Join us on an exciting food adventure in Shunde, a city renowned as the home of the best Cantonese food. This culinary journey promises incredible dish discoveries, showcasing the region's dedication to fresh ingredients and exquisite flavors. Get ready for a seriously drool-worthy experience!
Exploring Shunde: The Land of Fish and Rice
Shunde is often called "the land of Fish and Rice," and this adventure focuses on exactly that. Known as the home of Cantonese chefs, Shunde offers a truth universally acknowledged: if you want to experience authentic and delicious Cantonese cuisine, this is the place to be.
Chencun: Home of Chencunfen
The adventure begins in Chencun, famed for its chencunfen (陈村粉), a very thin rice noodle sheet. These noodles are specially designed to maximize sauce absorption. The first stop is a century-old restaurant (established in 1927) favored by locals, promising a diverse range of chencunfen dishes.
- Chencunfen Varieties: The restaurant's menu showcases the versatility of chencunfen, presenting it in cold dishes, stir-fries, steamed preparations (with pork rib or beef brisket), pan-fried options, and even in a soupy dish.
Shao'e Chencunfen: A Culinary Dream
One of the most anticipated dishes is shao'e chencunfen (烧鹅陈村粉), roast goose served with rice noodles soaking in goose juices. Shao'e, roast goose, is a Shunde specialty and a top-favorite dish. The combination of flavorful, juicy roast goose with the perfectly sauced chencunfen is predicted to be mind-blowing.
Geng: A Thick Soup with Significance
Another dish to try is geng (羹), a thick soup consistency. This particular geng features lingu 鲮鱼 (dace), a type of carp. Shunde is known for utilizing every part of the mud carp, despite its small size and many bones. This dish also contains:
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Winter melons
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Sigua 丝瓜 (gourd)
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Lingyu 鲮鱼 pieces
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Mushrooms
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Lemongrass
Pomelo Skin with Yufu: An Intriguing Combination
The final dish of the first meal is pomelo skin with yufu 鱼腐. Yufu is a "mud carp tofu," crafted from lingyu (dace) and shaped like tofu. Despite its tofu-like appearance and texture, it contains no soy. Eating pomelo skin is thought to remove heat from the body according to Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Chicken Fat, Shaoxing Wine and Crab Chencunfen: Decadence Defined
The last dish of the first restaurant is 鸡油花雕蟹 Chencunfen (chicken fat, shaoxing wine and crab). The fattiness of chicken fat and the fragrant taste of the shaoxing wine makes this dish decadent and rich.
Shun Gang Wan: Farm-to-Table Dining
The next day brings a visit to Shun Gang Wan, a nong zhuang (农庄) or farm-style restaurant, located next to a highway and high speed rail. This establishment sources its ingredients locally and serves the freshest seasonal produce. The restaurant's unique appeal lies in its commitment to freshness and letting the original ingredients shine.
The Freshest Catches and Produce
The restaurant features fish tanks showcasing the day's catches, along with a farmland growing various vegetables and produce. The pork belly is cured in the sun, highlighting the rustic charm of the place. If it is out of season, the restaurant will not serve it.
Deep Fried Salt and Pepper Yingyu: A Fragrant Start
The meal begins with deep-fried salt and pepper yingyu, white bait. The light batter complements the sweet taste of the fish, creating a moreish flavor profile.
Steamed River Shrimp and Carp: Simplicity and Freshness
Next up are River shrimp steamed with perilla leaves and carp steamed simply with oil and salt. The freshness of the ingredients shines through in these dishes. Shunde restaurants are highly competitive, guaranteeing tasty food. The fish melts in your mouth, lacking any fishiness.
Crab: Springy and Sweet
The crab, much like the other dishes, is incredibly fresh, with springy flesh and a subtle sauce.
Aquatic Plant: A Canvas for Flavor
The aquatic plant is peeled to reveal the more juicy and tender inside part and dipped in garlic chili sauce. With only a subtle flavor, the plant provides a canvas for the sauce. By itself, it has a flavor similar to brussel sprouts and a meaty texture.
Lunjiaogao and Deep-Fried Milk: A Sweet Ending
To finish the meal, a trip to a local mall reveals two rice-based deserts. The first is Lunjiaogao 伦教糕, a sweet snack made of rice, and Deep-Fried Milk. With its crispy exterior and creamy, custard-like inside, the Deep-Fried Milk provides a sweet and satisfying end to the food adventure in the land of Fish and Rice.
Peter in Paris
The video concludes with the promise of a new International food adventure with Peter. The location is a place Peter in Paris will be taking Amy, implying the next stop will be in Paris.
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