Welcome to a Culinary Journey through Guangzhou! I’m Emma Lee, a food blogger passionate about exploring and sharing culinary adventures. A few years ago, I chose China as my second home, and ever since, I’ve been on a quest to discover the most authentic flavors across this fertile land. Whether it’s visiting bustling street food stalls or savoring the sophisticated dishes of high-end restaurants, I never tire of these experiences. In this guide, I’ll take you through the traditional foods of Guangzhou, hoping you’ll fall in love with them just as I have!

Summary

Must-Try Traditional Guangzhou Cuisine

Rice Noodle Rolls (Cheung Fun)

Rice noodle rolls with soy sauce
  • Introduction: Guangzhou rice noodle rolls are a traditional snack known for their translucent, silky rice sheets and delicious fillings. The meticulous process involves spreading rice milk evenly over a special steaming tray before steaming to perfection. The resulting noodle rolls are paper-thin, with a smooth and springy texture.
  • Chinese Name: 肠粉
  • Pinyin: chang fen
  • Main Ingredients: Rice milk, pork, beef, or shrimp.
  • Typical Eating Times: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • Fang Ji Small Eatery (Kangwang Pedder Commercial City branch)
    • Address: 280 Xihua Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou (opposite School No. 82)
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 07:00-23:00
    • Average Cost: 11 RMB
  • Jia Le Congee Noodle Shop (Dongsha Road branch)
    • Address: 43-45 Dongsha Road, Panyu District, Guangzhou
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 06:30-14:00, 18:00-00:30
    • Average Cost: 24 RMB
  • Lan Yi Cheung Fun (Longdong branch)
    • Address: Near the southeast gate of the Longdong Community Health Service Center, Tianhe District, Guangzhou
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 06:00-17:30
    • Average Cost: 12 RMB
  • De Ji Pulao Cheung Fun
    • Address: 1st Floor, Building B1, Shangbu Garden, Xicha Road, Baiyun District, Guangzhou
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 07:00-13:00
    • Average Cost: 15 RMB

Wonton Noodles

Wonton noodle soup
  • Introduction: Wonton noodles are a traditional noodle dish in Guangzhou, famed for their clear, refreshing broth and delicious dumplings. The noodles, made from high-quality bamboo shoots, are paired with a broth simmered with fish and shrimp shells, accompanied by succulent wontons filled with pork, shrimp, and mushrooms, topped with fresh scallions.
  • Chinese Name: 云吞面
  • Pinyin: yun tun mian
  • Main Ingredients: Noodles, pork, shrimp, eggs.
  • Typical Eating Times: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • Li’s Noodle House
    • Address: 296-298 Duobao Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 09:00-21:30
    • Average Cost: 48 RMB
  • Cai Fu Noodle House (Dezheng branch)
    • Address: 238 Dezheng Middle Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou (360 meters from Agricultural Lecture Hall Metro Station A Exit)
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 06:00-22:00
    • Average Cost: 16 RMB

Sticky Rice Chicken (Lo Mai Gai)

Steamed sticky rice with chicken in lotus leaf
  • Introduction: Sticky rice chicken is a traditional delicacy in Guangzhou, beloved for its unique cooking method and rich flavors. This dish consists of glutinous rice mixed with chicken, mushrooms, and salted egg yolk, all wrapped in fresh lotus leaves and steamed to perfection.
  • Chinese Name: 糯米鸡
  • Pinyin: nuo mi ji
  • Main Ingredients: Glutinous rice, chicken, mushrooms, salted egg yolk, lotus leaves.
  • Typical Eating Times: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • Dian Dou De (Xi Yue Building)
    • Address: 57 Zhongshan Road One, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou (next to Yangji Metro Station Exit A)
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 07:30-21:00
    • Average Cost: 68 RMB

Claypot Rice

Claypot rice with assorted toppings
  • Introduction: Claypot rice is a hallmark of Guangzhou’s culinary tradition, renowned for its distinctive cooking method and rich flavors. Cooked in a clay pot, the rice absorbs the essences of various ingredients such as chicken, sausage, and mushrooms, offering a pot full of aromatic and tender morsels.
  • Chinese Name: 煲仔饭
  • Pinyin: bao zai fan
  • Main Ingredients: Rice, chicken, sausages, mushrooms, and other seafood or meats.
  • Typical Eating Times: Lunch and dinner.
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • Min Ji Claypot Rice (Beijing Road Pedestrian Street branch)
    • Address: 452 Huifu East Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
    • Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 11:00-21:30; Saturday and Sunday, 11:00-22:00
    • Average Cost: 34 RMB

