Guangdong cuisine, known as Cantonese cuisine in western countries, was developed in Guangzhou, Huizhou, Chaozhou and Hainan Island from the period of the Han Dynasty (206B.C.- 220 A.D.). As the climate of Guangdong Province is hot, Cantonese food does not use much spice, bringing out the natural flavor of the vegetables and meats. The dishes of Guangdong cuisine are fresh, tender, and lightly seasoned. Guangdong cuisine is famous for its broad use of raw material. In short, to the people of Guangdong, everything that walks, crawls, flies, or swims is edible. Many of these strange foods no longer appeal to today's refined tastes, and some have been eliminated out of respect for the eating habits of people in other areas, but some strange foods still remain.
The most famous dish of Guangdong cuisine is the Dragon and Tiger Locked in Battle, in which cobra, leopard cat, and over twenty spices are used. The dish is creamy in colour and is garnished with beautiful petals of chrysanthemum, mushrooms, and various flavourings.
