Meizhou: A Bite of Hakka’s World

Meizhou City, China’s southeast Guangdong Province is the world known capital of the Hakka people. I remember the director of Meizhou Tourism Administration once said that where there is the sun, there is Chinese people, and where there is Chinese, there is Hakka people, which impressed me a lot.

Beginning with 221 BC when the first emperor of Qin unified the country, Hakka people started the first migration from Middle China(Shanxia and Henan Province) to the south, until the middle 19 century when is Taiping Heavenly Kingdom period(1851-1864), they finished their sixth migration. The Hakka people went through half China and came to Meizhou then scattered in many other places. During the migration, Hakka people integrated with local customs and then formed the present unique Hakka culture, which includes the Hakka delicacies.

Like the delicacies in other places, Hakka delicacy consists of local cuisine and flavor snack. Speak of Hakka cuisine, one ingredient must be mentioned—chicken. In Hakka culture, chicken plays an important role . They all believe that chicken and its blood can ward off evil spirit. The chicken dishes include roast chicken, fried chicken, boiled chicken, pot-stewed chicken, salt-baked chicken etc.

There are also other delicious dishes await for to to taste. I am not gonna talk to you, because my stomach is crying for food now.