Although the history of the silk screen canoe is not long, due to Mianyang’s location in a lake region with vast water areas suitable for silk screen fishing, it has become highly favored by fishermen. The silk screen canoe is small, agile, and no more than eight feet long or two feet wide. Its planks are extremely thin—light enough for one person to drag, manageable for two to carry, and portable enough to be carried on the shoulders over hills and valleys with ease. …
Raschel blankets are named after the Raschel warp knitting machine used in their production. The "Xiantao" brand Raschel blanket is a premium product manufactured by Maya Co., Ltd. (formerly the Warp Knit Blanket Factory), a subsidiary controlled by Hubei Xiantao Wool Textile Group Co., Ltd. In 1986, the company introduced a complete set of Japanese Raschel blanket production lines, utilizing imported high-quality raw materials and employing special knitting...
The Mianyang Partridge Duck is a dual-purpose breed developed for both meat and egg production. It originated in areas such as Shahu, Yanglinwei, Xiliuhe, and Pengchang in Xiantao City, Hubei Province. The Mianyang Partridge Duck was bred by the Livestock and Poultry Breeding Farm of Xiantao City (formerly Mianyang County), Hubei Province. In 1974, when the Hubei Provincial Science and Technology Commission organized relevant units to establish breed standards, it was officially named the Mianyang Partridge Duck. …
Miancheng lotus root is a specialty of Miancheng Hui Ethnic Town in Xiantao City, Hubei Province. Miancheng is abundant in lotus roots and is known as the "Lotus Township and Root City." The lotus roots from Miancheng are thick, plump, crisp in texture, delicately veined, and delicious in taste. Miancheng lotus root has been awarded a National Geographical Indication Certification trademark. Miancheng is rich in lotus roots and is known as the "Lotus Township and Root City." The lotus roots of Miancheng, especially those from the lotus ponds…
Lulinhu Village in Pengchang Town, Xiantao City, Hubei Province, covers an area of 5.8 square kilometers, comprising 8 villager groups with a total population of 2,581 and cultivated land spanning 8,674 mu. In recent years, Lulinhu Village has actively developed its dominant industries in aquatic vegetables and aquaculture. The locally produced lotus root ribbons have gained immense popularity among consumers in the market and are extremely...
“Steamed Three Delicacies in Xiantao Style” is one of the traditional dishes of Mianyang, Hubei, rich in local characteristics. It is an indispensable main dish at banquets in Mianyang folk culture, such as baby’s full moon celebrations, weddings and funerals, birthdays, and birthday banquets. “Steamed Three Delicacies in Xiantao Style” refers to steamed meatballs, steamed tofu balls, and steamed pearl balls (also known as plain cloth balls or glutinous rice balls). It originated in the...
Mahayèzi is a traditional festive snack from old Mianyang, made by mixing maltose and roasted rice. Its production process is similar to that of Xiaogan malt candy, but it lacks the refinement and fame of the latter. As soon as the lunar December arrives, every household begins the preliminary preparations for making Mahayèzi. On one hand, they wash and keep the barley (wheat won’t do…) at a warm temperature to sprout. The first step of sprouting is crucial—there was once a memory of failed Mahayèzi production due to hindered sprout growth. On the other hand, they steam glutinous rice until it’s dried into hard grains, then roast it into fried rice. Only when both preparations are ready does the real show of making Mahayèzi begin.
Ingredients: 12 white lotus petals, 160g red bean paste, 2 egg whites, 50g flour, 10g osmanthus sugar, 750g vegetable oil (about 50g actually used). Method: (1) Wash the lotus petals, dry them with a clean white cloth, trim off the stems, and cut…
Ingredients – Main: 3 fresh lotus flowers, 250g fresh beef, 25g cooked ham, 25g soaked white fungus, 15g soaked winter mushrooms, 10 cabbage leaves, 30g eggs, 5g minced scallions, 100g cooked rice
Main ingredient: 200g soaked lotus seeds Side ingredients: red and green cherries, flour, and dry starch as needed Seasonings and marinades: 50g cooking oil, 50g white sugar Preparation steps: 1. Wash and dice the red and green cherries. Rinse the soaked lotus seeds and coat them with flour and dry starch.
