Guangdong Food Guide: From Cantonese Dim Sum to Hakka Cooking

Guangzhou for a morning of tea and dim sum

Set aside a morning for yum cha in the city, then use Liwan’s Xiguan area for a smaller second stop. The Guangdong tourism route through Yongqing Fang (永庆坊) highlights sampan congee (艇仔粥) and water-chestnut cake from Pantang (泮塘马蹄糕). These make sense at different times. Start with a seated meal, then take a cake to share if you find it during your walk.

At a teahouse, ask what tea the table wants before counting baskets. A manageable order for two starts with har gow (虾饺), one steamed rice roll (肠粉) and a tea you recognize. Ask 一份有几个？ (How many pieces in one order?) before adding a plate. Liwan food route

Shunde, Foshan for double-skin milk

In Daliang, combine Qinghui Garden (清晖园) with Huagai Road pedestrian street (华盖路步行街). Shunde Library’s food database lists Minxin (民信老铺) on Huagai Road and at its milk-pudding museum branch. Search 民信老铺 华盖路店 to distinguish the former from other branches. Its double-skin milk pudding (双皮奶) is a straightforward first dessert.

Order 一份原味双皮奶 for one serving of the original flavor. Ask 有热的吗？ if you prefer it warm and let the counter confirm what is available. The traditional version contains milk and egg. If you have only an afternoon, choose this stop before committing to a longer meal elsewhere in Shunde. Shunde Library food directory

Chaozhou for beef balls and gongfu tea

Use Paifang Street (牌坊街) in Chaozhou’s old city as a starting point, with Guangji Bridge and Kaiyuan Temple as landmarks. The provincial route highlights beef balls (牛肉丸), yamunian (鸭母捻, filled glutinous-rice dumplings) and gongfu tea (工夫茶). Choose one savory snack, then sit down for tea so the two stops fit into the same walk.

If you want a tea tasting, ask 这个茶怎么收费？ (How is this tea priced?) before sitting down. The shop may quote for the pot, set or session. At a dumpling stall, 里面是什么馅？ asks what is inside. Save the Chinese spelling 潮州牌坊街 before leaving your hotel. Chaozhou food route

Meizhou for a Hakka meal

Search 嘉应古城 for Jiaying Old City in urban Meizhou, or plan a separate stop at the China Hakka Museum (中国客家博物馆) and eat nearby. Look for Hakka salt-baked chicken (盐焗鸡) or stuffed tofu (酿豆腐) at a sit-down restaurant. When ordering alone, ask 可以点半份吗？ (Can I order a half portion?). Check what the tofu is stuffed with.

If you want a drink, ask whether the restaurant has leicha (擂茶), a pounded tea preparation whose ingredients vary. Ask what goes into it if you avoid nuts or sesame. Niangjiu (娘酒) is a local rice wine, so choose it only if you want alcohol. Hakka dishes and local snacks

Choose a route that fits your trip

For a short Guangzhou visit, spend the morning in Liwan and set aside a separate half-day for Daliang if Shunde is your priority. If you are continuing east, choose Chaozhou for tea and a compact old-city food walk, or Meizhou for a shared Hakka meal. Keep branch names in Chinese and confirm current service hours in the map listing or with the shop. Allow a second option in the same neighborhood.

Common questions