As one of China’s top ten most famous traditional paintings, Along the River During the Qingming Festival is a genre painting from the Northern Song Dynasty. It measures 24.8 cm in width and 528.7 cm in length, and is executed on silk with color pigments. This scroll painting is the only surviving masterpiece by Northern Song painter Zhang Zeduan and is considered a national treasure. It is currently housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing. The artwork, presented in the form of a long scroll and using a scattered perspective technique...
Preparation: Cut the fish into evenly sized pieces, marinate them with half the amount of scallions, ginger, soy sauce, and salt until well seasoned for about 1 hour; heat oil in a wok to 60% heat, add the fish pieces in a single layer, then fry over medium heat until the fish floats and turns golden persimmon color, then remove; clean the wok, add a little oil, scallions, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds, stir-fry...
Preparation: Blanch the pork skin thoroughly in water, remove, rinse, and cut into shreds; place the pork skin shreds in a pressure cooker with scallions, ginger, cooking wine, soy sauce, salt, and water, and cook for 20 minutes; remove the scallions and ginger, let the skin jelly cool naturally, then slice it and pour over a dressing made of balsamic vinegar, sesame oil, and mashed garlic. …
Preparation: Slice the three soaked ingredients into thin pieces, blanch them in water until cooked, then remove. Heat a clean wok over the fire, add oil, then pour in the stock, seasonings, and the three soaked ingredients. Simmer for about five minutes, thicken the sauce, stir-fry, and then remove from the wok. Arrange on a plate and surround with a circle of blanched Chinese flowering cabbage. …
Chili Brick The chili brick has a production history of over a hundred years in Kaifeng. This product uses dried red chilies (those from Xiayi and Yongcheng in the province are considered the best) as the main ingredient, along with high-quality sesame seeds, sesame oil, sweet bean paste, and refined salt, all meticulously processed. Production method: Remove the stems from the dried chilies, clean and soak the sesame seeds before roasting them. Crush them either manually or mechanically, then mix in the sweet bean paste and knead into…
Pickled sweet garlic is a traditional food from Kaifeng. Selected fresh garlic bulbs, which are tender, white-skinned, large, and free of damage or rot, are harvested around the Xiaoman solar term. After being trimmed neatly, they are soaked in water for six to seven days, then placed in a jar and initially preserved with salt. Once the salt has dissolved, the garlic is removed and then pickled in a brine (made by boiling sugar, vinegar, and water) in the jar for three months to become pickled sweet garlic…
Eight-Treasure Pickled Vegetables is a traditional specialty of Kaifeng, made by pickling eight types of preserved vegetables, fresh vegetables, and nuts (when ten ingredients are used, it is called "Mixed Pickled Vegetables" or "Ten-Scenery Pickles"). The Eight-Treasure Pickled Vegetables are prepared using ingredients such as pickled melon, pickled cucumber, pickled red radish, pickled bamboo shoots, pickled cabbage, pickled deer horn, pickled ginger, fresh lotus root, peanut kernels, pickled garlic sprouts, pickled green beans, and refined oil...
Pickled Cucumber Pickled Cucumber is a traditional and well-known product of Kaifeng, with a production history of about a hundred years. This product features a fresh green color, a crisp and sweet taste, and a prominent savory flavor, making it highly popular in the market. The pickled cucumbers produced by Longting Pickle Factory ranked first among similar products in the province in 1982. This product selects fresh cucumbers that are tender, prickly, and uniformly sized, with those under 100 grams per cucumber being the best. First, the cucumbers are dehydrated, then mixed with salt, fermented yellow soybean powder, Sichuan peppercorns, and other ingredients, and finally processed through pickling and soy-sauce curing.