Ingredients: 400g tender lotus root, ½ tsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp vinegar, salt and monosodium glutamate (MSG) to taste, 1 tsp cornstarch, ½ tsp Chinese prickly ash oil, and an appropriate amount of minced scallions and ginger. Preparation steps: 1. Remove the joints from the lotus root, peel and wash it. Cut it lengthwise into halves, then slice it thinly. Briefly blanch the slices in boiling water…
Ingredients: 300g dried lotus seeds, one piece of pork caul fat (about 20 square centimeters), 7.5g alkali, 150g rock sugar, 50g honey. Preparation: Pour water into a pot (enough to submerge the lotus seeds), add alkali, set on high heat, add the lotus seeds, and repeatedly scrub them with a brush (keep the water slightly boiling). When...
Ingredients: 150g cooked chicken breast, 100g cooked shrimp paste egg rolls, 25g cooked ham, 25g cooked winter bamboo shoots, 50g deboned mandarin fish, 50g chicken gizzard, 50g pork kidney, 50g oil-expanded fish maw, 50g coated shrimp, 25g soaked winter mushrooms. 150g cooked eggs, 30g vegetable hearts. 30g scallions,…
Located in the alluvial plain of the Jianghan region, Zhengchang Town has a long history of growing soybeans. The Jianghan Plain has traditionally been an area prone to flooding, with water disasters occurring almost every year in ancient times. After each flood, vegetable crops had no time to regrow, creating a shortage of fresh produce for locals—fermented black beans thus became a staple emergency dish on their tables. The soybeans grown in Zhengchang...
Zhanggou eel is a specialty of Zhanggou Town, Xiantao City, Hubei Province. Zhanggou Town is the top eel farming town in China. The "Zhanggou" brand eel was recognized as a pollution-free aquatic product production area in Hubei Province by the Hubei Provincial Department of Agriculture in August 2007. Zhanggou eel has been awarded a national geographical indication certification trademark. Zhanggou Town is known as the No. 1 eel farming town in China...
Xiantao Guokui. Guokui is a type of baked flatbread made by chefs from 365 early-rising bakeries using wheat flour mixed with fermented starter dough, edible alkali, baking soda, and other ingredients. The dough is kneaded, placed in a basin covered with cloth, and left to rise. Once the dough has proofed, it is shaped into various forms and baked in a pan until cooked through. The types of Guokui are distinguished by the kind of pan used...
Ground skin is actually a type of edible moss known as "dìpícài" in Chinese, also called "dìyī" (ground ear), "dìmù'ěr" (ground wood ear), or locally referred to as "diǎnjiǎnpí" in Mianyang area, and sometimes as "dìtáipí" or "dìgū". It is a seasonal symbiotic organism formed by fungi and algae. It somewhat resembles wood ear mushrooms, appearing dark green in color. The difference is that wood ears grow symmetrically on decaying wood, are large and thick-fleshed, whereas ground skin is also in flake form...
Collapsed bean pancakes are also called spread bean pancakes or pan-fried bean pancakes. I think the character “塌” (collapsed) could better be replaced with “拓” (spread). Looking it up in a Chinese dictionary, “拓” is a polyphonic character pronounced both as “ta” and “tuo.” In the Jianghan region, there are ~bean pancakes, oily pancakes, ~slippery cakes, and various other types of cakes. It takes the “ta” sound from “rubbing prints” or “rubbing copies,” but derives its meaning from “expanding” or “pioneering” as in “拓tuo展” or “开拓tuo”…
In my hometown, there were several things that had to be done during the olden days of the New Year: salting fish and meat, stir-frying spicy pot dishes, frying oil snacks, boiling sugar, and making tofu. No matter how the harvest fared, among these tasks, aside from salting fish and meat—which sometimes weren’t prepared due to special circumstances—making tofu was absolutely essential. By the 20th or so day of the lunar December, wisps of…
In the countryside, almost every household grows peas. However, they’re rarely planted alone but are usually intercropped with wheat, a practice known as “ga mai lan.” The peas and wheat are harvested together with a single sickle, causing no delay in the farming schedule. The refreshing fragrance of peas in the fields, the subtle scent of grass, and the greenish aroma of wheat drift along the rows of wheat. Wave after wave, these scents wash over the willow branches in spring…