A Guide to Steaming Food in Guangzhou | Generated by AI
Question: What foods (like fish, chicken, etc.) can I steam using water in Guangzhou, China, and what traditional or common methods/equipment should I use?
Answer: Steaming with water is one of the healthiest and most popular cooking methods in Guangzhou (Cantonese cuisine). Here are the best foods to steam and the typical equipment or setups you’ll find or can easily buy in Guangzhou:
Recommended Foods for Steaming
- Fish (very common):
- Whole fresh grouper (石斑鱼 shí bān yú), sea bass (鲈鱼 lú yú), pomfret (斗鲳 dòu chāng)
- Classic style: steamed with ginger, scallions, soy sauce, and hot oil poured at the end
- Chicken:
- Whole or half free-range chicken (清远鸡 qīng yuǎn jī or 清蒸鸡)
- Chicken pieces with shiitake mushrooms and Chinese sausage
- Pork:
- Spare ribs with black bean sauce (豉汁蒸排骨)
- Pork patty with salted fish (咸鱼蒸肉饼)
- Seafood:
- Shrimp/prawns (清蒸虾 or garlic-steamed)
- Scallops on the half-shell with garlic and vermicelli (蒜蓉粉丝蒸扇贝)
- Squid or cuttlefish
- Beef:
- Beef meatballs (山竹牛肉球)
- Thin beef slices with enoki mushrooms
- Vegetables & others:
- Lotus leaf–wrapped sticky rice with chicken (糯米鸡)
- Stuffed tofu or eggplant
- Simple Chinese greens (e.g., choy sum) with oyster sauce drizzled after steaming
- Dim sum classics:
- Shrimp dumplings (har gow), siu mai, char siu bao (steamed BBQ pork buns), etc.
Equipment You Can Easily Get in Guangzhou
- Traditional metal or bamboo steamers (蒸笼 zhēng lóng)
- Sold everywhere in kitchenware markets (e.g., near Haizhu Square or any wet market).
- Stackable bamboo ones are cheap (¥20–50) and perfect for home wok steaming.
- Wok + steaming rack (most Cantonese households use this)
- Place a metal or bamboo rack in a wok, add water below, put plate on rack, cover with wok lid or bamboo steamer lid.
- Electric steamer (电蒸锅)
- Brands like Midea, Supor, or Philips are common in Carrefour, Walmart, or Suning stores.
- Multi-layer stainless steel steamer pots
- Very popular for steaming multiple dishes at once (common in Guangzhou apartments).
Where to Buy Equipment in Guangzhou
- Any local wet market (e.g., Huangsha Seafood Market area)
- Kitchenware street near Renmin North Road
- Big stores: Carrefour, Vanguard, AEON, or Taobao/JD for delivery
Steaming is so central to Cantonese food that almost every family in Guangzhou does it several times a week. Just buy fresh ingredients from the morning market and steam—you’ll be eating exactly like a local!
Enjoy your Cantonese steaming adventures in Guangzhou! 🥢