Teochew cuisine, also known as Chiuchow cuisine, Chaozhou cuisine or Teo-swa cuisine, originated from the Chaoshan region in the eastern part of China's Guangdong Province, which includes the cities of Chaozhou, Shantou and Jieyang. Teochew cuisine bears more similarities to that of Fujian cuisine, particularly Southern Min cuisine, due to the similarity of Teochew's and Fujian's culture, language, and their geographic proximity to each other.[1] However, Teochew cuisine is also influenced by Cantonese cuisine in its style and technique.[1]
Teochew cuisine is well known for its seafood and vegetarian dishes. Its use of flavouring is much less heavy-handed than most other Chinese cuisines and depends much on the freshness and quality of the ingredients for taste and flavour. As a delicate cuisine, oil is not often used in large quantities and there is a relatively heavy emphasis on poaching, steaming and braising, as well as the common Chinese method of stir-frying. Teochew cuisine is also known for serving congee (糜; mí; or mue), in addition to steamed rice or noodles with meals. The Teochew mue is rather different from the Cantonese counterpart, being very watery with the rice sitting loosely at the bottom of the bowl, while the Cantonese dish is more a thin gruel.
Authentic Teochew restaurants serve very strong oolong tea called Tieguanyin in very tiny cups before and after the meal. Presented as gongfu tea, the tea has a thickly bittersweet taste, colloquially known as gam gam (甘甘; gān gān).
A condiment that is popular in Fujian and Taiwanese cuisine and commonly associated with cuisine of certain Teochew groups is shacha sauce (沙茶酱; 沙茶醬; shāchá jiàng). It is made from soybean oil, garlic, shallots, chilies, brill fish and dried shrimp. The paste has a savoury and slightly spicy taste. As an ingredient, it has multiple uses: as a base for soups, as a rub for barbecued meats, as a seasoning for stir-fried dishes, or as a component for dipping sauces.
In addition to soy sauce (widely used in all Chinese cuisines), Teochew people also use fish sauce in their cooking.
Teochew chefs often use a special stock called siang teng (上汤; 上湯; shàngtāng), literally translates from the Teochew dialect as "superior broth". This stock remains on the stove and is continuously replenished. Portrayed in popular media, some Hong Kong chefs allegedly use the same superior broth that is preserved for decades. This stock can as well be seen on Chaozhou TV's cooking programmes.
There is a notable feast in Teochew cuisine called jiat dot (食桌; shízhuō; 'food table'). A myriad of dishes are often served, which include shark fin soup, bird's nest soup, lobster, steamed fish, roasted suckling pig and braised goose.
Teochew chefs take pride in their skills of vegetable carving, and carved vegetables are used as garnishes on cold dishes and on the banquet table.
Teochew cuisine is also known for a late night meal known as meh siao (夜宵; yèxiāo) or daa laang (打冷; dǎléng) among the Cantonese. Teochew people enjoy eating out close to midnight in restaurants or at roadside food stalls. Some dai pai dong-like eateries stay open till dawn.
Unlike the typical menu selections of many other Chinese cuisines, Teochew restaurant menus often have a dessert section.
Many people of Teochew origin, also known as Teochiu or Teochew people, have settled in Hong Kong and places in Southeast Asia like Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and Thailand. Influences they bring can be noted in Singaporean cuisine and that of other settlements. A large number of Teochew people have also settled in Taiwan, evident in Taiwanese cuisine.[2] Other notable Teochew diaspora communities are in Vietnam, Cambodia and France. A popular noodle soup in both Vietnam and Cambodia, known as hu tieu, originated from the Teochew .[3] There is also a large diaspora of Teochew people (most were from Southeast Asia) in the United States - particularly in California. There is a Teochew Chinese Association in Paris called L'Amicale des Teochews en France.
Boiled noodles, dried and mixed with variety sauce such as soy sauce, chilli sauce and lard topped with vegetables, sliced onion, minced pork, mushrooms and fish balls or fishcakes.
A hearty soup that, at its simplest, consists of meaty pork ribs in a complex broth of herbs and spices (including star anise, cinnamon, cloves, danggui, fennel seeds and garlic), boiled together with pork bones for hours. Dark and light soy sauce may also be added to the soup during the cooking stages. Some Teochew families like to add extra Chinese herbs such as yuzhu (rhizome of Solomon's seal) and juzhi (buckthorn fruit) for a sweeter, slightly stronger flavoured soup. The dish is usually eaten with rice or noodles (sometimes as a noodle soup), and often served with fried dough fritters. Garnish includes chopped coriander or green onions and a sprinkling of fried shallots. A variation of bak kut teh uses chicken instead of pork, which then becomes chik kut teh. Bak kut teh is particularly popular in Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.
Braised varieties
滷味
卤味
lǔwèi
lou6 bhi7
Teochew cuisine is noted for its variety of braised dishes, which includes geese, duck, pork, bean curd and offal.
A savoury fried cake, made of white radish and rice flour. It is commonly stir-fried with soy sauce, eggs, garlic, spring onion and occasionally dried shrimp.
