As the departure point for millions of Chinese exiles, Guangdong or Canton, was the origin of  most of the Chinese food the world knows. Of the 8 major cuisines of China, including Sichuan, Hunanese and Pekinese, it was the Cantonese who first took their food to the world. On this culinary voyage of discovery, celebrated New Zealand chef, Peter Gordon, discovers the roots of this - one of the world's great cuisines.
In search of the roots of Cantonese cuisine, Peter's journey takes him north to the mountain home of the Yao tribe and county of Lianzhou where a small community of this ethnic minority has settled. Here he meets local people and cooks succulent spiced pork over an open fire in a Yao tribal house. After picking fresh star anise from the trees, he walks the rice fields of the Pearl River Delta and brews up some rice liquor with a local farmer. In the ancient former capital of Foshan,  he explores the health benefits with one of the country's leading traditional Chinese medical doctors and samples some exquisitely healthy dishes.
Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong and powerhouse of the Cantonese people - driven by cash and commerce, it has grown into a bright and dynamic metropolis. Here Peter joins international dragon boat racing crews for a strength-giving feast. He also learns how to make delicious Dim Sum breakfast dumplings with one of the world's leading experts: Chen Xiao Hong. Cantonese food is known worldwide as the perfect takeaway meal - it's so easy and quick to cook fresh and makes perfect fast food.
Meanwhile, Peter embarks on a shopping trip to the fabled market of Qingping which specialises in dried food for Chinese medicine. He discovers the Cantonese penchant for of  weird and wonderful ingredients - it is said that they will eat anything with legs... excepttables and chairs! Peter is no exception... he takes his life into his hands when he samples tasty fried cobra!
Chaozhou is a city famed for its elegant and sophisticated cuisine - here Peter meets one of its finest chefs to create a beautiful and artistic lobster dish. Cantonese street food is also irresistible and this city has some of the best - Peter can't resist hitting the streets to sample fresh fried noodles, rice congee, eel, and crab.
Across the border in Fujian, Peter visits the tea mountains around An'xi and experiences the organised chaos of the Tea Capital Market where a kilo of the best can cost 1,000s of dollars. He then stops over in the glittering city of  Xiamen, the cradle of Cantonese fusion cooking and renowned for some of the most delicate and expensive dishes in China.
Finally, Peter steps back in time in search of some simple soul food with the fishermen of Daya Bay. His journey ends with a traditional local wedding feast of delicious fresh grouper steamed with ginger, scallions and yellow beans. |
