How Did Guangdong's Most Low-Key Underdog Outshine Shunde and Chaoshan in Freshness?

At the beginning of 2024, there was surprising news—Guangdong emerged as the top cultural and tourism province in 2023. According to the Guangdong government work report, the province welcomed 777 million tourists in 2023, with total tourism revenue exceeding 950 billion yuan, ranking first nationally in both metrics.

In recent years, regions across China have pulled out all the stops to boost their cultural and tourism appeal. Yet Guangdong stood out in this fiercely competitive field, thanks to its undisputed reputation as a culinary powerhouse. The province boasts two "World Gourmet Cities"—Shunde and Chaozhou—not to mention its relatively understated cities, each with their own signature delicacies.

Take Yangjiang, for example—a low-key coastal city where mountain and sea flavors converge.

Many know Yangjiang only for its famed fermented black beans, a staple in Chinese cuisine, but this city is actually a hidden gastronomic gem in Guangdong. Located along the western coast, Yangjiang serves as a vital gateway to western Guangdong. With over 470 kilometers of coastline and 2,000 years of fishing culture, its cuisine is defined by fresh, unadulterated ingredients and an emphasis on natural umami.

Yangjiang is also a paradise for carb lovers. Simple rice transforms into luxurious dishes when paired with seafood: oyster rice, Spanish mackerel rice, salted fish rice, sea urchin rice, crab roe rice, or shrimp paste rice. With land-based ingredients, it becomes goose rice, eel rice, or cured meat rice. Don’t let the humble names fool you—each dish bursts with flavor! The city also offers an array of snacks like pig intestine rolls, "Ma Zai" noodles, salted glutinous rice balls, and crispy rice cakes.

Endless seafood, countless western Guangdong flavors—this hidden coastal city is worth a trip for food alone!

The saying "Eat in Guangdong" encapsulates millennia of Lingnan culinary heritage, with regional variations adding vibrant diversity. In Yangjiang, the bounty of the sea takes center stage.

Among Guangdong’s many coastal cities, Yangjiang may not be the most prominent, but its access to the South China Sea fishing grounds and long-standing port history ensure its marine catch consistently ranks among the province’s highest. For thousands of years, Yangjiang’s seafaring communities, like the Tanka people, have honed their maritime survival skills—living on boats and relying on the ocean’s harvest. Plump oysters, golden crab roe, sweet scallops, and an array of fresh fish require little more than blanching, steaming, or light stewing to shine.

Beyond seafood, the sea has blessed Yangjiang with thriving maritime trade. Da’ao Fishing Village, dubbed the "Venice of the East," was a key stop on the ancient Maritime Silk Road. As early as the Ming Dynasty, its strategic location made it a vital supply port. The constant flow of merchant ships introduced diverse culinary influences, enriching Yangjiang’s flavors.

In Yangjiang, seafood dining caters to all budgets and tastes. Seasonal specialties like oysters can star in a full "Yangjiang Oyster Banquet," featuring dishes like oyster rice, peppered claypot oysters, salt-baked oysters, steamed oysters, and stir-fried oysters with ginger and scallions. Or, one might simply steam a freshly caught "evening catch" fish at home.

Yet the most soul-satisfying comfort food often pairs seafood with carbs.

On Hailing Island, tender Spanish mackerel—celebrated for its delicate tail meat—is stir-fried with pork, garlic, and spices in lard to create fragrant mackerel rice, where the umami of fish and meat melds perfectly with the rice.

In Chengcun, the "Oyster Village" of Yangxi, both oyster farming techniques and the local oyster rice have earned intangible cultural heritage status. Fresh oysters are blanched, stir-fried until golden, then tossed with fragrant long-grain rice and a secret sauce blend (oyster sauce, peanut oil, peanut butter, and satay sauce). The result? Plump, juicy oysters atop richly flavored rice.

April is sea urchin season, and a trip to Xitou calls for a bowl of sea urchin fried rice. The golden roe, cleaned in seawater, is stir-fried with fragrant rice and garnished with scallions and pork—each bite brimming with oceanic sweetness.

In Dagou Town, sand crab congee is a late-night favorite. These tiny, beach-dwelling crabs are easy to catch, making their harvest a local pastime. Simmered with dried scallops, shrimp, and pork, the congee is sweet, savory, and uniquely textured.

Another beach delicacy, the "mud worm" (a type of annelid, not an insect), stars in a congee of its own. Cooked in a pork bone broth with pearl rice and peanuts, the worms are added last—remaining crisp and sweet, a testament to Cantonese "sheng gun" (quick-cooked) mastery.

Beyond cooking, Yangjiang excels at preserving seafood. Sun-dried products are just the start; iconic dishes like dace with fermented black beans and Da’ao shrimp paste stand out.

Yangjiang fermented black beans—alongside lacquerware and knives—form the "Three Treasures of Yangjiang." This geographic indication product and provincial intangible heritage item stars in nostalgic canned dace dishes, perfect with rice or stir-fried greens.