Mother-and-Son Soy Sauce is a traditional product of Kaifeng, produced primarily using traditional methods and naturally sun-cured. It has a soy-sauce red color, a texture like cottonseed oil, a richly aromatic taste upon entry, and a long-lasting aftertaste, making it an excellent seasoning for cooking. This product is made from ingredients such as soybeans, flour, salt, refined oil, and soy sauce color, and undergoes processes including soaking the beans, steaming, mixing with flour and cutting into pieces, fermentation…
Fermented Oil Tofu was originally produced in Lanfeng County (now Lankao) and was once presented as tribute to the imperial court during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, hence it was also known as Tribute Fermented Oil Tofu. It later spread to Kaifeng. This product is made from ingredients such as fresh tofu, refined salt, fermented flour cake powder, sesame oil, white liquor, Shaoxing wine, and Sichuan peppercorn through processes including steaming, pickling, fermentation, and sealed aging. The tofu in this product is white...
【Breed Type and Place of Origin】They are an ornamental breed of chicken. They originate from counties (and cities) such as Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, and Luoyang in Henan Province. 1Main Characteristics Their body types fall into four categories: coarse and loose, fine, compact, and fine-compact. Their heads are semi-angular, and their combs are mostly single (pea-shaped). Their beaks are short and thick, slightly arched. Feather colors mainly include blue, red, and white…
Legend has it that during the Northern Song Dynasty, the famous swordsman Zhan Zhao was not only highly skilled in martial arts but also loyal to the emperor, patriotic, and dedicated to eliminating threats to the people. He was bestowed the honorary title of “Imperial Cat.” Inspired by this tale, chefs in Kaifeng carefully conceived the dish, selected premium ingredients, and employed meticulous preparation techniques along with exquisite artistic styling to bring the image of the “Songcheng Imperial Cat” vividly to life on the plate, offering an...
A traditional snack, this variety has been included in the "Chinese Culinary Encyclopedia." It is made by mixing catnip and flour into a batter and then pan-frying it. The finished product is soft, fragrant, and uniquely flavored, with therapeutic benefits of clearing heat and aiding digestion. It is a seasonal delicacy perfect for summer. Additionally, depending on the ingredients mixed in, there are also versions made with zucchini, summer squash...
A traditional snack that has been included in the *Encyclopedia of Chinese Cuisine*. Due to its turtle-like shape, it is also called "Egg Turtle." This deep-fried breakfast or late-night snack combines dough and egg, served fresh and hot, featuring a crispy outside and soft inside. In 1978, it was recognized as a "Famous Local Snack."…
Pears are known as the “king of fruits” for their stomach-soothing and lung-moistening properties. They are rich in sugars such as fructose, glucose, and malic acid, as well as organic acids. They also contain nutrients like protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins (B1, B2, C), carotene, and niacin. Today, we’ll use pears as the main ingredient to make a sweet…
The brewing history of Seven-Step Poetry Liquor can be traced back to the Three Kingdoms period. Historical records state that Cao Zhi often drank wine and composed poetry to ease his sorrows. When challenged, he drank heartily and composed a poem in seven steps, creating the timeless verse: “Boiling beans beneath the beanstalk cry, / The beans in the pot weep with a sigh. / We both sprouted from the selfsame root, / Why must you burn me with such ruthless pursuit?” Later generations, in admiration of Cao Zhi’s literary talent, named the place where he composed the poem in seven steps…
Tongxu peanuts are large in size, plump in kernel, long in shape, clear in texture lines, heavy in grain weight, neat in form, white in color, smooth and sweet in taste, pure in flavor, and free from any off-taste or grittiness. …
Double Sesame Fried Cake is a famous snack from Kaifeng. It is commonly eaten for breakfast or as a late-night bite, often served with oil tea. The product features a crispy, slightly burnt texture with a rich blend of five-spice flavors.…
A popular snack and fried breakfast item. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, those made by Wen Gaoyi at the Station Canteen became particularly famous. In 1956 and 1978, they were twice designated as “Famous Specialty Snacks.”…
Tofu sticks are made by stir-frying soybean milk. They are stick-shaped, hollow, with thin skins, and have a naturally pale yellow, translucent color. Each stick is about 30 centimeters long. Sold in bundles of ten, each weighing approximately 1.3 taels (around 50 grams). They are delicious in taste and highly nutritious. Served cold, they are refreshing and tasty, while stuffed versions are richly flavorful and aromatic. …