Jiuzhihe Poria, a variety of traditional Chinese medicinal material, is a China National Geographical Indication product and a renowned specialty of Hubei Province. It is named after its main production area in Jiuzhihe Town, Luotian County, Hubei Province. Due to its high quality and strong medicinal value, it is regarded as a premium beverage in many Southeast Asian countries, earning a high reputation in the international market. "Jiuzhihe Poria" is...
The giant salamander, scientifically known as Andrias davidianus, belongs to the class Amphibia and the family Cryptobranchidae. It is called the "giant salamander" because its call resembles the cry of a baby. Though named a fish, it is not actually a fish—this in itself is quite peculiar. The giant salamander is not unique to eastern Hubei; it is distributed across seventeen provinces including Hubei, Anhui, Sichuan, and Shaanxi. It inhabits streams in mountain valleys, and its footprints can often be found in the heart of the Dabie Mountains...
Luotian “Chuxiang Brand Chuxiang Liquor” is produced by Hubei Chuxiang Distillery. It is clear and transparent in color, with a pure and fragrant aroma, sweet and mellow taste, rich cellar bouquet, and a long-lasting aftertaste—making it a premium liquor from Hubei. Since 1982, it has consistently ranked first among similar products in Hubei, and since 1984, it has been awarded the title of Hubei Provincial Quality Product. In 1991…
Huangzhou Fish Balls, also known as fish meatballs, are a local delicacy with a long history in Huangzhou. According to folklore, there was a fierce beast in the area that would attack people every New Year’s Eve. To protect themselves, locals would make fish balls and throw them near the beast on that night. Once the beast was full, it would no longer harm people. Later, to commemorate this meaningful act, people continued the tradition of making fish balls during festive celebrations.
Dongpo Cake is a famous local delicacy from Huangzhou with a history of over 900 years. Legend has it that the cake was designed by Su Dongpo and successfully made by the eminent monk Canliao from Anguo Temple. Method of preparation: This is a type of “thousand-layer cake,” made from premium fine wheat flour shaped like a coiled dragon, then pan-fried in sesame oil until each piece is as thin as silk strips, and finally sprinkled with snowflake sugar. Features:…
Soft Qiu Cake is a local specialty snack from the Dabie Mountain area in Hubei Province. It is made by finely chopping wild soft qiu (a type of herb, also known as Gnaphalium affine), mixing it with glutinous rice flour and non-glutinous rice flour along with 60°C warm water to form a dough. Black sesame seeds mixed with white sugar are used as filling. The mixture is shaped into round cakes and then cooked over low heat until lightly grilled. Ingredients: 1 jin of wild soft qiu, 2 jin of glutinous rice flour, 1 jin of non-glutinous rice flour, black sesame...
Rice cake is a traditional delicacy in the Huanggang region. “Slaughtering the New Year’s pig, brewing rice wine, pounding rice cakes, and curing cured meat!” Pounding rice cakes is a popular New Year custom in Huangzhou. For the people of Huanggang, the symbolic meaning of pounding rice cakes outweighs its material significance. The activity often begins “in tandem with slaughtering the New Year’s pig.” Eating fresh pork along with freshly made rice cakes—such freshness can brighten the whole year. Nowadays, traditional New Year customs in Huanggang are gradually fading away.
In the rural areas of Luotian County in the Dabie Mountains, almost every household raises pigs. Every year during the Spring Festival, there is one important and exciting event — slaughtering the New Year’s pig. After the pig is slaughtered, the huangzi (pig blood), small intestines, liver, heart, stomach, and kidneys are cleaned and prepared, then stewed together in a pot. When the soup becomes rich and the meat tender, the aroma can fill the entire village...
The Fathead Fish from Luotian Tian Tang Lake is especially renowned. Located at the foot of the main peak of Tianzhu Mountain in the Dabie Mountains, Tian Tang Lake boasts beautiful scenery, vast forests, and is known as a natural oxygen bar. The lake water is crystal clear, home to a variety of wild fish. Among them, the Fathead Fish is large, plump, tender, and has a bright color. On September 2, 2013...
Among the most common and distinctive meat cakes in eastern Hubei, those from Huanggang and Xianning are the most notable, with Luotian Shengli Meat Cake being the most representative. Preparation method: 1. Prepare lean pork, boneless fine fish meat, starch, eggs, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, and other seasonings. 2. Mince the meat (pork and fish), then mix in minced scallions and ginger, soy sauce, salt, and stir well. 3. Starch...