A steamed dessert with a variety of fillings such as yellow milk (奶黄; 奶黃; nǎihuáng; ni ng, ni7 ng5), yam paste (芋泥; yùní; or ni, ou7 ni5) or bean paste made from mung beans or azuki beans (red beans). They are similar to mochi.
Deep-Fried tofu
炸豆腐
炸豆腐
zhà dòufu
za5 dao7 hu7
A simple deep fried tofu dish, and was later adopted by Guangzhou's residents. First, deep-fry slices of fresh firm tofu until they are golden, and then serve with salted water dip (ingredients are boiling water, salt, and chopped Chinese chives).[4] In modern times, some Teochew people now use the air fryer to prepare them for convenience and reduction of the amount of fat and calories in the food.
This fish paste made into balls, cakes and dumplings can be cooked in many ways but are often served in Teochew-style noodle and soups.
Fish ball noodle soup
魚丸麵
鱼丸面
yúwán miàn
he7 in7 min7 (her ee mee)
Any of several kinds of egg and rice noodles may be served either in a light fish-flavoured broth or dry, along with fishballs, fishcakes, beansprouts and lettuce.
Flavored-potted goose
滷水鵝
卤水鹅
lǔ shuǐ é
lou7 zui6 gho5
A well-known braised goose dish, often accompanised by tofu.
Fried beef balls
炸牛肉丸
炸牛肉丸
zhà niúròu wán
za5 ghu7 bhah5 in5 (za ghu bak ee)
A simple deep-fired beef ball dish serves with dipping sauce such as shacha sauce or salted water dip (ingredients are boiling water, salt, and chopped Chinese chives). In modern times, some Teochew people now use the air fryer to prepare them for convenience and reduction of the amount of fat and calories in the food.
A type of steamed dumplings. This is usually filled with dried radish, garlic chives, ground pork, dried shrimp, shiitake mushrooms and peanuts. The dumpling wrapper is made from a mixture of flour or plant starches mixed together with water. In Cantonese, these are called chiu chow fun guo (潮州粉果; Cháozhōu fěnguǒ), in which the Chinese character 粿 is replaced by 果.
Head of mustard greens with mushrooms
厚菇大芥菜
厚菇大芥菜
hòugū dà jiècài
gao6 gou1 dua7 gai5 cai3
A dish of Brassica juncea (Chinese mustard) and shiitake (Chinese black mushrooms) in a soup. Originally a vegetarian soup, it often added with diced pork belly and other ingredients.
A dish of flat, broad rice sheets in a soup made from dark soy sauce served with pig offal, braised duck meat, various kinds of bean curd, preserved salted vegetables and braised hard-boiled eggs.
Marinating pork head / Braised pig head
滷豬頭肉
卤猪头肉
lǔ zhū tóu ròu
lou7 de1 tao7 nêg8
Clean and braise pork head in soy sauce and rock sugar. Cilantro, garlic, ginger, chilies, star anise and other spices may also added.
Tieguanyin is one of the most popular Teochew teas. However, the Teochew people prefer their own brand of Oolong tea, which is the hong wang dan cong teh (凤凰单丛茶; 鳳凰單丛茶; fènghuáng dāncóng chá).
A dish of omelette cooked with fresh raw oysters, tapioca starch and eggs. Teochew-style oyster omelette is usually deep fried and very crisp. Dip condiments are fish sauce and pepper or chili sauce.
A fresh (non-fried) spring roll usually eaten during the Qingming Festival. The skin is a soft, thin paper-like crepe made from wheat flour. The filling is mainly finely grated and steamed or stir-fried turnip, yam bean (jicama), which has been cooked with a combination of other ingredients such as bean sprouts, French beans, and lettuce leaves, depending on the individual vendor, along with grated carrots, slices of Chinese sausage, thinly sliced fried tofu, chopped peanuts or peanut powder, fried shallots and shredded omelette. Other common variations of popiah include pork (lightly seasoned and stir-fried), shrimp or crab meat. It is eaten in accompaniment with a sweet sauce (often a bean sauce, a blended soy sauce or hoisin sauce or a shrimp paste sauce).
Pork jelly
豬腳凍
猪脚冻
zhūjiǎo dòng
de1 ka1 dang3 (ter ka dang)
Braised pig's leg made into jelly form, sliced and served cold.
Prawns sautéed with olive vegetables
欖菜焗蝦
榄菜焗虾
lǎncàijúxiā
na6 cai3 gog8 hê5
A dish of deep-fried prawns
Raw Pickled Seafood
生醃海鮮
生腌海鲜
shēng yān hǎixiān
cên1 iam1 hai2 cin1
There are various kinds of Chaoshan fresh seafoods pickles, such as raw pickled crab, raw pickled blood clams, raw pickled shrimp, raw pickled prawns, raw pickled mantis shrimp. Seafoods are steeped in a pickling bath made of vinegar, salt, soy sauce, wine, cilantro, garlic, ginger, chilies and other spices.
