Guangdong's Most Underrated Food Capital: Rich Flavors Rivaling Shunde and Chaoshan

"Guangzhou is the place for food, but Chaozhou has the best flavors."

The brilliance of Cantonese cuisine is widely known. Guangzhou cuisine seeks freshness in simplicity, emphasizing the original taste of ingredients, while Chaozhou cuisine pairs each dish with a unique dipping sauce, creating endless flavors—even outsiders can name a few. In contrast, Hakka cuisine, one of the three major branches of Cantonese cuisine alongside Guangzhou and Chaozhou styles, is far more understated. Though salt-baked chicken and stuffed "three treasures" can be found in most Guangdong cities, the most authentic Hakka dishes are best enjoyed in—

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Meizhou, located in eastern Guangdong at the junction of Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi provinces, lies south of the Wuling Mountains, surrounded by hills with plains accounting for only 13.7% of its area. But beyond being a Guangdong "mountain city," its more renowned title is the "World Capital of the Hakka," as it is a major Hakka settlement and naturally the "Hometown of Hakka Cuisine."

"Where there are mountains, there are Hakka; where there are Hakka, they dwell in the mountains." To adapt to the mountainous climate and the demanding labor of early farming, Hakka cuisine developed a rich, hearty style characterized by "saltiness, fattiness, thorough cooking, and aroma." Dishes like braised pork with preserved mustard (fatty yet not greasy), savory and chewy salt-baked chicken, stuffed "three treasures" with generous fillings, and Meizhou-style tossed noodles elevated by a spoonful of lard—each local classic shatters the stereotype that Cantonese cuisine is solely light and delicate.

Meizhou, nestled in northeastern Guangdong, is a typical mountainous city.

Its terrain is shaped by three major mountain ranges: Wuyi, Lianhua, and Fenghuang, with alternating valleys and rolling hills. The Qin River flows from Shangfeng in Zijin County, merging with its tributary, the Wuhua River, to form the Mei River, a vital local water source. Farming in the mountains is challenging, and due to Pacific influences and unique topography, microclimates prevail. Unlike the refined subtlety of other Cantonese branches, Meizhou's Hakka-dominated cuisine blends northern elements into traditional Guangdong fare, emphasizing heavy oil, salt, and bold flavors to meet the demands of mountain life.

The most iconic "hardcore dish" is braised pork with preserved mustard. The cold highlands and strenuous labor led the Hakka to embrace fatty foods. Skin-on pork belly, marinated in dark soy sauce, deep-fried for color, sliced, and stewed until tender, is paired with salty-sweet preserved mustard and served inverted. The rendered fat infuses the sauce, absorbed by the mustard, resulting in meat that's rich but not greasy and mustard brimming with savory juices—a perfect rice companion and a true "rice killer."

Chicken, a staple on Guangdong tables, gets creative treatment in Meizhou. The Hakka ingeniously used salt, typically for preservation, as a heating medium: wrapping cleaned free-range chicken in paper and burying it in heated salt to make the famed salt-baked chicken. Without complex seasoning or techniques, the cooled dish features thin, chewy skin with uneven golden hues, delivering a savory taste that showcases why salt is called the "king of flavors."

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If using salt for heating is a "kitchen hack," then Dabu's herbal root chicken—combining mountain plants with fresh chicken—is downright puzzling by name alone. In Dabu, "herbal roots" refer to edible roots like milk tree root, spatholobus stem, and hairy fig root, often over 20 types, with each family guarding their secret blend.

The pre-mixed roots are simmered into a fragrant broth in a clay pot, then combined with chopped free-range chicken. Once the meat absorbs the herbal essence, a pinch of salt is all needed for a hearty meal. The broth resembles herbal medicine in color but lacks bitterness, offering tender chicken and aromatic soup that aligns with the local adage: "Better a meal without vegetables than without soup."

Simmering the roots yields the "herbal broth."

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The Hakka excel at brewing yellow rice wine, traditionally made by women, hence called "niangjiu" (mother's wine). Using fire-roasting techniques, it’s a prized drink for dispelling dampness and fatigue. Stewing chicken with niangjiu, red dates, and goji berries until the alcohol evaporates leaves a sweet aroma and tender meat—creating the salt-free yet flavorful "niangjiu chicken." Other variations include pepper-laden pork belly chicken and ginger-shredded chicken topped with crispy fried ginger.

Beyond chicken, Fengshun—Meizhou’s "southern gate" and Chaozhou’s "backyard"—is a low-key beef haven. Despite Chaozhou’s famed hotpot and meatballs, Fengshun’s "fresh, tender, crisp" Puning beef and unique methods stand out. Sliced beef blanched in boiling water and tossed with sauce becomes "pickled beef"; beef balls served with flat rice noodles make a hearty soup—freshness guarantees deliciousness.

Meizhou’s "hardcore dishes" shine, and its staples are no less impressive. From diverse rice-based congee, noodles, and "ban" (rice cakes), locals especially cherish noodles—a bowl of tossed noodles is a global Hakka comfort food.

In Meizhou, mornings begin with tossed noodles. Here, "tossing" doesn’t mean pickling but mixing boiled noodles with lard, scallions, and garlic—a carb-and-fat powerhouse that fuels Hakka mornings.

