Colorful Fish and Turtle Slices. Finely mince the fish, layer it with turtle eggs or soft-shelled turtle yolk in the middle, creating five layers in total—two red, two white, and one yellow. Place it flat in a steamer to heat through, then slice it, stir-fry it after deep-frying with seasonings, pour over a rich sauce and wood ear mushrooms, and arrange it on the plate to showcase the five vibrant colors—extremely visually appealing.…
Duck Cubes with Water Chestnuts. Wild duck meat is cut into long strips, and the remaining bones are used to make broth. Water chestnuts shaped like ingots are added to the soup and boiled for about fifteen minutes before being removed and cooled. The duck cubes are stir-fried, then mixed with the water chestnuts in a small sauté. Red chili peppers are sliced into coin-like pieces, resembling "a fortune in gold," and added to complement the "ingots."…
Cherry Jade Leaves. The upper section of a frog’s thigh is used, sliced in a way that bone shows at the bottom but not at the top. The meat is colored, deep-fried, then dried until it takes on the shape of a cherry. It is then returned to the wok to be stir-fried, colored, glazed, and plated with the stems facing upward. Sliced braised pig liver, cut into five-leaf shapes, is arranged to accompany the “cherries,” and seasoning is added before serving.…
Yin-Yang Shrimp Balls. The term "shrimp balls" generally refers to shrimp meat, often using rice shrimp from the Xiang River during the water recession period and spoiled shrimp from Goucha Lake. The rice shrimp are shelled, lightly fried in oil with added white sugar and white vinegar, resulting in a tender, snow-white texture. The spoiled shrimp are not shelled but have their whiskers trimmed, then also deep-fried and cooked in colored sauce until they turn a bright red, offering a crispy, fragrant taste. They are arranged on a round plate to form a Taiji (yin-yang) pattern—half yin, half yang…
In the eyes of the people of Hanchuan, the number "eight" signifies "prosperity" and carries auspicious meaning. Naturally, the delicious cuisine of Hanchuan also features the number "eight," such as "Eight Platters," "Eight Delicacies," and "Eight Local Flavor Dishes," among others. Hanchuan is known as a land of lakes, abundant in fish and shrimp, while its game birds like chicken and duck, wild geese, turtles, and lotus roots are famous both at home and abroad. Its flavors are quite distinctive, taking the Eight Local Flavor Dishes as an example.
Lotus seeds from Diachian Lake are a specialty of Hanchuan City, Xiaogan, Hubei Province. The seeds are plump, tender, and rich in nutrients, with a fragrant and delicious taste. They offer health benefits such as nourishing kidneys, benefiting the heart, and consolidating essence, making them both edible and medicinal. The lotus seed hearts can also clear heat, nourish yin, and relieve irritability.
Mashi Selenium-Rich Lotus Root is a specialty of Mashi Town, Hanchuan City, Xiaogan, Hubei Province. Mashi Town is renowned for its selenium-rich lotus roots, which are “plump, white, pure, and sweet in taste,” with a sugar content as high as 20%. In addition, they contain vitamin C, protein, fat, minerals, and the trace element selenium. The “Mashi Brand” selenium-rich lotus root is a pollution-free...
Drunken Fish from Diachahu Lake is a specialty of Diachahu Lake in Hanchuan City, Xiaogan, Hubei Province. Made from wild mackerel carp, the fish is vacuum-packed using modern equipment and scientific processes, then sterilized at high temperatures. It has a tender skin, crispy flesh, a deliciously fragrant and crunchy taste, a bright red color, a unique flavor, and is convenient to eat. Diachahu Lake is located on the Jianghan Plain and boasts an abundant and diverse selection of aquatic products, especially...
Hanchuan City is a major lotus root producing area, with approximately 140,000 mu of cultivation area and an annual output value of 1 billion yuan. Although it has a relatively good market, there are many brands, and it has not yet formed a distinct local characteristic. In March this year, Mahetown in the city actively applied for the national geographical indication protection product status for Hanchuan Lotus Root, which was successfully approved after evaluation. …
Origin: Hanchuan, Hubei, China. Product types: Main products include three major categories—architectural decorative pottery, artistic pottery, and household pottery—with over fifty varieties. Features: The colored glazed bricks in architectural decorative pottery are made using mechanical mold pressing, offering excellent moisture-proof, anti-corrosion, and acid-resistant properties. The double-layer hollow...
This snack is a traditional delicacy from Mǎkǒu Town, Hànchuān, Húběi Province, with a long history. Legend has it that during the Three Kingdoms period, after the defeat at the Battle of Chángbǎnpō, Liú Bèi suffered a major loss. Guān Yǔ led his troops in a waterborne retreat from Fánchéng and set up camp at Jìmǎkǒu (now Mǎkǒu Town, Hànchuān). He ordered his men to prepare dry rations for a retreat to Xiàkǒu. At the time, due to limited conditions, the camp cooks came up with the idea of using distiller's yeast to ferment the dough...
