Lv'tan Fish Fragrance is a specialty dish from Lvtan Township, Fugou County, Zhoukou City, Henan Province. It is quite famous in Fugou. The fish prepared here is a dish where you taste the flavor but don’t see the actual fish—delicately fragrant and not greasy, known for its benefits of nourishing yin and yang, as well as warming the body and dispelling cold. Lv'tan "Fish Fragrance" has been renowned since the Ming Dynasty. Back then, Lv'tan was one of the Four Famous Towns of Zhongzhou...
Guande Gong Roast Chicken, also known as "Guanji Roast Chicken," is a traditional delicacy from Zhoukou City. This roast chicken was first created during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty by Guan Hongbin, the grandfather of Guande Gong. By the late Qing and early Republican period, it had already gained widespread fame in the Zhoukou and Luohe areas. The recipe has been passed down through three generations over 108 years. The making of Guande Gong Roast Chicken emphasizes the cultivation of aged broth, uses carefully selected ingredients, and involves meticulous preparation. The roast chicken boasts an attractive appearance, appealing color, delicious taste, and is satisfying without being greasy. Whether hot or cold, simply shaking the chicken by its leg will cause the meat to separate easily from the bone. Its unique flavor captivates everyone—it is not only an excellent choice to accompany drinks or serve as a festive gift, but also a fine dish for entertaining guests or hosting wedding banquets. It is ranked alongside Dao Kou and Kong Ji Roast Chickens as one of Henan Province’s three most famous roast chickens. Guande Gong Roast Chicken is deeply loved by locals in Zhoukou and is also exported to cities and provinces such as Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Anhui, and Shandong, earning high praise from customers. In 1981, it was listed as a Famous Meat Product of Henan Province; in 1986, it was awarded the title of High-Quality Product of Henan Province; and in 1988, it won the Silver Award at the First China Food Expo. (Zhoukou)
Wang San, originally named Wang Shaoxian, was nicknamed Wang San because he was the third child in his family. He opened three dumpling restaurants in Zhoukou City, where his dumplings became famous for their delicious taste, attracting a constant stream of customers and making his business thrive. People praised him as the “Dumpling King.” Wang San’s ancestral home was in Beijing. During the early Qing Dynasty, when Zhoujiakou (now Zhoukou) was at the height of its commercial prosperity, his ancestors moved from Beijing to Zhoukou. To this day…
The origins of Spicy Soup date back to the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty. At that time, Grand Secretary Yan Song, seeking to please the emperor, obtained a seasoning medicine from a high monk that was said to promote longevity and vitality. He presented it to the emperor, who used it to make a soup. The soup was incredibly delicious, greatly delighting the emperor, who named it "Imperial Soup." After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, imperial chef Zhao Ji fled with this recipe...
Daylily buds are a specialty of Huaiyang County in this region, and pickled daylily buds are unique to this county. The history of pickling daylily buds in Huaiyang County dates back to 136 BC. At that time, Emperor Wu of Han appointed Ji An as the magistrate of Huaiyang, and the chef Sun Tongjun salted the daylily buds for over ten days before brewing them in sweet bean paste for several months to create “Liquefied Golden Needles.” This dish…
The planting area of Tiankou jujubes has reached 38,000 mu, with 25,000 mu in full fruit-bearing stage and 13,000 mu in initial fruiting stage. The annual production of fresh and dried jujubes amounts to 10 million kilograms, generating an output value of over 25 million yuan. This has achieved the dual-yield goal of “a thousand yuan from the trees, a thousand jin of grain under the trees, and a large jujube orchard across the township,” making jujubes…
Spicy chicken is a local delicacy. It uses free-range chicken and chili peppers as the main ingredients. The chicken is cut into chunks and stir-fried over high heat in an iron wok with cooking oil and chili to remove moisture. Once the chicken chunks release their own fat during frying, they are transferred to a pressure cooker, water is added, and the mixture is simmered for 10–15 minutes. A few drops of small mill sesame oil are added, along with monosodium glutamate, scallions, ginger, and other seasonings before serving. …
The territory of Dancheng County lies within the Huang-Huai Plain, on the southern edge of the Yellow River alluvial fan. The terrain is flat, with heavy clay soil suitable for the growth of various crops and trees. The county has a warm temperate semi-humid monsoon climate, characterized by mild weather, distinct seasons, abundant sunshine, ample rainfall, and a short frost period. These conditions provide...
Produced in Xihua, Henan. The low-lying areas along the Qingliu River and Ying River in Xihua County are abundant in basket willow. In the dog days of summer, the willow branches are cut, peeled, and the resulting strips are white, soft, and highly suitable for weaving. Those from Maizhuang and Baimiao are of the highest quality — their strips are long, white, hollow, tough yet pliable, and do not crack, split, or break during processing. Products include winnowing baskets, dustpans, boxes, baskets, hampers…
Changying nectarines are a specialty of Changying Town, Taikang County, Zhoukou City, Henan Province. The town has vigorously developed nectarine production, successfully registered the "Huashou" brand of nectarines, and established the prestigious title of "China's Hometown of Nectarines – Changying." Changying Town in Taikang County is widely known as the "Mountain of Flowers and Fruits" in eastern Henan. In 1994, the town learned that the Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences had cultivated early-maturing, high-quality nectarine varieties, and was the first to…
Tai Kang Pork Knuckle is a renowned delicacy in the Central Plains region, made from premium pork knuckles, complemented by specially selected high-quality ingredients and a unique cooking process. It is characterized by being “rich but not greasy, brightly colored, richly fragrant, and tender to the bone.” Praised as “the culmination of culinary excellence,” it has gained fame across the Central Plains. The dish was developed by Mr. Song Youhua, a native of Tai Kang...