Pink hue rice flour skin wrapped with flavorful glutinous rice. Pressed on a nicely designed peach shaped wooden mould, and then steam the dumpling to perfection. You can eat it freshly steamed, or pan-fried.[5]
Salted vegetable duck soup
鹹菜鴨湯
咸菜鸭汤
xiáncài yātāng
giêm7 cai5 ah8 teng1 (kiam cai ak terng)
A soup boiled with duck, preserved salted vegetable, tomatoes and preserved sour plum.
Scalding (hot water dipping) blood clams
白灼血蚶
白灼血蚶
bái zhuó xiè hān
beh8 ziag4 hueh4 ham1
Wash the blood clams and then soak them in cold salted water to let them release sands inside their body. Boil a pot of water, add some coriander, carefully pour the blood clams into the boiling water, dip them in hot water for 10 seconds and they are ready to eat.
A traditionally deep-fried chicken dish, usually accompanied with leafy green from Lysimachia clethroides, known as pearl vegetable (珍珠菜). However, Lysimachia clethroides's leaves are unavailable to use in culinary outside of China, but basil, spinach, or other leafy green vegetables can be substitutes to them in preparation of the dish.[6]
Sliced Cuttlefish on Ice with Wasabi Sauce
冰鎮芥辣墨魚(墨斗)片
冰镇芥辣墨鱼(墨斗)片
bīngzhèn jièlà mòyúpiàn
bian1 ding3 gao3 luah4 bhag8 dao2 pieng3
Clean the cuttlefish, remove the skin, internal organs and head and boil it in 80oC salty water for 10 minutes. Soak it in ice water for 5 minutes after cook. Pat dry with kitchen towel and slice it. Place the slices on top of a dish with a thick layer of ice. When eating, pick up the cuttlefish slices with chopsticks and dip them in mustard and soy sauce.
Mixed pork and prawn paste (sometimes fish), seasoned with five-spice powder, wrapped and rolled in a bean curd skin and deep-fried or pan-fried. It is sometimes referred to as Teochew-style spring roll in restaurant menus.
Steamed chives dumplings
韭菜粿
韭菜粿
jiǔ cài guǒ
gu6 cai2 guê2
They are sometimes sautéed to give them a crispy texture.
Steamed goose
炊鵝
炊鹅
chuī é
cuê1 gho5
Taro paste
芋泥
芋泥
yùní
ou7 ni5 (orh ni / orh nee)
A traditional Teochew dessert made primarily from taro. The taro is steamed and then mashed into a thick paste, which forms the base of the dessert. Pumpkin is also added for sweetness and to create a smoother consistency. Lard or fried onion oil is then added for fragrance. The dessert is traditionally sweetened with water chestnut syrup, and served with ginkgo nuts. Modern versions of the dessert include the addition of coconut cream and sweet corn. The dessert is commonly served at traditional Teochew wedding banquet dinners as the last course, marking the end of the banquet.
A dish where fresh, thinly sliced ingredients are placed into a simmering flavourful broth to cook and then dipped into various mixed sauces, usually with Shacha and soy sauce as its main components. Ingredients often include leafy vegetables, yam, tofu, pomfret and other seafood, beef balls, fish balls, pork balls, mushrooms and Chinese noodles, among others. Teochew hot pot, like other Chinese hot pots, is served in a large communal metal pot at the center of the dining table.
A quintessential Teochew-style noodle soup that is also particularly popular in Vietnam and Cambodia (known respectively as hủ tiếu /hủ tíu and គុយទាវ kuyteav), through the influx of Teochew immigrants. It is a dish of yellow egg noodles and thin rice noodles served in a delicate, fragrant soup with meatballs, other various meats, seafood (such as shrimp), fried fishcake slices, quail eggs, blanched Chinese cabbage and sometimes offal. The soup base is typically made of pork or chicken bones and dried squid. Just before serving, the noodle soup is garnished with fried minced garlic, fried shallots, thinly sliced scallions and fresh cilantro (coriander) sprigs. For those who enjoy their noodle soup with added depth, the solid ingredients may be dipped into Shacha sauce or Teochew chilli oil.
A rice soup that has a more watery texture as compared to the Cantonese congee. It is commonly served with various salty accompaniments such as salted vegetables (kiam chai), preserved radish (chai por), black Chinese olives (烏橄欖), olive grits (橄欖糝), boiled salted duck eggs, fried salted fish and fried peanuts.
A raw fish salad (similar to ceviche or sashimi) whose typical ingredients include fresh salmon, white radish, carrot, red pepper (capsicum), ginger, kaffir lime leaves, Chinese parsley, chopped peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, Chinese shrimp crackers or fried dried shrimp, and five-spice powder, with the dressing primarily made from plum sauce. It is customarily served as an appetiser to bring good luck for the new year and is usually eaten on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.
1 2 Chang, Kwang-chih (1977), Food in Chinese culture: anthropological and historical perspectives, Yale University Press
↑ The globalization of Chinese food. Wu, David Y. H., Cheung, Sidney C. H. Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press. 2002. ISBN9780824825829. OCLC48176894.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
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