Ingredients: 200g frozen taro, 200g chicken meatballs, 50g green beans, 1½ cups broth, a small amount of yuzu. Sauce: 3 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp sake, 1 tbsp cooking wine, 3 tbsp soy sauce. Method: 1. First bring the broth and sauce to a boil, then add the frozen meatballs. Once it boils again, add the taro…
Shen'gang Oil Pancake originated in the early Ming Dynasty and was offered as a tribute to the imperial court during both the Ming and Qing dynasties, earning the saying “Dao Kou Roast Chicken in the north, Shen'gang Oil Pancake in the south.” In Shen'gang Village, Denggang Township, Xincai County, there is a famous noodle dish—Shen'gang Oil Pancake (also known as Denggang Oil Pancake). Throughout history, anyone who came to Shen'gang would savor this delicacy and consider it a fortunate experience. Legend has it that Shen'gang in…
A local specialty delicacy. Yeli Sesame Cake has a long history and was already well-known during the Ming and Qing dynasties. During the Republican era, Xu Youli operated a shop on East Street in the county town, hence it is also called Xu Family Sesame Cake. The Xu Family Sesame Cake is made primarily with fragrant sesame oil, raw pork lard, and fine white wheat flour. It is shaped into rounds, filled with chopped scallions and pork lard, and coated with malt sugar syrup and sesame seeds before being pressed onto specially designed semi-circular…
A local specialty delicacy. The processing technique was first created during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. After several generations of exploration and research by the Jiang family, it is now prepared by Grandma Jiang into a uniquely flavored dish—“Jiang Laopo Crispy Chicken”—renowned far and wide for its deliciously crispy chicken. The chicken is made from traditional free-range roosters and undergoes over sixty procedures, including boiling...
In Shen'gang Village, Dengang Township, Xincai County, there is a famous noodle dish—Shen'gang Oil Pancake (also known as Dun'gang Oil Pancake). Throughout history, anyone who came to Shen'gang would indulge in this delicacy and consider it a great treat. Legend has it that during the Spring and Autumn Period, Shen'gang was the villa of Shen Zhuliang, the prime minister of the State of Chu. During the Eastern Wei Dynasty, Cai Prefecture was once established here. Later, after several periods of abandonment and revival, Shen...
Floating-on-Water Pickles are a specialty of Hewu Township, Xincai County, Zhumadian City, Henan Province. These pickles offer health benefits such as disease prevention, antibacterial properties, and physical strengthening, hence earning the reputation of “fragrance that spreads ten miles once the jar is opened.” They are a top choice for seasoning meals or cooking. The flagship products of Floating-on-Water Pickles are watermelon paste fermented soybeans and sweet-crisp garlic cloves. The story of Xincai’s Floating-on-Water Pickles began…
Tangcun Three Flours The town of Tangcun has long had traditional techniques for growing sweet potatoes and processing flour, noodles, vermicelli, and sheets. The noodles among Tangcun’s “Three Flours” are fine in texture, crystal clear, resistant to overcooking, delicious in taste, pleasant in mouthfeel, and highly nutritious. The town is committed to expanding and strengthening the “Three Flours” industry, vigorously implementing a brand strategy, and has raised funds of over 10…
Dun'gang Rice Due to Xinxian's location on the Huai River Plain, where the Hongru River runs through the entire region for over 150 kilometers, 440,000 mu of low-lying land has formed along the riverbanks. Starting in 1989, the county proposed a strategy of "if dry farming doesn't work, switch to water farming; shift from confrontational to adaptive planting," focusing on transforming low-lying areas into rice paddies. Along with investing funds to enhance...
Laobieyi Special Vinegar The history of folk vinegar brewing in Xincai is long-standing, and the most famous is Laobieyi Special Vinegar produced in Tangcun Town. It is one of Xincai’s traditional specialty products. Made primarily from wheat and sorghum, with over thirty kinds of precious Chinese medicinal herbs used in the starter culture, and fermented with both large and small fermentation starters, it undergoes more than fifty large and small production processes over a period of more than six months to…
Since its inception in 1983, Panji Mixed Noodles has gradually developed its own distinctive style, standing out uniquely in Yicheng. The restaurant treats reputation and quality as its lifeblood, meticulously crafting every single bowl of noodles with great care. The broth is made with a variety of precious tonic Chinese medicinal herbs (such as star anise, Sichuan peppercorn, and black pepper), giving the mixed noodles a rich and aromatic flavor...
Braised Fish in Soy Sauce boasts a unique flavor with delicious fish taste that melts in your mouth. It is made primarily from carefully selected small fish, which are first deep-fried and then simmered in a rich broth. It is commonly sold at food stalls and night markets, and sometimes also peddled by street vendors. Zao Gen, an individual business owner in Shunhe Hui District, has been running the braised fish business for three generations. He often sets up his stall at the east entrance of Honghe Riverbank, where the dish is always in high demand...
