#89 Cantonese Food Beyond Hong Kong with Ze Long Huang

Ze Long was born and raised in Germany to Cantonese parents from Guangzhou, and grew up speaking both languages at home before he could speak either one fluently outside it. Now living in Almaty, Kazakhstan, he joins me to talk about Cantonese food and culture — not the version most of us know from Chinese restaurants abroad, but the real regional differences, the history behind it, and what it means to carry a cuisine across three countries and counting. We get into the actual differences between Hong Kong and Guangdong (colonial history included), why congee became a survival food during hard times in China and what it's become since, the family soup tradition he avoided for years, and the fusion cooking his parents built at home using local German ingredients with Cantonese seasoning. We also talk about living in Beijing versus the south, and the very real north-south stereotypes that hold up more than you'd expect. If you can, watch this one instead of just listening — there are maps and photos throughout that add a lot of context. The Food I Take With Me: https://substack.com/@wherewefindhome... Hong Kong with Tess Cheng: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2j1e... Hang out with me: Food: @tastytrailstravelpod   / tastytrailstravelpod   Life in Korea: @wherewefindhome   / wherewefindhome   Identity & Belonging: https://substack.com/@wherewefindhome ✨ Coming up next: More food & culture stories from around the world If you enjoy travel that’s centered around food, culture, and real experiences, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you don’t miss what’s next. Sources: Map: "**Guangdong in China (+all claims hatched).svg**" by TUBS, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... License Link: creativecommons.org Map: "**Guangdong2.png**" by User: (WT-shared) Cacahuate at wts wikivoyage, PhiLiP (svg base), Shaundd (2019 modifications), used under CC BY-SA 2.0. License Link: creativecommons.org. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...