Honghu lotus seeds are a specialty of Honghu City, Hubei Province, and a protected product under China's National Geographical Indication. Grown in the ecologically pristine Honghu Lake area, these seeds are large, round, thin-skinned, and plump, with a delicate fragrance, sweet and refreshing taste, and a hint of mild sweetness and freshness. They offer a wide range of culinary and medicinal benefits. Honghu lotus seeds are large, round, thin-skinned...
Honghu Crabs are a specialty of the Honghu Lake area in Honghu City, Hubei Province. As the city has registered the trademark “Qingshui Brand” for these crabs, they are also known as “Honghu Qingshui Crabs,” “Honghu Qingshui Hairy Crabs,” or “Honghu Qingshui River Crabs.” The main farming areas are located in the large lake region of Honghu. The crabs are brightly colored, rich in roe and yellow fat, and contain no...
Braised Wild Duck in Soy Sauce is a traditional delicacy from the Honghu area. During the Three Kingdoms period, when Cao Cao campaigned southward to boost morale, there was a legend that those who arrived first at Wulin tasted this braised wild duck. In 1932, Ma Jianian, a renowned chef from Xinti, hung a sign at Mianyang Restaurant in Hankou proclaiming himself the “King of Braised Wild Duck.” One day, the famous Han opera performer Yu Hongyuan visited the restaurant, found the dish exceptionally delicious, and ordered another serving. Ma then asked, “Why is your opera ‘Reviving the Han Dynasty’ only performed once a week?” From this exchange, the tale of mutual admiration between masters was born.
Honghu Imperial Lotus Root Balls are made primarily from lotus roots and are deep-fried. As for the origin of the Imperial Lotus Root Balls, there’s quite a story. It is said that when Emperor Qianlong made his third tour of the south and passed through Honghu, the local governor gathered all the chefs in the region to showcase their finest skills, aiming to serve the emperor a dish where he could taste fish but not see fish,…
When you’re at a banquet enjoying a plate of dry-braised carp, red-cooked carp, sweet-and-sour carp... and then finishing off with a few spoonfuls of carp soup, you can’t help but sigh in admiration. There are many varieties of carp, usually named according to their physical characteristics. For example, those with smooth skin are called “mirror carp,” those with greenish-black skin and no scales are called “grass carp,” while those that are short-bodied, large-headed,...
As the cold of autumn approaches, flocks of wild ducks come to Honghu Lake to seek shelter and rest. There are 18 species of wild duck in Honghu, known for their tough yet tender meat, rich in protein and various vitamins, which help nourish the body, warm the stomach, and promote circulation. A local saying goes: “Nine wild geese and eighteen wild ducks can’t compare to the green-headed duck.” The green-headed duck, also called the paired duck, is considered the king of wild ducks,…
The production area of "Honghu Jiepai Soybeans" is located along the Yangtze River, featuring a subtropical monsoon climate and sandy loam soil, which is most suitable for the growth of leguminous plants—especially soybeans. The Jiepai District (now Luoshan Town) along the Yangtze River is particularly renowned. According to the *Wang Family Genealogy* of Jiepai, during the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, a family surnamed Wang from Jiangxi migrated to present-day Wangjiabao in Jiepai and...
Salted duck eggs are processed eggs made primarily from fresh duck eggs through a curing process. They are highly nutritious, rich in fat, protein, and various amino acids required by the human body, as well as calcium, phosphorus, iron, trace elements, vitamins, and more. These nutrients are easily absorbed by the body. The saltiness is moderate, making them suitable for all ages. The eggshells are bluish-green, smooth and round in appearance, and…
Honghu lotus root strips are a specialty of Honghu, Jingzhou, Hubei Province. Honghu lotus root strips are produced in twelve towns, offices, and management areas under the jurisdiction of Honghu City, including Qujiawan Town, Shakou Town, Daijiachang Town, Wantian Town, Chahan Town, Huangjia Kou Town, Luoshan Town, Binhu Office, Xindi Office, Xiaogang Management Area, Datonghu Management Area, and Dashahu Management Area...
