Food You Can't Miss When Traveling to Maoming, Guangdong
1. Water Dong Duck Porridge
Water Dong Duck Porridge is a signature dish from Maoming. Authentic Water Dong Duck Porridge shops typically offer a simple selection, often only providing porridge, duck, and cold vegetable dishes, yet their business thrives and continues.
2. Shui Dong Mustard Greens
A specialty of Dianbai County, Guangdong Province, and a Chinese geographical indication product. Named after the Pengcun area in Water Dong Town, where it's grown, it's also known as 'Pengcun Mustard Greens'. Due to its special variety and geographical climate conditions, Shui Dong Mustard Greens are characterized by their crispness, deliciousness, tender texture, small production volume, and excellent taste, making them highly sought after in the market. They enjoy a good reputation both domestically and internationally.
3. Dianbai Fried Fish
The raw material for Dianbai Fried Fish is fresh fish and rice vermicelli. Rice vermicelli is poured into a round, glazed iron pot with water, stirred briefly, then added with cold water to create a paste-like consistency. Fish slices are then dipped into the paste, coated with rice flour, and deep-fried in hot oil. During frying, the fish should be flipped to ensure both sides are cooked thoroughly, until they turn a pale yellow and firm, then placed in a hot pan to serve, which is particularly crispy.
4. Gaozhou Salt-Baked Chicken
Gaozhou Salt-Baked Chicken features firm meat with a strong chicken flavor, tender meat that doesn't become tender, and crispy skin and smooth meat. To make Gaozhou Salt-Baked Chicken, it's wrapped in sand paper and placed in a clay pot, then baked with hot, charred coarse salt. When served, the skin is crispy, and the meat is tender and flavorful.
5. Beef Skewers
These beef skewer shops are generally self-service, where customers take the skewers themselves with small bowls, packed with various beef skewers in boxes. The most commonly eaten beef parts are large and hearty; it's easy to take too much. A large pot of broth is used to cook the desired beef skewers, then dipped in 'soul sauce' (flavoring sauce), creating a ritualistic experience.
6. Bamboo Wok Rice
Bamboo Wok Rice is characterized by the use of a bamboo-woven wok as the serving vessel. First, rice flour, processed into a paste, is placed in the wok, and allowed to ripen. Then, gradually adding more, typically three or more layers. Once the rice is fully cooked, it's scraped into a grid-like pattern for easy consumption. Finally, fragrant oil, sesame seeds, and garlic paste are drizzled on top, creating a delicate and elastic texture. However, due to the lingering garlic flavor, some people don't like this dish, and simply using fragrant oil creates a similar flavor.
7. Xinyi Fresh Cold Noodles
Guangdong cold noodles are different from those in the north. Xinyi Fresh Cold Noodles are also known as 'cold noodle grass' by locals. It's considered a food therapy in Guangdong. Cold noodle grass clears heat and relieves summer heat, helps treat heatstroke, colds, high blood pressure, and muscle/joint pain.
