This is the region that brought Chinese cuisine to the world. Large numbers of Chinese from this region went abroad through the ports of Canton (Now Guangzhou), Hong Kong and Macau to work on construction projects and plantations around the world. Naturally they opened restaurants wherever they settled.

Food from this region is characterized by high fresh ingredients and minimal cooking. Stir frying and steaming are the most common cooking methods, though a few dishes are long simmered. Preserved vegatbles and the like are not nearly as popular as they are in other parts of China.

Cantonese is also the cuisine of eating anything that doesn't eat back faster. Chinese saying: "The Cantonese eat everything with legs except a table, and everything with wings except an airplane". The Cantonese do not limit themselves to tht range though and eat snakes and other creatures with neither legs nor wings. Scorpions, Tarantulas, snakes, rats, dogs and pandas are all on the menu.

NORTH - Beijing / Mandarin

The Sichuan / Hunan region is famous for food made spicy hot with chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. Sichuan restaurants are increasingly popular in the U.S. as Americans have become accustomed to hot spicy food through Thai, Mexican, Caribbean and Southern Indian restarurants. The peoples of other regions of China do not fully share our enthusiasm.

The cuisine of Hunan differs from that of Sichuan in more prudent use of chilis and lip numbing Sichuan peppercorns but is otherwise fairly similar.

Fish dishes are less popular in the Sichuan region because there are few fish there, it's a completely inland area with few rivers or streams.