Honghu ratooned rice is a specialty of Honghu, Jingzhou, Hubei Province. Honghu is located in the central-southern part of Hubei Province, at the southeastern edge of the Jianghan Plain, bordered by the Yangtze River to the south and stretching along the 100-li (approximately 50-kilometer) Honghu Lake. It faces the ancient Three Kingdoms battlefield of Chibi across the river. The city seat, Xinti Town, lies 175 kilometers east of the provincial capital Wuhan and 201 kilometers west of downtown Jingzhou. The city administers 20 townships,…
Bean skin is a beloved traditional delicacy in Honghu. It is made by soaking and grinding a mixture of mung beans and rice into a batter, which is then spread into thin sheets. These sheets are filled with glutinous rice, diced meat, and seasonings such as scallions and ginger, then pan-fried until golden brown and delicious. Additionally, “Honghu Bean Skin” can be made by adding eggs to the batter and mixing fresh meat, fresh eggs, …
Lotus seeds are rich in starch, protein, calcium, phosphorus, sugar, and various vitamins, making them a highly nutritious tonic. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that "southern lotus is as precious as northern ginseng," which speaks to their nutritional and medicinal value. The *Compendium of Materia Medica* records: "Physicians use it as food, capable of curing numerous ailments. The lotus has a sweet taste, a warm nature, and a reserved quality, infused with a fragrant aroma and the essence of cultivated crops—it is the fruit of the spleen…"
Steamed Lotus Root with Glutinous Rice Flour is made primarily with mature lotus root from the pond. The preparation method is as follows: the lotus root is scraped clean and the older sections with nodes are sectioned and split open. Then, place the cut side down on a cutting board, flatten it with the flat side of a knife, and cut it into strips about one inch long and one-third of an inch thick. Place the strips in a bowl, mix evenly with a little minced ginger, salt, and MSG, and let it marinate briefly. Dice three…
The main ingredient is pork from the top of the pig’s hind leg. The preparation method is as follows: Cut the pork into slices about 1.3 inches long, 0.8 inches wide, and 0.3 inches thick, place them in a bowl, and mix evenly with a small amount of salt, soy sauce, red fermented tofu juice, minced ginger, MSG, and sugar. Marinate for five minutes. Rinse and drain glutinous rice, then place it in a wok and stir-fry over low heat for about five minutes until it turns light yellow. …
Made primarily with live bluefish. The preparation method is as follows: first, take a one-jin (500g) live bluefish, scale and clean it, remove the gills and internal organs, then cut it along the spine from the back into two halves. Slice the fish diagonally into pieces about two and a half inches long and one and a half inches wide. Select the fish back, belly section, head, and tail, place them in a bowl, and add soy sauce, salt, MSG, minced ginger, cooking wine…
Hot dry noodles are a uniquely popular dish from Wuhan, Hubei Province. They are also a distinctive breakfast item in Honghu, with varying preparation methods and flavors. The process involves blanching pre-made noodles in boiling water until they are 70% cooked, then removing them, cooling, adding oil, and tossing to separate. Before serving, the noodles are briefly blanched again in boiling water, drained, and then mixed with sesame paste, fermented black bean sauce, chopped scallions, diced pickled radish, small...
Counting them up, Honghu Xinti boasts quite a few renowned local specialties. In addition to salted eggs and feather fans, egg cake is one of them. Xinti Egg Cake began to gain fame across the land during the Qing Dynasty, but its history actually dates back to the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties. Legend has it that in 1355, the wife of Chen Youliang used water from Honghu Lake and eggs as ingredients to create…
Lotus root is a popular aquatic vegetable. When it’s in season and widely available, every household in Honghu prepares various lotus root dishes, but the most beloved among them is the lotus root cake. Also called lotus root sandwich, it consists of two slices of lotus root stuffed with minced meat, coated in flour, and pan-fried. It’s somewhat reminiscent of Xi’an…
Honghu Water Chestnuts The Honghu Lotus Root Association Water chestnuts belong to the genus Trapa in the family Trapaceae. Also known as water caltrop, water chestnut, or water nut, they are sweet, cool in nature, and non-toxic. They are the fruit of the annual aquatic plant Trapa, a member of the water chestnut family. The skin of the water chestnut is crisp and the flesh is tender and delicious. They can be eaten after steaming or boiling and shelling, or used in porridge. Water chestnuts are rich in protein, unsaturated fatty acids, and various vitamins and micro…
Monopterus albus from Jianli County, Jingzhou City, Hubei Province, is a local specialty. It has been awarded a National Geographical Indication Certification trademark. Eel is highly nutritious, and there is a popular saying in China: “Eat a ginseng root in winter, and an eel in summer.” Accordingly, eels also hold high market value—especially in winter when wild eels are unavailable, with farmed eels often priced over 30 yuan per jin.