During the Qingming Festival holiday, Tiktok and Xiaohong were screened by a chicken pot shop in Shunde, Guangdong. There is no fancy decoration, no deliberate marketing, and even the boss Mo Shu repeatedly advises against it: "Don't make it too popular, I can't handle it too quickly" and "The taste is average, don't follow the trend". As a result, diners still flock from all over the world, queuing for 2-3 hours just for that delicious bite. And this hot chicken pot not only exposes the delicious fireworks among Guangdong neighbors, but also reveals the culinary culture code of eating chicken in Guangdong. The 'absolute protagonist' of Guangdong banquets takes time back to ancient Lingnan. According to historical records, in ancient Lingnan, due to the need to fight against bandits, a fierce folk culture was formed, with strong clan power and frequent sacrificial activities. Roosters are endowed with the five virtues of "literature, martial arts, courage, benevolence, and trustworthiness" due to their vigorous posture, and are also regarded as objects of spiritual communication. Guangdong folk worship ancestors, gods, weddings, and businesses all use chickens, especially the "big red crowned" rooster, symbolizing good luck. This sense of sacredness gradually seeps into daily life, and 'no chicken, no banquet' has become the iron rule of Lingnan banquets. In Cantonese, the homophone for "chicken" is "auspicious", and it forms "auspicious surplus" with "fish" (surplus), which is a fixed pairing for the Spring Festival dining table. On the Guangfu New Year's custom "Xinghua Street", golden rooster bonsai symbolizes "crowing to announce spring". This understanding of chickens has also permeated every aspect of Guangdong's social life. There are many "chickens" in Guangdong dialect slang: people use "elementary school chicken" to mock elementary school students, with a playful yet friendly tone; 'Quiet chicken' describes quietness, while 'stealing chicken' refers to laziness, originating from the habit of chickens loving to run away; 'Boluo Chicken' is a paper chicken used for the birthday ceremony of Boluo Temple in Guangzhou, which is extended to refer to people who rely on stickiness to take advantage of others; The 'Iron Rooster' is a synonym for a miser. The mascots of the 15th National Games, "Xiyangyang" and "Lelongrong," have been nicknamed "Dawan Chicken" by Guangdong people, and auspicious symbols continue to be passed down among the people. The ultimate standard for a good chicken: having a "chicken flavor". Different regions in Guangdong have their own standards for eating chicken, but "having a chicken flavor" is the highest praise from Guangdong people for a good chicken. When selecting chickens, it is necessary to choose free range chickens, such as Qingyuan Ma chicken, Zhanjiang castrated chicken, and Huizhou bearded chicken. The breeding cycle is sufficient, the meat is firm, and the fat is even; Cooking abandons complex seasonings and focuses on "soaking, white cutting, burning, baking, and boiling", while retaining the original fresh and sweet taste of the chicken. White cut chicken (soaked chicken): classic Cantonese cuisine. Choose Qingyuan chicken, Sanhuang chicken, or Xinghua chicken, pay attention to "three immersions, one soaking, and one cooling", and heat accurately until the meat is cooked but the bones are not. The chicken skin is golden and crispy, and the chicken meat is tender, smooth, and juicy. Dip it in a little ginger soy sauce, it is authentic, fresh, and not greasy. Hanging roasted chicken (upside down roasted chicken): a hard dish for banquets in the Guangfo area. Burnt in a bright furnace or soaked in oil, the outer skin is rosy and crispy, and the meat is fresh and bone fragrant. Soy sauce chicken: braised with soy sauce over low heat. The salty aroma is accompanied by the sweetness of rock sugar and the flavor of spices, with a rich and mellow taste. Hakka salt baked chicken: the pride of Meizhou people. Wrapped in coarse salt and baked slowly, the meat is firm, savory and rich, with the simplicity and richness of mountainous areas. There is also a jelly like smooth chicken pot - garlic, onions, and scallions are baked at high temperatures in a clay pot to produce a "jelly like" sound. The surface of the chicken is slightly charred, and the pot has a strong aroma, even the bones have a taste. From delicious taste on the tongue to a billion dollar industry: The rise of Guangdong chicken. For this "chicken flavor", Guangdong people not only study cooking, but also turn chicken farming into a billion dollar business. Qingyuan chicken can be called the "number one chicken in Lingnan". White cut meat appears fresh and sweet, while soy sauce chicken is rich and mellow. It is a national geographical indication product. By the end of 2025, the annual output of Qingyuan chickens will reach 161 million, and the output value of the entire industry chain will exceed 13.743 billion yuan, driving a large number of employment and increasing farmers' income, and being selected as one of the "Top 100 Comprehensive Value Geographical Indications in China". Not only Qingyuan, but also various chicken industry clusters in Guangdong have their own characteristics. Jiangmen Taishan: The large-scale breeding of ephedra chickens is significant. At present, there are 253 large-scale breeding farms with an annual output of 23.2949 million feathers and an annual production of over 100 million chicken seedlings. The products are sold well in the Greater Bay Area. Boluo Shiba Town, Huizhou: By 2024, 37.44 million Three Yellow Bearded Chickens will be slaughtered, accounting for over 70% of the county's total. There are more than 100 new types of business entities in the town that mainly produce Bearded Chickens, making it the town with the largest output of Three Yellow Bearded Chickens in China and a core supply base in the Greater Bay Area. Zhanjiang, Zhaoqing and other places: relying on local high-quality chicken breeds, a full industry chain of "breeding breeding breeding slaughtering deep processing" has been built, and new forms of pre packaged and leisure chicken food continue to emerge. According to the Guangdong Government Work Report for 2026 released on January 26, the poultry output in Guangdong this year is expected to remain stable at over 1.35 billion. At the same time, Guangdong has established a breeding system for high-quality seeds. Among them, the annual supply market of Guangdong Huangyu broiler chickens is nearly 25 million sets, accounting for more than 50% of the country's total supply and ranking first in the country. From free range farmers to leading enterprises, from traditional breeding to the entire industry chain, Guangdong chickens have "flown" onto the dining tables of the people across the country and become an important pillar of rural revitalization in Guangdong. Tasting Lingnan in "One Chicken, One Flavor": After the Qingming Festival holiday, Mo's chicken pot shop still has long queues and is extremely popular. Previously, a netizen shouted in the comment section that Shunde Cultural Tourism would "send people to chop chickens". The local cultural tourism leader responded with "listen to advice" and really sent people to help. On April 7th, Shunde Catering Association and Chef Association supported Mo's Chicken Pot, and Lao Mo's smile returned. Guangdong people love chickens not just for the sake of their mouths and stomachs. It is a gift of resources, a remnant of clan memory, a practice of dietary philosophy, and a living fossil of language and folk customs. Here are the mellow Shunde Moshi chicken pot, the refreshing White cut chicken, the fresh and sweet coconut chicken, and the rich salt baked chicken; There are fresh ingredients from the fields to the dining table, cooking skills passed down from generation to generation, and the warmth of Lingnan in the smoke and fire. The spring breeze warms Lingnan, and the fragrance of chickens fills the streets and alleys: with just one bite, it's full of worldly fireworks. When you taste that fresh and tender Guangdong chicken, perhaps you can taste more - it is a gift from Lingnan's local culture and a vivid cultural history. (New Society)