Guangzhou food is a representative of Guangdong foods, including all the delicacies of Guangdong, Chaozhou, Dongjiang, and Hainan Island．Guangdong food has absorbed some elements of Beijing，Suzhou， Yangzhou and Hangzhou cuisine，while keeping its South China flavor.

         In preparing the Guangdong cuisine，dozens of varieties of ingredients are often involved and more than 30 different kinds of cooking methods employed, such as frying，grilling，stewing，simmering，deep—frying，roasting and braising，etc．Freshness is everything to the Guangdong cuisine．So is quick cooking：there is not much long broiling or barbecuing as in North China．Also．there is no simmering for hours with spices and herbs like in the West．The objective is freshness，tenderness，smooth texture，and piquant flavor. These qualities are especially evident in another Guangdong specialty—roast suckling pig．A piglet is gutted and coated inside with fermented bean curd，sesame paste，fen liquor，and garlic—flavored sugar，and then roasted until its skin is golden—red and shiny as lacquer．The custom is to eat the crisp, crackling skin first，and then the tender，smooth—textured flesh．