Hello everyone, I’m Emma Lee, an expatriate food blogger living in China. Ever since I arrived in this vibrant country, I’ve fallen in love with its rich culinary culture. From bustling street food stalls to elegant upscale restaurants, I enjoy exploring and experiencing all that China has to offer. In this blog post, I’ll take you on a culinary journey through Shenzhen, a true food paradise, and share some of the must-try local delicacies.

Summary

Must-Try Traditional Shenzhen Dishes

Guangming Milk Pigeon

Traditional roasted pigeon served in a Chinese style
  • Introduction: Shenzhen is famous for its traditional dish, Guangming Milk Pigeon, known for its crispy skin, tender meat, aromatic bones, and juicy flavors. The selection of pigeons is meticulous, ensuring the meat remains tender and succulent. During cooking, the pigeon skin is fried to a golden crisp while the meat retains its juiciness, releasing rich meaty flavors and succulent juices with every bite.
  • Chinese Name: 光明乳鸽
  • Pinyin: guang ming ru ge
  • Main Ingredients: Milk pigeon
  • Typical Eating Time: Lunch and Dinner
  • Recommended Season: All year round
  • Guangming Guest House (Guangming Linyuan Road)
    • Address: 26 Fazheng North Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen (310 meters walk from Guangming Street Subway Station Exit B)
    • Average Cost: 72 RMB
    • Opening Hours: Daily 10:00 AM – 8:30 PM
  • Old Guangdong Guangming Milk Pigeon (Main Store)
    • Address: 9 Sports Park Road, Guangming Street, Guangming District, Shenzhen
    • Average Cost: 92 RMB
    • Opening Hours: Daily 9:30 AM – 9:00 PM

Gongming Roast Goose

Sliced roast goose, a popular Cantonese dish
  • Introduction: A culinary treasure from Shenzhen’s Guangming District, Gongming Roast Goose is renowned for its crispy skin and tender meat, featuring a golden-red hue and delicious flavor. The goose undergoes a careful preparation process, marinated and roasted to perfection, ensuring each bite is succulent.
  • Chinese Name: 公明烧鹅
  • Pinyin: gong ming shao e
  • Main Ingredients: Goose
  • Typical Eating Time: Lunch and Dinner
  • Recommended Season: All year round
  • Xia Cun Xin Qiang Ji Roast Goose Shop
    • Address: Next to the community defense team, Xia Cun, Guangming District, Shenzhen
    • Average Cost: 63 RMB
    • Opening Hours: Daily 7:00 AM – 9:30 PM

Shenzhen Fried Rice Cake

Traditional Chinese rice cakes from Shenzhen
  • Introduction: Shenzhen Fried Rice Cake is a simple yet exquisite sweet snack that acts as a key to memories of rural charm. Crafted with traditional skill, high-quality glutinous rice is fried, ground into flour, mixed with sugar and oil, pressed into cakes, and then baked.
  • Chinese Name: 深圳炒米饼
  • Pinyin: chao mi bing
  • Main Ingredients: Glutinous rice
  • Typical Eating Time: Snack
  • Recommended Season: All year round
  • Ken De Xiang Biscuit Shop
    • Address: 15 Tongsha Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen
    • Average Cost: 10 RMB
    • Opening Hours: Daily 7:30 AM – 10:30 PM

Bao’an Cloud Cake

White, fluffy traditional dessert from Bao'an
  • Introduction: Bao’an Cloud Cake is a delicately sweet traditional snack. Its cake body is translucent and resembles intricately carved ice, with a soft, fine texture and a sweet, delightful flavor. It is made using complex and refined techniques, incorporating high-quality glutinous rice and various ingredients.
  • Chinese Name: 宝安云片糕
  • Pinyin: yun pian gao
  • Main Ingredients: Glutinous rice
  • Typical Eating Time: Snack
  • Recommended Season: All year round
  • Available in supermarkets and airport gift shops
    • Average Cost: 10 RMB

Shajing Oysters

Fresh oysters topped with garlic and sauce
  • Introduction: Shajing Oysters are a jewel of Shenzhen’s seafood cuisine. The cooking methods for these oysters vary, offering a range of flavors. Shajing Oysters are known for their plump, tender meat, which becomes a perfect blend of fresh and roasted flavors when cooked, tantalizing the taste buds with every bite.
  • Chinese Name: 沙井蚝
  • Pinyin: sha jing hao
  • Main Ingredients: Oysters
  • Typical Eating Time: Lunch and Dinner
  • Recommended Season: All year round
  • Li Ji Zhan Guang Oyster House (Xia Sha Third Branch)
    • Address: Shop 6, Building 8, Qi Fang Company Complex, Xia Sha Village, Futian District, Shenzhen
    • Average Cost: 81 RMB
    • Opening Hours: Daily 5:30 PM – 2:30 AM