Legend has it that the Southern Song Dynasty poet Lu You once enjoyed Tofu Box during his travels through Ye Cheng, hence the dish’s name. Today’s Ye Cheng Tofu Box is made according to an ancestral secret recipe and has been well preserved and promoted. The dish uses tofu coagulated with water from the Sha and Li rivers. It can be served as a snack or as a delightful main course—colorful, delicious, and highly nutritious…
The freshwater clam, also known as river mussel, river snail, or bird clam, belongs to the phylum Mollusca, class Bivalvia, family Unionidae. It is a common type of bivalve mollusk. These clams filter-feed on algae, with common species including Anodonta woodiana, Cristaria plicata, and Hyriopsis cumingii, among others, which are found in lakes and rivers across most regions of China. The flesh of the freshwater clam is particularly crisp...
Luohe is the largest yellow peach production base in China, yielding 100,000 tons of high-quality yellow peaches annually. The varieties include Basan, Lianhuang, Fenghuang, and Jintong No. 5. Thanks to our city’s location along both banks of the ancient course of the Yellow River, we benefit from unique soil and climatic conditions, which result in exceptionally superior peaches. Our yellow peaches have pure flesh, high hardness, golden-yellow pulp without red pigmentation…
Luohe’s specialty snowflake beef — the renowned Fancheng Hongjia Spiced Beef — has enjoyed widespread fame across China for over 400 years. The beef is meticulously crafted, using only 1- to 3-year-old yellow bulls from the Central Plains as the main ingredient, along with more than twenty kinds of precious Chinese medicinal herbs. It undergoes multiple processes including marination, steaming, and boiling. Fancheng beef is produced far from polluted water sources, reducing the risk of parasites...
Geji Jar Braised Pork with Pancakes is made by braising pancakes and specially prepared jar-braised pork together with greens. The pancakes are made from soft dough and cooked into flaky layered flatbreads, which are then cooled and cut into thin strips resembling curtain rods for later use. The jar-braised pork is made from skin-on streaky pork, cut into 2 cm cubes. First, the pork is boiled in water in a pot to remove scum and impurities, then the meat is taken out and placed into a jar. A generous amount of eight spices is added, along with fermented tofu, and the meat broth is poured in before sealing the jar. The mixture is brought to a boil over high heat, then simmered over low heat until the pork becomes tender and fully cooked. When making the dish, the bottom of the pan is lined with greens, followed by the pancake strips and jar-braised pork. Some broth is added, and the mixture is briefly braised until ready. Aside from mung bean sprouts, the dish is often paired with seasonal fresh vegetables such as garlic shoots, bok choy, violas, and water bamboo. The broth used for braising includes not only pork broth but also chicken soup and duck bone broth. In December 1977, during the first national competition for famous snacks held in Hangzhou, Geji Braised Pork with Pancakes was awarded the title of Chinese Famous Snack.
Although you can now find egg-filled pancakes all over Beijing, the best ones are still found in their place of origin — Henan Province, more specifically in Luohe City. For an authentic experience, make sure to try one made by locals from Luohe. Typically run as husband-and-wife teams, the women handle the dough while the men cook the pancakes, working in perfect harmony. While modern versions have started to include lettuce and ham sausages, it's still...
Houji Pork Knuckle is a specialty dish from Houji Town, Wuyang County, Luohe City, Henan Province. The pork knuckle from Houji, Wuyang, boasts tender yet non-greasy meat with a flavorful and chewy texture that leaves a lingering fragrance in the mouth after eating. It has a unique taste and offers benefits such as promoting muscle growth, nourishing the skin, and enhancing beauty. Located in Houji Town, Wuyang, it is also known as "Fan Kuai Pork Knuckle" and is a long-renowned...
Beiwudu Spicy Soup is also considered a time-honored brand in the Central Plains. It originated in the 5th year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty (1828 AD), when merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces established the Shan-Shaan Guild Hall here. After the guild hall was completed, a grand banquet was held to entertain guests. During this event, a chef from Taiyuan Prefecture prepared a soup that was highly praised by the nobility and gentry — this soup was the spicy soup...
"Juǎnzi Mó," approximately one foot long, five inches wide, and weighing three to six pounds, can be called the king of breads. Its preparation is meticulous—first, fine white flour is kneaded over a hundred times, then steamed over low heat in an iron pot. The crust turns golden yellow, up to half an inch thick; the crumb is snow-white, layered within. In the mouth, it feels moist yet chewy, dry without being tough, with a satisfying bite that is also...