以炖、烤、焗见称，尤以沙锅菜和“酿”制技艺擅长。相传“酿豆腐”就是因南方缺少麦面包饺子，将肉馅填入豆腐内聊以自慰而形成的。
东江莱至今仍保留一些很有古代中州风貌的奇巧烹饪技艺。如酒焗法的菜肴“玫瑰焗双鸽”。其法是：将乳鸽宰净，抹干水分，取瓦钵一只，放入竹筷4支垫底，再将玫瑰露酒一杯放在瓦钵中间，然后把用香料腌制过的两只乳鸽放在露酒杯两旁，再将盛有乳鸽、露酒的瓦钵放在铁锅中，用瓦盆盖上密封，先用旺火后改用微火焗熟。鸽熟时杯中还存清酒半盏，但酒味已荡然无存，只是鸽肉酒香扑鼻。此种妙法，各地菜谱均不见，惟东江菜独存。
牛肉丸的制法也有特点，是将牛肉捶烂成酱，挤成丸子煮热，爽软而有弹性。这个菜其实是《礼记注疏》中列为八珍之一的捣珍。此法在贾思勰的《齐民要术》中称为“跳丸炙”，是因其有弹性能跳而得名。现在的东江牛肉丸仍依此法而制。潮州小牛肉丸，也是由客家人传艺的。因此，在广东菜系中，捣珍这一古老技法，是来自东江之客家菜。
此外，还有扁米酥鸡、盐焗鸡、梅菜扣肉、糟汁牛胱、香糟焗狗肉、鱼丸、酥丸、炸萝卜饼、甘蔗茅根粥等，其用料制法风味与别地不同，均显示出东江菜独有的韵味。在长期的发展过程中，东江菜为繁荣广东烹饪文化做出了贡献。

**Introduction to Dongjiang Cuisine**

Dongjiang cuisine, also known as Hakka cuisine, derives its name from the Dongjiang River, the eastern tributary of the Pearl River system. Originating in southern Jiangxi Province, the Dongjiang flows south to Wuhé near Longchuan County in Guangdong, then turns westward through the Pearl River Delta before emptying into the sea via the Lion Sea and Humen. As it lies in eastern Guangdong, it is named the Dongjiang River. The Hakka people, who predominantly settled in this region, elegantly refer to their culinary tradition as Dongjiang cuisine.

The term "Hakka" refers to Han Chinese who migrated from the Central Plains of ancient China. According to the *Jiaying Prefecture Annals*, "The ancestors of the Hakka people were originally from the Qi and Jin regions, forced to relocate to Henan and Anhui during the Qin Dynasty." Due to prolonged turmoil and warfare in the Central Plains, large groups of displaced people fled southward. Initially settling in Jiangxi, Fujian, and Anhui, they gradually migrated further to eastern Guangdong, Guangxi, Taiwan, and overseas. To distinguish themselves from local inhabitants, these migrants were called "Hakka" (guest people). However, in the Dongjiang region, the Hakka were not mere guests but became the dominant settlers. They migrated as organized groups—entire villages or clans—and established themselves across areas such as Zijin, Wuhua, Dabu, Fengshun, Heyuan, Meixian, Xingning, Longchuan, Huizhou, Huidong, Huiyang, Dongguan, Qingyuan, Yingde, and Qujiang. Their customs resisted assimilation and instead influenced the local culture. Consequently, their language retains ancient Central Plains phonetics, and their cuisine preserves traditional Central Plains flavors.

Among the three major branches of Cantonese cuisine (Guangzhou, Chaozhou, and Dongjiang), Guangzhou and Chaozhou cuisines underwent a "Han-Yue fusion" after the Qin Dynasty, while Dongjiang cuisine remained largely unchanged. This is attributed to the Dongjiang region’s geographical and agricultural similarities to the Hakka’s ancestral Central Plains. Located inland and distant from the coast, the cuisine emphasizes poultry, livestock, and meat over seafood, encapsulated in the saying: "No dish is pure without chicken, no flavor fresh without pork, no aroma complete without duck, no richness achieved without pork knuckle." Prolonged isolation further solidified its distinct culinary identity.

Dongjiang cuisine highlights bold flavors, rich aromas, and generous use of oil and salt. It emphasizes meticulous heat control and rustic presentation, specializing in stewing, roasting, and baking—particularly claypot dishes and "stuffed" techniques. Legend holds that "stuffed tofu" (yong tofu) emerged as a substitute for wheat-based dumplings, filling tofu with minced meat instead.

The cuisine retains ancient Central Plains cooking techniques, such as the wine-baking method exemplified in "Rose-Baked Double Pigeons." The dish involves placing marinated pigeons alongside a cup of rose wine in an earthen pot, sealed and baked over alternating high and low heat until the wine evaporates, leaving only its fragrance infused into the tender meat. This unique method is exclusive to Dongjiang cuisine.