Some even pair carbs with carbs for an unconventional twist.

Tossed noodles alone won’t suffice; locals pair them with "three-and-first" soup. Named after imperial exam ranks (pork liver, lean meat, and intestines as "top three"), boiled with wolfberry leaves, the oily yet non-greasy broth reflects Hakka values of education and farming-scholar traditions.

In the breakfast scene, fish head rice noodles are a worthy rival to salted noodles. It is said that in the past, when resources were scarce, even the most ordinary grass carp could not afford to waste its head and tail. Guided by this simple value, the most basic version of fish head rice noodles consists of the fish head, tail, and rice noodles. Half a fish head and tail are fried, then boiled with water until the broth turns milky white. White radish, shredded ginger, and celery are added for flavor, followed by blanched rice noodles. As living standards improved, ingredients like fish meat, fish balls, fish intestines, and fish maw began to be added, making each bowl a perfect blend of carbs and umami.

The Three-and-the-First Soup is all about "good fortune."

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Ban (粄) is the most "versatile" carb in Meizhou. The term "ban" comes from Hakka dialect, and due to its diverse forms, it's hard to define precisely. However, it can generally be understood as food made from rice paste or rice flour. Three typical forms include: strand-like "mouse ban" and ban noodle soup; wrapped varieties like "bundled ban" and bamboo shoot ban, which use rice skins to encase fillings; and dessert-like options such as "immortal ban."

Mouse ban may sound exaggerated, but it has little to do with actual mice. It’s named for its resemblance to a mouse’s tail. Cooked mouse ban is served with lard, minced meat, pepper, and scallions—its noodles are white and delicate, bursting with savory flavor. Ban noodle soup is similar to the rice noodle soup commonly found in Chaoshan.

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Bundled ban has a smooth, chewy outer layer, made somewhat like rice noodle rolls but slightly thicker. It’s stuffed with ingredients like dried shrimp, mushrooms, and minced meat, rolled into spring roll shapes—thin-skinned yet generously filled, with a subtle rice aroma. Bamboo shoot ban resembles dumplings, with a soft, sticky skin made from rice and tapioca flour, encasing a juicy filling of fresh bamboo shoots. The crisp texture of the filling contrasts beautifully with the chewy skin.

Bundled ban relies entirely on its fillings for flavor.

Immortal ban, whose name gives no hint of its nature, is a summer snack made from mesona juice, starch, and rice flour. Its jet-black, jelly-like appearance often leads to confusion with turtle jelly, but the two share similar tastes and eating methods, firmly placing it in the category of sweet soups.

The universe of Meizhou’s ban is vast, including festive red-colored "fa ban" (prosperity ban), subtly alkaline-flavored "wei jiao ban," New Year’s sweet ban, and Qingming Festival’s mugwort ban… the list of delicious varieties is endless.

Immortal ban is a must-have for beating the summer heat.

Dining in Meizhou is inseparable from Hakka influence—but what exactly is Hakka?

Hakka is not an ethnic group but rather a branch of the Han people from the Central Plains.

Around the 4th century AD, relentless wars and famines in the Central Plains drove countless displaced refugees to flee southward to more stable and prosperous regions. Over nearly a millennium, they migrated across much of China. By the late Song to mid-Qing dynasties, they gradually settled in Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, and Taiwan. "The early arrivals became the hosts; the later arrivals became the guests"—locals referred to these newcomers as "guests," and official records labeled them as such, eventually leading to the term "Hakka" or "Hakka people." Today, Hakka communities are found worldwide, with Hakka language and cultural identity serving as key markers.

Freshly made pounded tea is a Hakka hospitality staple.

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Unlike the Hakka language, which can be passed down through generations, daily cuisine is shaped by local climate and produce, making complete preservation difficult. Thus, Hakka ancestors adapted by blending Central Plains culinary traditions with local ingredients, with stuffed dishes being their most successful innovation.

When Hakka migrants arrived in Lingnan, where wheat flour was scarce, their homesickness and cravings sparked creativity. They used whatever was at hand to replace dough wrappers—tofu, bitter melon, green peppers, eggplants—anything could be stuffed. "No vegetable cannot be stuffed; no feast is complete without stuffing." In Meizhou, locally sourced mountain and river delicacies are mixed with minced meat, then stuffed into hollowed-out tofu or vegetables. Once cooked, these dishes achieve a rich, balanced flavor, becoming iconic comfort food that embodies Hakka nostalgia.

Stuffed tofu is the undisputed "star" of Hakka stuffed dishes.

Another dish carrying the Hakka longing for reunion is "open-pot meatballs." Fresh pork is hand-chopped and mixed with mushrooms, dried shrimp, squid shreds, and tapioca flour, then shaped into balls and steamed. Topped with pepper, scallions, and cilantro, they’re ready to serve. Variations include radish balls, Hakka meatballs, glutinous rice balls, taro balls, and red ban balls… all "reunion" dishes that marry deliciousness with auspicious symbolism.

As a key hub of Hakka culture in Guangdong, Meizhou boasts unique culinary delights. As one of the three most understated branches of Cantonese cuisine, its charm remains subtly reserved, waiting to be discovered. If you get the chance, be sure to visit and savor it yourself!