Among the "Eight Great Culinary Traditions",Northeastern cuisineis not among them.But this has not hindered its popularity; even far from its birthplace in Guangzhou, northeastern cuisine can bloom as vibrantly as the kapok flower.In cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen, northeastern cuisine certainly enjoys a popular base.Spicy food is a strict requirement, but most Cantonese people do not eat spicy food, and nor does northeastern cuisine use much of it; in turn,many Cantonese peoplejoin the throngs enjoyingpork stewed with potato slices,little chicken stewed with mushrooms,or northeastern smoked beef.A. Northeastern cuisine is based on Manchu dishes, absorbing the strengths of other culinary traditions particularlyShandongand Beijing cuisines, constantly forming and developing itself.Due to its tendency to give a rough-and-ready impression that can come across as lacking in refinement, high-end hotels rarely serve such cuisine,which paradoxically reinforces the image of northeastern cuisine as "people's food" or "commoner's fare".B. Northeastern cuisine is characterized by stewing, marinating, and roasting; its rough-hewn nature, not fussy about details, delights the palate much like the straightforwardness of Northerners.Variousbraised spareribs,pork shanks,chicken feet,chicken wings,chicken necks,chicken liver,and other braised dishes, paired with richsorghum liquor,exude a sense of boldness rising from the stomach, evoking a flavor of the border regions.C. Northeastern cuisine features diverse flavors, clear saltiness and sweetness, tender and crisp textures, vivid colors, rich tastes, glossy sauce, and intricate shapes.Its cooking methods include braising, frying, roasting,steaming,stewing, pot cooking; white meatblood sausage,braised bear paws,pickled hibiscus buds,sweet and sour cherry blossoms,hotpot,and unique dishes such as braised bone soup, golden needle mushrooms stewed with chickens,pork stewed with potato slices,stir-fried pork belly, and bountiful vegetable dishes that are irresistibly appealing.Hotpotuniquely flavored, broth base,mushrooms,stewed chicken and pork vermicelli,Kung Pao meat,and bountiful vegetables are fragrant, leaving one in awe.