If fermented dace is a crowd-pleaser, Da’ao shrimp paste—another heritage item—tests adventurous palates. Fermented tiny shrimp turn into a pungent, purple-pink paste, which, when fried with eggs and rice, becomes a bold, savory staple.

Of course, this barely scratches the surface. Seafood remains Yangjiang’s culinary crown jewel—whether in congee, rice, or noodles, each dish sparks a dazzling interplay of flavors and techniques.

But to think Yangjiang only has seafood would be a huge mistake.

Chinese people have always believed in the simple truth of "living off the land and water," and Yangjiang is not only blessed by the sea but also nurtured by the mountains. Geographically, Yangjiang is surrounded by mountains and faces the sea: to the east lies Ziluo Mountain, to the west Ehuangzhang Peak, to the north Tianlu Mountain and Yunwu Mountain Range, and to the south Longgao Mountain and Caowang Mountain, with the mother river Moyang River flowing through it. The bounty of the sea and the treasures of the mountains are all abundant here.

Yangjiang's advantage of having both mountain and sea ingredients means that, beyond seafood, there are many unique local delicacies. Take the Yangjiang yellow-browed goose, one of China's "Five Famous Geese," with over 500 years of breeding history. If Guangdong is known for "no banquet without chicken," then Yangjiang is "no banquet without goose." The tender and flavorful yellow-browed goose easily takes center stage on Yangjiang tables, appearing as claypot goose, roasted goose, steamed goose, braised goose, and more.

Among these, the most iconic Yangjiang dish is goose mother rice. "Mother" in Hakka refers to a female, so "goose mother" means a female goose. Drawing from the Taoist saying "things in their prime begin to age," goose mother rice requires older, long-raised geese. Unlike industrially farmed poultry bred for quick fattening, these geese develop a firm texture and unique aroma after prolonged rearing. Chopped into small pieces and stir-fried with scallions, sesame, and rice, the resulting dish is rich in flavor and distinctly aromatic.

In the vast mudflats of Xitou, eels thrive, burrowing and swimming through the silt. Combining the freshness of fish with the texture of meat, they are the main ingredient for another intangible cultural heritage dish: Yangxi eel rice. Skilled chefs quickly debone the fresh eels to prevent blood loss. The eel meat is the star of the dish, while the bones are used to make a medicinal soup, perfectly complementing the rice—truly "original soup for original food."

Beyond this, the mountain regions' preserved meats are another staple. The cured meats from Xinzhou at the foot of Ziluo Mountain—bacon, cured duck, and sausages—are glossy, fragrant, and chewy. Stir-fried with garlic shoots, chili, and potatoes, or simply reheated as a hearty dish, they shine in cured meat rice, forming Yangjiang's own "cured meat universe."

As part of Lingnan culture, Yangjiang naturally embraces traditional Cantonese cuisine but always adds its own flair. White-cut chicken, found everywhere in Guangdong, becomes a late-night staple in Yangjiang. Made with free-range or orchard-raised chickens, the dish involves a secret broth and a "three-dip, three-lift" technique, followed by an ice bath to achieve crispy skin and tender, firm meat.

Ordering white-cut chicken in Yangjiang isn't complete without a bowl of chicken broth noodles. Thin, specially made Yangjiang rice noodles are blanched in the same sweet broth used for the chicken, then tossed with scallions and sesame. The light noodles absorb the rich chicken essence, making them the perfect side.

Yet, these are just the tip of Yangjiang's culinary iceberg.

Faced with endless seafood and mountain delicacies, locals often nominate an unexpected daily favorite: pig intestine rolls. Two for breakfast, two with beef brisket noodles, two for every meal—even late-night snacks.

Despite the name, pig intestine rolls contain neither pig nor intestine. They’re named for their resemblance to intestines, with rice noodle sheets wrapping fillings like bean sprouts and stir-fried noodles, seasoned with sesame, five-spice powder, and meat juices for a savory, hearty bite.

Of course, Yangjiang also boasts uniquely named local snacks like "dog tongue cakes," salty glutinous rice balls, "ma zai," and powdered crisps.

"Dog tongue cakes," shaped like a pup's tongue, are made with prickly ash leaves, chicken excrement vine, and other herbs mashed with rice flour and steamed—a summer treat and a homophone for "good luck." Similarly, salty glutinous rice balls, with their round shape symbolizing reunion, puff up when boiled, visually suggesting "prosperity." Their flavor comes from a rich seafood broth with dried fish, shrimp, scallops, and cured meats.

Another form of Yangjiang rice noodles, "ma zai," is simpler: sliced noodle blocks cooked with toppings like local dried shrimp, delivering a taste of the sea. Yangjiang powdered crisps, one of Guangdong's "Four Famous Cakes," are molded in wooden presses with auspicious patterns, sweetened with sugar—a festive must-have.

By the South China Sea and Moyang River, Yangjiang's days begin with steaming breakfast porridge and noodles, continue with fresh seafood off returning boats, and end with late-night delights like fried "one-night stands" (salted flathead mullet). Together, they paint a life of abundance and simplicity on Yangjiang's palate.

This article is original content from [Di Dao Feng Wu].