The Chrysanthemum Festival on the Ninth Day of the Ninth Month is a traditional Chinese festival. On this day, people would go outing to climb heights, drink chrysanthemum wine, wear dogwood, and eat Double Ninth cakes to embrace the autumn spirit. This custom was especially popular during the Song Dynasty. According to *The Eastern Capital: A Dream of Splendor – Double Ninth*, in the ninth month during the Double Ninth Festival, there were several varieties of chrysanthemums for admiration in the capital. Taverns would bind chrysanthemums to form flower-decorated doorways. Many locals would venture outside the city to climb heights. Each...
Wo Wo Elbow, originally known as soy sauce pork elbow, was introduced to Kaifeng from Beijing. The soy sauce pork elbow from Beijing’s Tianfu Hao was highly acclaimed throughout the capital and, in the late Qing Dynasty, was regularly sent as tribute to the imperial palace. Nearly a century ago, the owner of Beiwefang, a shop in Kaifeng, traveled to Beijing out of admiration, brought back samples, and studied their production methods, eventually creating a soy sauce pork hoof dish with distinctive Central Plains characteristics. After the founding of the People’s Republic, the city’s food company’s cured meat store…
Lamb Head in White Sauce has been prepared in Kaifeng since the Northern Song Dynasty. Lamb head refers to lamb head meat, and Lamb Head in White Sauce is a type of this dish. It is a traditional delicacy of Kaifeng, typically available from late autumn to late spring. This dish uses plump, high-quality lamb heads, which are first shaved, scalded, and rinsed before being placed in a pot of clear water with a seasoning bag. They are then boiled over high heat, removed, and the bones are taken out; then...
Pig’s Head Meatloaf is a traditional delicacy from Kaifeng. The Sauce Meat Store of the city’s Food Company has inherited the traditional production method while reforming the techniques and recipe, resulting in a product that has become a favorite among locals. Production Method: Select a fresh pig’s head, remove the hair, cut off the tongue and ears, split it in half, and blanch it until clean. Mix refined salt, cooking wine, soy sauce, and spices...
Crystal jelly includes two types: crystal trotter jelly and crystal skin jelly, both traditional delicacies of Kaifeng. They differ slightly in ingredients and preparation methods. Trotter jelly: Select fresh pig trotters with tender meat and thin skin, clean them thoroughly, rub with refined salt and saltpeter solution until well blended, then marinate in a vat, soak in cold water, and blanch in boiling water. Next, place them in a salt- and alum-added...
Kaifeng-Style Chicken Kaifeng has a long-standing tradition of preparing delicious chicken dishes, hence the renowned name "Kaifeng-Style Chicken." During the Republican era, various restaurants in Kaifeng such as Beiwufang, Wuweihé, Lugaojian, and Mayuxing were famous for their distinctive and flavorful chicken dishes. Depending on the cooking techniques and flavor profiles, they can be categorized into crispy chicken, air-dried chicken, soy sauce chicken, frozen chicken…
Date sausage Date sausage is a distinctive local delicacy produced by the Kaifeng Meat Union Factory. It gets its name from its appearance and color, which resemble red dates. The product is made with strictly selected ingredients and crafted with fine processing techniques, resulting in tender meat with a delicious flavor that is perfectly balanced between salty and sweet. It was once rated as a high-quality product by the provincial food system. The main ingredients of this product are fresh lean pork and type-four casings, along with…
Marrow Cake gets its name from the use of ox marrow oil as a key ingredient. It was first recorded in *The Eastern Capital: A Dream of Splendor*, and had become popular in the markets of Kaifeng during the Northern Song Dynasty. In addition to its rich aroma, sweet and tender texture, and distinctly southern flavors, Marrow Cake also helps strengthen bones and muscles. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, this traditional pastry disappeared from the market for a time. In 1983...
Assorted Southern Candies, also known as "Nan Tang," is a general term for various types of southern winter candies. Due to the wide variety and numerous names, they are commonly referred to as Assorted Southern Candies. These are specialty products of the historic confectionery shops in Kaifeng, such as Lao Baotai, Wufu, and Sanyangguan.
Yipin Sesame Cake Yipin Sesame Cake is a traditional famous snack from Kaifeng, originating in the Northern Song Dynasty. In the early years of the Song Dynasty, the imperial examination system was established to select talented individuals, drawing scholars from across the country to the capital (Kaifeng). To cater to the examinees’ aspirations, eateries and inns meticulously crafted a fragrant, crispy, and delicious sesame cake, giving it the auspicious name "Yipin Sesame Cake" (implying the wish for the eater to attain the highest official rank). The Yipin...
