Chiuchow
cuisine, Teochew cuisine or Chaozhou cuisine originates
from Chiuchow (now called 'Chaozhou'), a city of China
in Guangdong Province, not far from Canton. Hence the
cooking style is very similar to Cantonese cuisine. However,
Chiuchow cuisine does have some unique dishes that are
not in Cantonese cuisine. ("Chiuchow" is a Cantonese
pronunciation in common usage due to Teochew influence
in Cantonese culture and cuisine.)
Chiuchow
cuisine is particularly well known for its seafood and
its vegetarian dishes. Its use of flavoring is much less
heavy-handed than most cuisines from other parts of China
and depends much on the freshness of the ingredients for
taste. Chiuchow cuisine is also known for serving rice
soup, in addition to steamed rice with meals, which is
quite different from Cantonese porridge or congee which
is very thick and gluey. The Chiuchow rice soup is very
watery with the rice sitting loosely at the bottom of
the bowl. Authentic Chiuchow restaurants serve very strong
oolong tea in very tiny cups before and after the meal.
There
is a famous feast in Chiuchow cuisine called "Gau
Dai Gui" which roughly means "nine big courses"
in the dinner. Chiuchow chefs pride themselves on their
skill in vegetable carving. Carved vegetables are used
as garnishes on cold dishes and on the banquet table.
Chiuchow
is also known for a late night dinner called "Da
Loun". Chiuchow people like to eat out in restaurants
or at roadside food stalls close to midnight before they
go to bed. Some restaurants stay open till dawn.
Unlike
Cantonese or Mandarin cuisine, Chiuchow restaurant menus
will sometimes have a dessert section.
Some
famous Chiuchow dishes include, among others:
Steamed
goose
Cold crab
Fun Goh a steamed dumpling filled with dried radish, peanuts
and ground meat)
Shrimp balls
Oyster pancake
Tiet Kwun Yum ( a premium grade Oolong Tea)
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