Huanghua, anciently known as Xuancao, is also called Ludong, Wangyou, Yinan, or Golden Needle Flower. It is highly nutritious, containing 14.1 grams of protein, 11 milligrams of various vitamins, 0.5 grams of fat, and 6.7 grams of crude fiber per 100 grams. It also provides essential nutrients such as sugars, riboflavin, carotene, sulfurous acid, iron, and phosphorus. When used in cooking, it boasts a delicious taste…
Also known as "Hanchuan Lakeside Fava Beans," they are nicknamed "shoeboard bowls" due to their large, plump shape resembling shoe soles. This is a unique variety of fava beans grown along both banks of the Han River. The city has a planting area of 90,000 mu, with an annual yield of 20 million jin. The fresh beans are full and plump, with thin, green skins. When cooked, they have an exceptionally soft texture and sweet, fragrant taste. When peeled and used in soups, they become even more tender, fresh, and aromatic. The dried beans do not shrink or change color, and can be made into a variety of processed foods such as "soaked fava beans," "degassed fava beans," "sand-roasted lake beans," "oil-pressed flat beans," "orchid beans," "broad bean paste," and "fava bean fermented black beans." Areas such as Chenghuang and Lianghe in Hanchuan were once known as the "hometown of orchid beans." In particular, the unique "strange-flavor beans" are prized for their crunchy, chewy, slightly burnt, salty, and savory characteristics, making them irresistibly delicious. If used to make noodles, the flour yield exceeds 30%, with smooth, white-with-a-hint-of-green texture, strong toughness, and resistance to breaking.
Chuan chili peppers, shaped like bull horns, are thus called "bull horn chili peppers." With over 150 years of cultivation history, they are well-known in cities such as Wuhan, Henan, and Hunan. The pointed bull horn chili has thick flesh, is tender, crisp, and green, contains few seeds, has mild spiciness, and is rich in various vitamins. Eating them can stimulate the appetite and dispel dampness, making them a popular choice among people…
The steamed eel in Langtou, Hanshan County, enjoys a well-deserved reputation far and wide. The praise for this dish isn’t just lip service—it’s truly earned through taste. Once you try the steamed eel here, you’ll find yourself craving more and more. To savor it is to enjoy a true “delicacy of the mouth,” a delightful surprise that captures the essence of Hanshan’s flavors. The steamed eel in Langtou is prepared by steaming the eel live—…
Maiwang Crispy Cakes: A standout local snack of Hanchuan. Many visitors to Hanchuan make a point of going to Maiwang to buy some crispy cakes (or have someone bring them back from Maiwang) as gifts to serve guests. These crispy cakes are delightfully crunchy when eaten dry, dissolving easily in the mouth without leaving any crumbs. If soaked, place the cake in a small bowl (with seasonings), pour boiling water over it,…
Yunmeng Small Stone-Ground Sesame Oil is a specialty of Yunmeng County, Xiaogan City, Hubei Province. The Changchi brand small stone-ground sesame oil boasts a rich aroma, pure color, and authentic taste, making it an ideal seasoning. It is produced by the Changxin Small Stone-Ground Sesame Oil Factory in Wupu Town, Yunmeng County. The product uses locally sourced high-quality sesame seeds as raw material and is made using advanced production technology…
Yunmeng Sangang Glutinous Rice is a specialty of Yunmeng County, Xiaogan City, Hubei Province. The rice is as white as jade and crystal clear, with a high content of amylose. It is nutritious, delicious, and fragrant, suitable for cooking or making tangyuan (sweet dumplings), rice cakes, mochi, rice wine, and serves as an excellent raw material for brewing. Yunmeng “Sangang Glutinous Rice” is mainly produced in Wupu, Daodian, and Zengdian towns of Yunmeng...
Yunmeng Bean Skin is a specialty of Yunmeng County, Xiaogan City, Hubei Province. It is soft in texture, fragrant in taste, pure in color, delicious, and easy to digest. Especially during the winter months and early spring, when cooked with cured meat and greens, the bean skin takes on a rich, savory flavor that is both tasty and suitable for all ages, making it highly popular among consumers. Yunmeng Bean Skin is…
Lily Flower Cabbage gets its name from Baihe Village in Chengguan Town, Yunmeng County, Hubei Province. It is mainly grown in five villages within Chengguan Town — Baihe, Xiaoli, Xiwang, Dazhou, and Huanghu — and has been cultivated in Yunmeng County for 38 years. In the late 1970s, local young farmer Li Dingshan crossbred Shanghai Flower Cabbage with Swiss Flower Cabbage and selected…