Kaifeng mooncakes are seasonal foods with a wide variety of types. There are over 30 popular and locally produced varieties in Kaifeng. These mooncakes differ in flavor and are beautifully shaped, renowned for their attractive appearance and high quality. The main types include sugar-raised and flaky varieties, along with introduced styles such as Southern-style and Cantonese-style. Traditional brands like "Lao Baotai," "Bao Yaoji," "Jinyangyu," "Wufu," and "Sanyangguan" produce mooncakes using carefully selected ingredients and unique craftsmanship, upholding tradition and enjoying long-standing popularity among the public. The sugar-raised mooncakes from the City No. 1 Food Factory and the Hui Ethnic Food Factory, as well as the egg yolk mooncakes produced by the City No. 1 Food Factory and the No. 5 Store of the City Non-Staple Food Company, have all been rated as high-quality products by the province.
During the Northern Song Dynasty, outside Fengqiu Gate in Dongjing (present-day Kaifeng), there was a small shop famous for its clay oven sesame seed cakes that emitted a delicate osmanthus fragrance. Later generations replicated and continuously refined the baking method, eventually creating the Osmanthus Clay Oven — a beloved pastry that has been cherished by the public to this day. The Osmanthus Clay Oven is a refined, all-crisp pastry. It is made from premium flour, powdered sugar, eggs, fragrant oil, and osmanthus...
Kaifeng Sausage is crafted by Feng Baoshen, a renowned master of cured meats from the Kaifeng Meat Union Factory. Meticulously made with well-balanced ingredients, it combines the best qualities of both southern and northern sausages, excelling in color, aroma, taste, and appearance, and enjoys wide market popularity. Production: Fresh pork (with a fat-to-lean ratio of 7:3) and Type 4 casings are used as the main ingredients, along with various seasonings. First, the pork is cut…
Pig Liver Pine Pig Liver Pine is a flavored food developed and produced by the Kaifeng Meat Union Factory. It features a rich liver flavor, a well-balanced sweet and salty taste, and is highly nutritious, making it especially suitable for the elderly and children. Production: Select lean pork from the hind leg and fresh pig liver (in a ratio of 3:7). First, cut the cleaned lean meat into 2-inch cubes, then soak them together with the pig liver in a basin of clean water…
Pork tenderloin strips, originally known as roasted pork strips, are a traditional specialty of Kaifeng. In 1934 (the 23rd year of the Republic of China), Peking opera performer Mei Lanfang visited Kaifeng for a performance and highly praised this meat after trying it. Later on, people began to refer to roasted pork strips as "Mei tenderloin strips" (Mei referring to Mei Lanfang). After the founding of the People's Republic of China, this product was long produced by the Kaifeng Meat Union Factory according to traditional methods.…
Bianjing Ham, commonly known as salted meat, is one of Kaifeng’s famous traditional delicacies. In the early years of the Republic of China, the renowned Kaifeng eatery Beiwefang was most famous for making Bianjing Ham. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the cooked meat shop of the city’s food company inherited the traditional craftsmanship, and the Bianjing Ham they produced retained its original distinctive qualities. This product is made from the hind leg of fresh pork, which is trimmed and...
Fake Squid. "Fake Squid" is a high-quality meat product developed in the late 1960s by Gao Youchen, a renowned sauce-meat master from Kaifeng, who inherited traditional techniques. It caused a sensation at provincial and municipal food expos and quickly gained popularity after hitting the market. The product is called "squid" in quotation marks because its main ingredient is not squid but fresh pig’s tongue. During preparation, the pig’s tongue is first soaked in boiling water until the surface turns pale...
Bianjing Cured Meat has a long history of production. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, records of "meat jerky" and "cured meat" can be found in the classics 《Book of Rites》 and 《Book of Changes》. Bianjing Cured Meat inherits traditional craftsmanship while incorporating local flavors, featuring distinct layers, glossy color, rich aroma, mellow taste, and a deliciously refreshing flavor. Paired with a variety of vegetables and served with dried and fresh bamboo slices, scallions...
Among the diverse and flavorful varieties of preserved meat products in Kaifeng, Braised Pork Tongue in Sauce stands out as one of the finest. With its fine-textured meat, brownish-red color, sweet-salty taste, mellow aroma, and richly lingering flavor, it has received high praise at provincial food fairs. This product is typically made in late autumn and winter. The pork tongue is prepared by removing the root and lymph nodes, then blanched in boiling water for...
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