On June 10, the sixth season of "Rediscovery of Iconic Cuisine" was officially launched at the China Hotel in Guangzhou. This season marks a notable shift, focusing on reviving the daily flavors of local memories rather than restoring recipes from historical archives.
"Rediscovery of Iconic Cuisine," a cultural tourism project jointly managed by China Hotel and the Guangzhou Museum, has been reviving lost recipes, recreating classic dishes, and compiling them into written collections since its launch in 2020. This year, the focus has shifted to community food memories, drawing inspiration more closely from people's daily lives.
In May, the project invited local residents to share their favorite cuisines through an online event. Hundreds of submissions poured in. Twenty of the most compelling stories were selected to inspire the culinary team, featuring dishes including "Perilla Leaf and Black Bean Sauced Chicken (紫苏豆豉鸡)," "Preserved Vegetable and King Prawn (梅干菜明虾)," and "Hakka Wine Drunken Crab (娘酒熟醉石榴蟹)." This selection highlights the core philosophy of "five textures and six flavors (五滋六味)" in Cantonese cuisine. Each dish draws on the family memories of ordinary Guangdong residents and conveys their love and nostalgia for their hometown.
Since 2020, China Hotel and the Guangzhou Museum have recreated over 80 classic Cantonese dishes. This initiative was recognized as one of the nation's "Top 10 Cultural Tourism Integration and Innovation Projects." It presented these dishes in countries and regions, such as Paris, Serbia, and Hong Kong, promoting Guangdong's culinary heritage to audiences at home and abroad.
In line with the "Guangdong Goods Go Global" initiative, this season also emphasizes locally sourced ingredients from Guangdong, such as Qingyuan chicken, Yangjiang fermented black beans, and Hakka rice wine. "Heritage is not about sealing the past away, but about revitalizing the century-old wisdom in today's life," said the General Manager of China Hotel. The project is expected to bring the Lingnan flavors and high-quality local ingredients to a broader global audience in the future.
Reporter | Zhou Jiyin
Editor | Yin Juewen
Photos | Nanfang News Network