Eating Chaozhou in Shenzhen

A black mullet is steamed with pickled and fresh lemons, which adds both fragrance and flavor, at the Xingli Chinese Restaurant. Photos by Pauline D. Loh / China Daily

Immigrant cities have the good fortune to enjoy diverse cuisines that arrive with their guest workers, and Shenzhen is no different. Pauline D. Loh goes local with grassroots delicacies.

It was an unexpected pleasure and a delicious surprise. A trip to the young southern city of Shenzhen became a gourmet excursion recently with the discovery of some top-end Chaozhou dishes at a Chinese restaurant, and a rustic locals-only food street.

Chaozhou is a region that is technically part of Guangdong province, but in all respects, including cuisine and language, it is closer to Fujian just across the provincial line.

A coastal county known for its hard-working, frugal businessmen and entrepreneurs, Chaozhou is motherland to many of the world's richest Chinese tycoons, whatever their nationalities.

This famous thriftiness extends to the kitchen, and seafood takes on a totally new meaning, with great ingenuity going into the dishes to extract every atom of goodness from the ingredients.

Take paste made from the cheaper varieties of fish that is shaped into croquettes, batons and balls. Chaozhou's "fishballs" are famous and they also make a unique dumpling with skin made from the same fish paste, but beaten into a springy, chewy tactile delight.

Shenzhen is a relatively new city, and many migrant workers from neighboring Chaozhou recognized the opportunities early. So it is that Chaozhou cuisine is as much a part of Shenzhen as its native Cantonese food.