Roast Goose

Roasted goose slices
  • Introduction: Roast goose is a traditional specialty of Guangzhou, celebrated for its crispy skin and tender, juicy meat. The geese are marinated, seasoned, air-dried, and then roasted in special deep pits to achieve perfect texture and flavor.
  • Chinese Name: 深井烧鹅
  • Pinyin: shen jing shao e
  • Main Ingredients: Goose.
  • Typical Eating Times: Lunch and dinner.
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • Wan Nian Restaurant
    • Address: 20-22 Yuexiu South Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou (135 meters east from Tuan Yi Da Plaza Exit A)
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 11:00-14:30, 17:00-22:30
    • Average Cost: 83 RMB
  • Yong Xing Roast Meats
    • Address: 21-4 Tiyun East Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou (450 meters walk from Cultural Park Metro Station Exit E)
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 11:00-13:30, 16:30-18:30
    • Average Cost: 84 RMB

Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow)

Steamed shrimp dumplings
  • Introduction: Shrimp dumplings, a signature dim sum from Guangdong, are famed for their delicate, translucent wrappers and succulent fillings. Typically, each dumpling is crafted to include one or two whole shrimps, encased in a dough that is pleated into a half-moon shape.
  • Chinese Name: 虾饺
  • Pinyin: xia jiao
  • Main Ingredients: Shrimp and dumpling wrappers.
  • Typical Eating Times: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • Lu Yun Tea House · Handmade Dim Sum (Tiyu Xi Store)
    • Address: F2, Wenchang Business Building, 17 Liuyun Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou (near Tianhe Square)
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 08:00-21:00
    • Average Cost: 72 RMB

Steamed Pork Dumplings (Shao Mai)

Steamed pork and shrimp shumai
  • Introduction: Dry-steamed shao mai is a highly popular snack in Cantonese morning tea. Known for their juicy and savory pork filling, these dumplings are a must-try, representing one of the “Four Great Kings” of Cantonese dim sum.
  • Chinese Name: 干蒸烧麦
  • Pinyin: gan zheng shao mai
  • Main Ingredients: Pork, shrimp, and mushrooms.
  • Typical Eating Times: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • Xi Dian · Dim Sum & Sweet Soup
    • Address: Southwest corner of the intersection of Hanxing Er Street and Hanxing Zhi Street, Panyu District, Guangzhou
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 07:00-23:00
    • Average Cost: 41 RMB

Barbecue Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao)

Steamed barbecue pork buns
  • Introduction: Char siu bao, one of the “Four Great Kings” of Cantonese dim sum, is celebrated for its tender, sweet barbecue pork encased in a soft, fluffy bun. These buns are slightly opened at the top, revealing the savory filling, much like a blooming flower.
  • Chinese Name: 叉烧包
  • Pinyin: cha sha bao
  • Main Ingredients: Barbecued pork, flour, yeast.
  • Typical Eating Times: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • Xing Yue Restaurant (Time Mall branch)
    • Address: 406 Huasui Road, Poly Clover Plaza Phase 2, 4th Floor, Tianhe District, Guangzhou
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 11:00-22:30
    • Average Cost: 101 RMB

Chicken Biscuits (Gai Zai Bing)

Traditional chicken biscuits
  • Introduction: Chicken biscuits, a traditional Cantonese pastry and one of the four famous biscuits from Guangdong, have a rich, sweet flavor with a distinctive aroma of the filling and pastry. Originally called “Xiao Feng Bing,” they were created during the Qing Dynasty by a craftswoman named Xiao Feng.
  • Chinese Name: 鸡仔饼
  • Pinyin: ji zai bing
  • Main Ingredients: Flour, eggs, lard, and sweet fillings such as red bean paste or peanuts.
  • Typical Eating Times: Snack
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • Guo Qiang Biscuit Shop
    • Address: 356 Nan Hua Middle Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 08:00-20:00
    • Average Cost: 16 RMB

Lotus Seed Paste Buns (Su Pi Lian Rong Bao)

Flaky lotus seed paste buns
  • Introduction: Lotus seed paste buns are a traditional Cantonese pastry known for their flaky, semi-fermented crust with layers of shortening dough, filled with sweet lotus seed paste. These buns are steamed to create a tender, layered texture that is highly enjoyed.
  • Chinese Name: 酥皮莲蓉包
  • Pinyin: su pi lian rong bao
  • Main Ingredients: Lotus seed paste, flour, lard.
  • Typical Eating Times: Snack
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • Yong Chang Bakery
    • Address: 268 Xihua Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 07:00-22:00
    • Average Cost: 8 RMB

