Guangdong Province — a dim sum classic; variations of steamed rice sheet are found across Guangdong and into Vietnam (banh cuon)
Cheung fun (intestine noodle — named for its tubular shape): delicate steamed rice noodle sheets rolled around shrimp, pork, or beef, or served plain with sweet soy, sesame paste, and peanut butter sauces. The technique requires a very hot steamer, a specially oiled flat tray or cloth, and thin rice flour batter poured and steamed to translucency in under 2 minutes.
Silky, delicate, nearly flavourless rice sheet — the sauce and filling are everything
{"Rice batter must be thin — the sheet must be almost translucent when steamed","Steaming tray oiled before each batch — prevents sticking","Steam at full boil, 1–2 minutes only — oversteaming makes the sheet thick and rubbery","Roll while hot — the sheet becomes less pliable as it cools"}
{"The professional technique uses a dedicated cloth-covered frame stretched over the steamer — the cloth produces a more even, smoother sheet","Plain cheung fun with sweet soy syrup, sesame paste, and peanut butter sauce is among the purest expressions of Cantonese texture-focused cooking","Prawn cheung fun (ha cheung): the shrimp should just be set by the steaming — not fully cooked before rolling"}
{"Thick batter — produces a stodgy, thick noodle sheet","Rolling when cool — the sheet tears and doesn't adhere","Steaming too long — loses translucency and delicate silkiness"}
Land of Fish and Rice — Fuchsia Dunlop