Another hallmark is beef meatballs, made by pounding beef into a paste, shaping it into bouncy balls, and boiling them. This technique mirrors the "tiao wan zhi" (jumping meatballs) described in Jia Sixie’s *Qimin Yaoshu*, a nod to the ancient "pounded delicacy" listed among the "Eight Treasures" in the *Classic of Rites*. Chaozhou’s beef balls also trace their roots to Hakka culinary tradition, underscoring Dongjiang’s role in preserving this ancient method.

Signature dishes like Flat Rice Crispy Chicken, Salt-Baked Chicken, Braised Pork with Preserved Mustard Greens, Wine-Marinated Beef Tripe, Fragrant Wine-Baked Dog Meat, fish balls, crispy balls, fried radish cakes, and sugarcane-reed root porridge further showcase Dongjiang cuisine’s unique flavors and techniques. Over centuries, Dongjiang cuisine has significantly enriched Guangdong’s culinary heritage, preserving a timeless link to its Central Plains origins.

[Ho Kwok Leung]

潮州菜系简介
粤东韩江流域的潮汕平原，古属闽越，其饮食风俗有别于广州而与闽南类同。潮州菜虽也受广州莱烹调法的影响，但渊源不同，莱肴特色迥异。
潮州菜的形成和发展，源远流长。早在盛唐时代，诗人韩愈被眨至潮州，曾写了一首题为《初南食·眙元十八协律》的诗：“鲎实如惠文，骨眼相负行。蚝相黏如山，自生。薄鱼尾如蛇，口眼不相营。蛤即是虾蟆，同实浪异名。章举马甲柱，斗以怪自呈。其余数十种，莫不可惊叹。我来御魅，自宜味南烹。调以咸和酸，笔以椒与橙。腥臊嘴吞面汗骍。。。。。。。”诗里描述潮州人的鲎、蛇、蒲鱼、蛤、章鱼和马甲柱等数十种异食，并懂得对腥臊物调以咸、酸之味，由此可见，在韩愈被贬潮州之前，虽然潮州风化未开，文化落后，但当时的潮州人不仅能利用当地的海产品烹调有地方特色的菜肴，同时还懂得采用椒、橙等作佐料，已反映出潮菜注重和善于调味的特点。
潮汕东南濒海，平原内江河纵横交错，天然和养殖的水产品极其丰富。得天独厚的资源造就了潮菜以烹制海鲜见长。如油泡螺球、清汤蟹丸、清沌白鳝、红炖鱼翅、红炆鲍鱼、生炊羔蟹等。其独特之处在于选料鲜活，清鲜爽口，郁而不腻。盘菜讲究急汤，汤菜保持原汁原味，清炖鲜味。
潮菜的又一独到之处就是菜肴富有田园风味。素菜品种繁多，普通瓜果都可入厨。而素菜的烹调采用肉类爆炆而成，功夫粤妙之处在于上席时菜肴饱含肉味而不见肉，菜身鲜嫩而不糜，味道清素而不斋，菜肴主调料 :分明而又互为依托。著名的潮汕素菜有厚菇芥菜、玻璃白菜、八宝素菜、护国素菜，堪称粤菜中素菜的代表。
潮菜的另一个特点是甜菜品种多，而且甜味特别浓。其选料广泛、用料特殊，瓜果、薯、芋等农产品固然常用，而肥猪肉、五花肉、蛤蟆等荤料也选用作冷、热甜菜，代表品种有金瓜芋泥、羔烧番薯、姜薯桃、甜绉纱肉等。
潮菜的烹调法有炆、炖、煎、炸、炊、泡、烧、扣、淋、烤等十多种，以炆、炖见长；技艺精细，注重拼砌和彩盘点缀；爱用鱼露、豆酱、沙茶酱、梅羔酱、红醋等调味品。
潮菜筵席也别具一格、自成一体。荤素咸甜合理配套，上菜次序与广州菜和东江菜均不相同。先上热或冷拼盘，每隔几道盘菜再上一道汤菜（每席一般安排两道汤菜）。每道荤菜上席时均配上酱碟佐料，每上二至三道菜便上潮州功夫茶，清喉助消化，保持食欲。菜肴上齐后，每位送白粥一碗并配上酸菜佐食。潮州菜系的筵席，以白粥为主食，为其他地方所瞠目，但就合理饮食、讲究健康而言，颇符合现代人的口味，因而倍受青睐。
潮州小吃与广州风味迥然，蚝烙、鱼丸、鱼丝面、牛肉丸、双烹粽球、水晶球、乒乓粿，炒糕粿、粟子饭挑等，常令旅居海外的潮州人勾起无限的乡情。