Rice Pudding (Bo Zai Gao)

Assorted jelly desserts on sticks
  • Introduction: Bo Zai Gao, also known as rice pudding, is a traditional Cantonese snack made from glutinous rice flour and starch. This dessert comes in two varieties: traditional, with red or green beans, and modern crystal, with coconut milk or mango, offering a refreshing, smooth taste.
  • Chinese Name: 钵仔糕
  • Pinyin: bo zai gao
  • Main Ingredients: Glutinous rice flour, starch, and various fillings like red beans or coconut milk.
  • Typical Eating Times: Snack
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • Chen Shuang Ji (Xihua Road branch)
    • Address: 241-3 Xihua Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou (320 meters walk from Rainbow Bridge Metro Station Exit A)
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 12:00-21:00
    • Average Cost: 16 RMB

Sugared Dough Balls (Tang Bu Shuai)

Glutinous rice balls in syrup
  • Introduction: Tang Bu Shuai, also known as “wishful fruits,” is a popular Cantonese dessert known for its smooth, sweet, and invigorating flavor. Infused with ginger juice, these dough balls offer health benefits such as warming the body and promoting energy.
  • Chinese Name: 糖不甩
  • Pinyin: tang bu shuai
  • Main Ingredients: Glutinous rice flour, peanuts, black sesame seeds.
  • Typical Eating Times: Snack
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • Fen Fang Sweet Shop (Donghu West branch)
    • Address: Underground 05 Shop, 50 Donghu West Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 07:00-20:30
    • Average Cost: 13 RMB

Water Chestnut Cake (Ma Ti Gao)

Sweet potato jelly slices
  • Introduction: Water chestnut cake is a traditional Guangdong dessert, made by steaming a mixture of sugar water and water chestnut flour. This dessert is known for its chewy, jelly-like texture and sweet taste.
  • Chinese Name: 马蹄糕
  • Pinyin: ma ti gao
  • Main Ingredients: Water chestnut flour, sugar.
  • Typical Eating Times: Snack
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • De Tai Water Chestnut Flour
    • Address: 242 Longjin West Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou (near Fuli Plaza)
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 07:00-19:00
    • Average Cost: 14 RMB

Beef Offal (Niu San Xing)

Beef offal soup
  • Introduction: Beef offal, a traditional snack in Guangzhou, includes a variety of beef organs such as heart, liver, and kidney. Carefully prepared and cooked, it offers a tender and unique flavor, enhanced by a rich broth and accompanied by condiments like chives and pickled radish.
  • Chinese Name: 牛三星
  • Pinyin: niu san xing
  • Main Ingredients: Beef heart, liver, and kidney.
  • Typical Eating Times: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • Zhao Ji Noodle House
    • Address: Next to the west gate of Wushi Dun Community, Liwan District, Guangzhou
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 07:00-21:30
    • Average Cost: 19 RMB

Shahe Noodles

Stir-fried beef with sprouts
  • Introduction: Shahe noodles are a popular traditional snack in Guangzhou, known for their slippery and chewy texture. Served with a variety of fresh and flavorful broth and toppings such as beef, shrimp, and bean sprouts, they can be enjoyed as a main dish or a light snack.
  • Chinese Name: 沙河粉
  • Pinyin: sha he fen
  • Main Ingredients: Rice noodles, typically served with beef, shrimp, and bean sprouts.
  • Typical Eating Times: Lunch and dinner.
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • Wei Qiao Breakfast Shop
    • Address: East 140 meters at the intersection of Changdi East Road and Desheng Road, Panyu District, Guangzhou
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 07:00-12:00
    • Average Cost: 16 RMB

Boat Congee (Ting Zai Zhou)

Cantonese seafood congee
  • Introduction: Boat congee is a unique traditional snack from Guangzhou, originating from the water-dwelling Dan people of the Pearl River Delta. This congee is known for its smooth, silky texture, enriched with fresh seafood and other ingredients like sliced fish, lean meat, and fried dough sticks.
  • Chinese Name: 艇仔粥
  • Pinyin: ting zai zhou
  • Main Ingredients: Rice, various seafood (such as fish slices and shrimp), and meat.
  • Typical Eating Times: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
  • Recommended Season: All year round.
  • Wu Zhan Ji · Old Guangzhou Brand
    • Address: 871 Longjin East Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou
    • Opening Hours: Daily, 08:00-20:30
    • Average Cost: 13 RMB

Essential Guangzhou Travel Resources