Guangzhou, the capital of China’s southern Guangdong province, has drafted a policy requiring dim sum restaurants to label dishes as made using “traditional” or “non-traditional” methods and set up a talent-training system to protect the region’s culinary craft.

Released on Sept. 29 by city officials, the draft comes amid growing national concern over pre-made food in restaurants and aims to “pass down and protect the intangible cultural heritage of Guangzhou’s morning-tea culture.” The draft is open to public feedback until Oct. 28.

Traditional Cantonese morning tea, or zao cha, typically features small, delicately crafted “dim sum” — light refreshments, such as shrimp dumplings and sesame balls, often served in steamers alongside tea. 

The draft proposes requiring restaurants to clearly indicate whether dishes are made using “traditional” methods — typically defined as produced and consumed within 24 hours — to ensure transparency. Restaurants may now charge different prices for the same dim sum dish depending on preparation method.

Meanwhile, restaurants charging a tea-seat fee — a set charge to customers for tea upon being seated — will now be required to offer a selection of teas, including black, green, Pu’er, and chrysanthemum, and provide tea service to customers.

Designating whether dim sum is freshly made is a new benchmark for highlighting pre-made production, Lin Yue, a food industry analyst, told domestic media. “Many dim sum items are partially prepared in advance. This regulation makes a finer distinction between central kitchen-made, frozen, and freshly made products, emphasizing both quality and timeliness of preparation,” he said.

Guangdong is a major hub for pre-made food production, with a market size exceeding 96 billion yuan ($13.4 billion) in the first half of 2025, accounting for 13.7% of the national total, according to Guangzhou-based research firm iiMedia.

However, should the policy be greenlit, details of enforcement remain unclear. One industry insider told China News Week that many dim sum restaurants mix freshly made items with pre-made products, making practical compliance complex.

Tang Xin, executive director of the Red Catering Research Institute, added that defining “pre-made” remains a challenge. “If a half-cooked product is heated and served, does it count? Measures like these require further refinement to be effective,” he said.

Domestic media reported that some restaurants have already piloted the approach, opening kitchens to allow customers to see fresh preparation and labeling menu items either “freshly made” or “pre-made” — at one restaurant, steamed dumplings are priced at 36 yuan or 20 yuan, respectively.

To cultivate talent, the government plans to provide training for students and industry practitioners, as well as certify star-rated dim sum chefs, labeling them “representative inheritors of cultural heritage.”

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.

(Header image: Vivien.x.Li/Getty Creative/VCG)