Cantonese Sweet and Sour Pork (Gu Lou Yuk)
Photo: Israel Albornoz / Unsplash
Crisp, double-fried nuggets of pork shoulder tossed with pineapple, peppers and onion in a glossy, tangy sauce of rice vinegar, ketchup and sugar. The Cantonese original behind a worldwide favourite.
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Start your free weekContinue with free accessMarinate the pork
Mix the pork with the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and egg yolk and leave for 15 minutes.
Coat and first fry
Toss the pork in the cornstarch, pressing it on firmly. Heat the oil to 170°C and fry the pork in batches for 4 minutes until cooked through. Drain.
Second fry
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Make the sauce
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Toss and serve
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Marinate the pork
Mix the pork with the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and egg yolk and leave for 15 minutes.
Coat and first fry
Toss the pork in the cornstarch, pressing it on firmly. Heat the oil to 170°C and fry the pork in batches for 4 minutes until cooked through. Drain.
Second fry
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Make the sauce
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Toss and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Gu lou yuk developed in Guangdong from an older Jiangsu dish of sweet and sour spare ribs. Cantonese cooks swapped the bones for boneless pork, reportedly to suit foreign traders in Guangzhou who weren't used to eating around bones.
Cantonese emigrants took it everywhere, and it became perhaps the most recognisable Chinese dish in the world.
⭐ Why It's Famous
The contrast of crunchy pork and a bright, tangy-sweet sauce is irresistible — and the fresh pineapple keeps it lively.
💡 Fun Fact
One explanation for the name gu lou is that it sounds like 'old' — because the dish was already considered an old classic in the 19th century.
Guangzhou, Guangdong
23.13°N, 113.26°E
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