The Luotian Dabie Mountain Hanging Pot is a unique dining style that originated in the special era when mountain dwellers lived in remote high-altitude forests with limited transportation and scarce resources. During the long winter months, while warming themselves by the hearth, locals would suspend a wooden sliding rod from the beams that could move up and down freely, with an iron pot hanging from it. When it was time to eat, they would...
Soda Steamed Buns are a popular breakfast snack from Luotian County, Hubei Province. The preparation process is simple: using old dough made with distiller’s yeast, the dough is naturally fermented, hand-kneaded, then slowly baked in an iron skillet over firewood. The large iron pan allows for evaporation, and the buns are cooked primarily through steam, hence the name “Soda Steamed Buns.”
Luotian Chestnut Chicken Soup is made primarily with Luotian chestnuts and free-range local chickens from Luotian. It is gently simmered in an iron or clay pot over low heat, then seasoned to achieve excellent color, aroma, and taste. Rich in nutrients, it is thus named Chestnut Chicken Soup. Preparation method: 1. Ingredients: one free-range local hen, 1.5 pounds of chestnut kernels. 2. Preparation: Cut the hen into pieces,…
Luotian Paradise Cured Meat is a specialty dish from Luotian County, Huanggang City, Hubei Province. The people of Luotian love cured meat and serve it to guests all year round. Well-made cured meat is delicious and can be considered a signature food of Luotian. The process of making Luotian Paradise Cured Meat goes like this: in winter, after butchering the New Year’s pig, the fresh meat is salted and cured for three to five days, then hung up on the “fire pit”…
Stuffed Pig Intestine Tofu from Yingshan A local famous dish often served as an accompaniment to alcohol or rice. It is made with fresh tofu, pig’s blood, ginger, chopped scallions, five-spice powder, streaky pork, and refined salt. The tofu is first mixed with pig’s blood and seasonings to form a paste, then diced streaky pork is stirred in. This mixture is stuffed into cleaned and dried pig intestines, which are then sewn shut and either air-dried or smoked. When ready to eat, it can be sliced and stir-fried or steamed...
Primarily produced in counties and cities such as Ying Mountain and Hong’an. The Ying Mountain Zitai Mountain platycodon features uniform shrinkage, with cross-sections displaying chrysanthemum-like patterns. It won the gold medal at the 1938 Panama Exposition and is known as "Ying Platycodon." Hong’an platycodon is renowned both domestically and internationally for its white color and solid texture, often referred to as "An Platycodon." Both "Ying Platycodon" and "An Platycodon" are highly sought after in the market. The production area of Ying Mountain Platycodon (Ying Platycodon) includes…
The Luotian Dabie Mountain Hanging Pot is a unique dining style that originated in the special era when mountain dwellers lived for long periods in high-altitude forests with limited transportation and scarce resources. During the long winter months, while warming themselves by the hearth, locals would suspend a wooden sliding rod from the rafters that could move up and down freely, with an iron pot hanging from it. When it was time to eat,…
Geographical area of Luotian Gastrodia elata: Hubei Province Applicant: Luotian County Agricultural Technology Extension Center Publication date: 2016 Geographical scope: The geographical range of Luotian Gastrodia elata covers 13 towns (forest farms) in Luotian County, Hubei Province, including Jiuzihe Town, Baimiaohe Town, Dahe’an Town, Fengshan Town, Shengli Town, Kuanghe Town, Hepu Town, Pinghu Township, Bailianhe Township, Tianzhuangzhai Forest Farm, Baodaofeng Forest Farm, Qinggaiguan Forest Farm, and Huangshizhai Forest Farm, encompassing 108 administrative villages and 9,350 households. Its geographic coordinates lie between 115°06'–115°40' east longitude and 30°33'–31°33' north latitude. The planting area of Luotian Gastrodia elata is 833 hectares, with an annual output of 12,000 tons and an annual output value of 240 million RMB.
Luotian is renowned as a nationally famous “Hometown of Mulberry and Silkworms.” It has a long history of mulberry cultivation and silkworm breeding. A bronze silkworm unearthed in the county from the Warring States period indicates that Luotian began growing mulberry and raising silkworms as early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. This long-standing tradition of mulberry cultivation and silkworm breeding, along with abundant mulberry and silkworm resources, gives the local cocoon and silk industry a unique advantage. Luotian’s sericulture...
Luotian chestnuts, sweet and fragrant in taste, are a premium fruit known for their benefits to digestion, kidney health, and longevity. When blended with soft glutinous rice, they enhance the rice’s natural sweetness and the chestnuts’ rich aroma. Paired with cured meat, the dripping juices infuse the dish with layers of savory flavor, resulting in a fully flavored staple that’s as delightful to the eyes as it is to the palate and nose. On September 2, 2013, Chestnut Preserved Meat Glutinous Rice...