Gongming Rice Noodles

Simple and traditional rice noodles in broth
  • Introduction: Gongming Rice Noodles are a beloved local specialty in Shenzhen, appreciated for their unique texture and flavor. Made with high-quality rice flour through several traditional processes, these noodles offer a smooth, elastic texture. Served with distinctive sauces and side dishes, they provide a rich and varied flavor.
  • Chinese Name: 公明濑粉
  • Pinyin: gong ming lai fen
  • Main Ingredients: Rice noodles
  • Typical Eating Time: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
  • Recommended Season: All year round
  • Xia Cun Xin Qiang Ji Roast Goose Shop
    • Address: Next to the community defense team, Xia Cun, Guangming District, Shenzhen
    • Average Cost: 63 RMB
    • Opening Hours: Daily 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Bao’an Fuyong Fish Tofu

Deep-fried fish tofu, a local specialty
  • Introduction: A traditional delicacy from Fuyong Town in Bao’an District, Shenzhen, Fish Tofu is cherished for its fine texture and delicious flavor. The complex process involves selecting fresh fish, processing it into a fish paste, and then mixing it with seasonings and additives before frying. The resulting Fish Tofu is crispy on the outside and tender inside, making it a popular dish during holidays or when hosting guests.
  • Chinese Name: 宝安福永鱼腐
  • Pinyin: yu fu
  • Main Ingredients: Fish
  • Typical Eating Time: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
  • Recommended Season: All year round
  • Delightful Zha·Guangdong Zha Zha Pot (Coast City Store)
    • Address: Shop 125, East Outer Area of Coast City Shopping Center, Wenxin Fourth Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen (next to Old Bowl Club)
    • Average Cost: 70 RMB
    • Opening Hours: Daily 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Songgang Cured Duck

Traditional Chinese cured duck, ready to be served
  • Introduction: Songgang Cured Duck is one of Shenzhen’s traditional foods, renowned for its unique flavor and meticulous preparation process. Quality duck meat is cured, air-dried, and then prepared in a variety of ways—steamed, boiled, stewed, or fried—each method enhancing the duck’s inherent deliciousness.
  • Chinese Name: 松岗腊鸭
  • Pinyin: song gang la ya
  • Main Ingredients: Duck
  • Typical Eating Time: Lunch and Dinner
  • Recommended Season: All year round
  • Available in supermarkets and airport gift shops, as well as some roadside cured meat shops
    • Average Cost: 60 RMB

Shenzhen Seafood

Luxurious seafood platter with crab
  • Introduction: Thanks to its proximity to the South China Sea, Shenzhen boasts a rich variety of seafood, each type offering unique tastes and cooking methods. From tender steamed fish to crispy fried shrimp balls, from rich seafood pots to refreshing seafood salads, Shenzhen’s seafood delights countless food lovers with its diversity and flavor.
  • Chinese Name: 深圳海鲜
  • Pinyin: hai xian
  • Main Ingredients: Various seafood
  • Typical Eating Time: Lunch and Dinner
  • Recommended Season: All year round
  • Master’s Association Seafood Restaurant (Yantian Branch)
    • Address: No. 8 Seafood Street, Yantian District, Shenzhen (380 meters walk from Yantian Village Subway Station Exit B)
    • Average Cost: 476 RMB
    • Opening Hours: Daily 11:00 AM – 10:30 PM

Shenzhen Dim Sum

Variety of dim sum dishes in a traditional setting
  • Introduction: Dim Sum in Shenzhen’s Bao’an District is a beloved tradition. Like the Fish Tofu, it is known for its delicate texture and delicious taste. The preparation involves selecting fresh ingredients and using a complex process to create a variety of small, flavorful dishes that are perfect for sharing during breakfast or as a light meal.
  • Chinese Name: 深圳早茶
  • Pinyin: zao cha
  • Main Ingredients: Various ingredients
  • Typical Eating Time: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
  • Recommended Season: All year round
  • Liao Fa Fa Budget Tea Stall Snack Market
    • Address: 40 meters east of the intersection of Minfu South Road and Minli Road, Longhua District, Shenzhen
    • Average Cost: 47 RMB
    • Opening Hours: Daily 11:00 AM – Midnight

Essential Shenzhen Travel Resources