Chaozhou cuisine, also known as Chao cuisine or Chaoshan cuisine, is representative of Cantonese cuisine. Chaozhou cuisine is characterized by a wide selection of quality ingredients, meticulous processing, a combination of Chinese and Western styles and freshness. Therefore, Chaozhou is described as a city of lingering flavors.

Over more than 1,000 years, Chaozhou people have passed down traditional recipes while incorporating the cooking styles and techniques from other cuisines. Plain flavor, careful preparation and a balanced diet are tenets of Chaozhou food culture. The dishes preserve the original deliciousness of various ingredients. Meat-like flavors can be created in vegetarian meals. Every dish has a strong Chaozhou sense. During meals, kung fu tea is prepared and served.

Chaozhou food is plain, but it’s never tasteless. Fish tastes fresh without unpleasant smells. Meat is processed rightly so that it is tender and juicy without being undercooked or too greasy.

Knife skills and cooking techniques are essential to Chaozhou cuisine. Different applications of them turn into personalized flavors. Chaozhou cookery relies heavily on knife skills and cooking methods. They lead to personalized flavors. Vegetables and seafood are mainstays in a meal. Sugar provides a sweet taste in many dishes. Cooks can choose from more than a dozen of cooking techniques: braising, stewing, pan-frying, deep-frying, steaming, stir-frying, baking, quick-frying, blanching, frying and stirring, marinating, simmering, braising in master sauce, smoking, pouring and roasting.

Condiments are also important. Each dish has its matching dipping sauce, which might be savory, sweet, sour or spicy. Galangal, plum paste, fish sauce, brown sugar sauce and galangal-plum-vinegar sauce are all popular Chaozhou-style dips.

Chaozhou culinary art has made the intangible cultural heritage of Guangdong Province. Chaozhou was awarded the title of “the home of Chaozhou cuisine” by China Cuisine Association in October 2004. In 2020, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism released the nomination for the fifth batch of national intangible cultural heritage. Chaozhou cooking was a candidate for traditional skills.