A Summary of Local Eating Habits#

Here, most people eat three meals a day, just like many places. But because Shenzhen is such a fast-paced city with lots of jobs, how and where people eat can vary a lot.

• Breakfast (Zǎocān - 早餐): This is usually quick. People are often rushing to work. You’ll see lots of little shops selling breakfast items. Common things include congee (rice porridge, often plain or with small toppings), noodles in soup (simple and filling), steamed buns (baozi - 包子) with various fillings, or sometimes a quick pastry or bread. Many people just grab something from a street vendor or a small local shop near home or the office.
• Lunch (Wǔcān - 午餐): This is often eaten out, especially if you work in an office. Lunch breaks might not be super long. Many office workers go to nearby restaurants, ‘fast-casual’ places, or canteens. A typical lunch might be a bowl of noodles, or rice served with a few different dishes (like a meat or fish dish and a vegetable dish). Lunch is usually hearty enough to keep you going.
• Dinner (Wǎncān - 晚餐): This is the most important meal and often a time for family or friends, though busy schedules mean many still eat out. If eating at home, it’s usually rice with several shared dishes. If eating out, restaurants range from simple local spots to fancy places. Dinner tends to be bigger and more relaxed than lunch.

Common Home-Cooked Meals vs. Street Food#

Because life is so busy here, cooking at home every day for every meal isn’t the norm for everyone, especially young professionals or migrants living far from family.

• Home-Cooked Meals: When people do cook at home, it’s often Cantonese style, since Shenzhen is in Guangdong province. This means lots of fresh ingredients, often steamed, stir-fried, or in soups. A typical home dinner would be a pot of rice, maybe a clear soup (like vegetable or meat bone soup), a steamed fish or chicken dish, and one or two stir-fried vegetable dishes (like gai lan or bok choy). Flavors are generally balanced, not overly spicy, emphasizing the natural taste of ingredients.
• Street Food and Eating Out: This is a huge part of daily life here, especially for lunch and sometimes breakfast/dinner. Street food isn’t just snacks; you can find complete meals. Think skewers (chuan’r - 串儿), simple noodle soups, rice noodle rolls (肠粉), various pancakes, and lots of small, specialized shops selling specific items like fried chicken or roasted meats. Restaurants are everywhere, offering everything from local Cantonese food to Sichuan (spicy!), Hunan, and foods from all over China, reflecting the diverse population.

Local Ingredients or Spices People Use#

The base of Shenzhen’s food culture is Cantonese, which uses fresh, often local ingredients.

Key ingredients you’ll see a lot:

• Rice (of course!)
• Fresh vegetables like gai lan (芥兰), bok choy (小白菜), leafy greens, gourds, and various beans.
• Seafood (being near the coast helps!) like fish, shrimp, crabs.
• Poultry (chicken, duck) and pork are very common meats.
• Tofu and various soy products.

Common flavors and spices are usually quite simple and aim to enhance, not mask, the natural taste:

• Soy sauce (light and dark)
• Ginger, garlic, and scallions (the holy trinity of Chinese cooking!)
• Oyster sauce
• Sesame oil
• Cooking wine (like Shaoxing wine)
• Salt and sugar (used subtly to balance flavors)
• Sometimes dried seafood or mushrooms for depth of flavor.

You’ll find chili and spicier flavors too, but often in restaurants serving food from other provinces rather than traditional home-style Cantonese cooking.

Traditional Dishes Eaten During Festivals or Weekends#

Weekends, especially, are when families might have more time to cook together or go out for a slightly more special meal. Festivals bring out specific foods:

• Weekend/Family Meals: Often involve more complex dishes than weekday dinners. Steamed whole fish, roasted meats (like roast pork belly or char siu - BBQ pork), and elaborate soups are common. Dim Sum (点心) is a very popular weekend brunch or lunch tradition – little bite-sized portions of dumplings, buns, and other treats, enjoyed with tea.
• Festivals:
  • Lunar New Year (Spring Festival): A huge feast with dishes symbolizing good luck and prosperity. Think whole fish (symbolizing abundance), chicken, sometimes dried oysters (发财 - getting rich). Eating sticky rice cakes (nian gao - 年糕) is also traditional.
  • Dragon Boat Festival: People eat Zongzi (粽子), sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, with various fillings (pork, beans, dates).
  • Mid-Autumn Festival: Mooncakes (月饼) are the essential treat, round pastries with dense fillings, eaten while admiring the moon.

Popular Snacks or Drinks#

You won’t go hungry between meals!

• Snacks: Besides the street food that doubles as snacks (like skewers, egg tarts), fresh fruit is very popular and widely available. Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin) are common to munch on. Various small pastries and sweet buns are also found.
• Drinks: Tea is fundamental, enjoyed hot or sometimes iced. Herbal teas are popular for health reasons (like cooling down in the humid weather). Soy milk is a common breakfast drink. Bottled drinks, including various flavored teas and sodas, are everywhere. Fresh juices are also easy to find.

Cultural Food Taboos or Unique Rituals#

While not unique only to Shenzhen, as part of Chinese culture and particularly Cantonese customs, there are a few things to know:

• Chopsticks: Never stick your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice; it looks like incense offered to the dead. Don’t tap your chopsticks on the bowl; it’s associated with beggars. Don’t point with your chopsticks. When sharing food from communal dishes, you can use the wider end of your chopsticks or serving spoons if available.
• Sharing: Meals, especially dinner, are often served family-style with multiple dishes in the center of the table for everyone to share. It’s polite to take food from the dishes that are closer to you first, or wait for elders to start.
• Leaving Food: While you don’t have to finish every single grain of rice, leaving huge amounts of food is considered wasteful. Ordering just enough is good.
• Pouring Tea: If someone pours tea for you, a polite way to thank them without interrupting conversation is to tap your index and middle finger on the table near your cup. This is a gesture called ‘kowtowing’ with your fingers, a nod to an old story about an emperor.

Living in Shenzhen means access to food from all over China and beyond, but these points cover the common daily habits and the underlying Cantonese influences you’ll encounter. Enjoy eating your way through the city!