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There have been records of Guangdong cuisine since the Western Han Dynasty. During the South Song Dynasty, it was under the influence of the migration of imperial chefs to the lamb city (Guangdong). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Yue cuisine developed quickly. In the 20th century, due to international trade, it assimilated some strengths of western food and hence was spread all over the world. There are  thousands of Yue cuisine restaurants in New York alone. Yue cuisine is based on the dishes of Guangzhou, Chaozhou and Dongjiang as representatives. The cuisine has extensive ingredients, a great variety of designs and colors, as well as novel shapes. It is readily modifiable and yet particular about freshness, tenderness, smoothness and its refreshing quality. Generally it strives to be light in the summer and autumn and lays particular stress on thickness and pureness during the winter and spring. Yue cuisine’s seasoning makes a distinction between the five tastes (fragrant, soft, stinky, fatty and thick) and six flavors (sour, sweet, bitter, salty, spicy and zesty). Its cooking excels in frying, deep-frying, braising, stewing, and sautéing, among others. The dishes have thick colors and taste smooth without being greasy. It is especially well known for using wild animals in its dishes such as snakes, raccoon dogs, cats, dogs, monkeys and rats.

Representative dishes:Fried eggplant slices, fish-flavored bean curd, sautéed dove breast with green kale, fried prawn with sesame, sautéed conch slices, crispy chicken in hot sauce, fried shrimp with scrambled egg and stir-fried meat slices with pear, etc.