Luyi celery is not only sweet, crisp, and delicious, with bright color and rich flavor, but also highly versatile in cooking. As a major vegetable variety supplied in winter and spring markets, it is nutritionally rich—high in calcium and contains over a dozen types of amino acids. It helps lower blood pressure, meeting the requirements of modern scientific diets, and is highly favored by consumers. The product sells well in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, …
Shiliang Dog Meat is a specialty of Luyi County, with its authentic production originating in Shiliangji, located 25 kilometers west of Luyi County town. Renowned for its long history, authentic flavor, and medicinal benefits such as enriching blood, boosting energy, dispelling cold, and regulating the body’s temperature, Shiliang Dog Meat is highly cherished by many. Its origins date back to the late Western Han Dynasty, boasting a history of nearly 2,000 years. Legend has it that...
Kongji Roast Chicken is a renowned delicacy famous across the country. It gets its name from its place of origin — West Kongji in Luyi County. With a long history, Kongji Roast Chicken boasts unique characteristics: it has a bright color, yellow tinged with red, tender and juicy meat with crisp sinews, rich yet not greasy, and an enticing aroma. The bones of young chickens are soft enough to eat, while those of older chickens easily separate from the meat. Moreover, in the height of summer, flies avoid it, it stays fresh for days, and it even offers medicinal benefits such as warming the middle energizer, dispersing cold, strengthening the spleen, and stimulating the appetite. As a result, it is highly popular among the public and has gradually developed into a distinctive traditional delicacy. Today, Kongji Roast Chicken has become a premium dish at local banquets and a favored gift among family and friends. During festivals, it even finds a place on the offering tables of the Jade Emperor and the Kitchen God. Thus, it enjoys fame across the nation, selling well throughout China — from Beijing and Tianjin in the north to Fujian and Guangdong in the south — and has even made its way into the Asian Games Village and been featured at the White Cloud Restaurant. It is said that during the Ming Dynasty’s Jiajing era, Kongji Roast Chicken, along with other local specialties such as ShiLiang dog meat and Luyi straw plaits, was once offered as tribute to the imperial court. Another notable feature of Kongji Roast Chicken is its relatively unguarded preparation technique, leading to many producers. With the deepening of reform and opening-up and the continuous improvement of living standards, the social demand for Kongji Roast Chicken has grown significantly, making it a widely recognized delicacy and gift. (Zhoukou)
Over a hundred years ago, it was introduced to Kongji by He Dou from Maikuntun in Taikang County. The first successor was Kong Zhaozhuo, followed by Kong Xianti and Kong Xianlai; Kong Xianlai then passed it on to Kong Qinglian and Kong Qinggui. Kong Qinglian dedicated himself to perfecting the craft, excelling especially in braising techniques, which made Kongji Braised Chicken famous far and wide. Nicknamed “Ma Dama,” Kong Qinglian gave rise to the alternative name “Ma Dama’s Braised Chicken.” The recipe includes…
Produced in Luyi, Henan Province, China. Songhe Liangye is made from high-quality sorghum, with medium-temperature Daqu (a type of fermentation starter) produced from wheat, barley, and peas as the saccharification and fermentation agent. It uses sweet and clear water from the Songhe River as brewing water, and is crafted through traditional solid-state mud pit fermentation and old steamer continuous distillation techniques, combined with modern advanced technology. In 1984…
Xiaoyao Town Spicy Soup is one of China’s renowned regional delicacies, celebrated for its appealing color, aroma, and taste. It can also help sober up drinkers, invigorate the spirit, stimulate appetite, and strengthen the spleen. It originates from Xiaoyao Town in Xihua County, Zhoukou City, Henan Province. The origins of Spicy Soup can be traced back to the late Northern Song Dynasty. At that time, Emperor Huizong of Song had a penchant for romance and leisure but was utterly inept in matters of statecraft and military affairs. However, he excelled in the arts—music, chess, calligraphy, painting—as well as indulging in food, drink, and entertainment...
Farmers in Tanshang Village, Tiankou Township, Xihua County, Zhoukou City, Henan Province have cleverly escaped poverty by leaving their farmland behind. By utilizing agricultural waste such as cotton hulls and corn cobs, they grow edible fungi—mainly black fungus—on unused land. Last year alone, this brought the village an average per capita income of 10,000 yuan. The village has also been recognized as a “National Advanced Village for Small Mushroom Cultivation.” Tanshang Village…
In recent years, as part of efforts to advance agricultural restructuring, Xixia Town in Xihua County has leveraged local resource advantages by focusing on large-scale cultivation of small melons as a key component of this adjustment. Emphasizing scale advantages, building a full industry chain, targeting markets, and promoting branding, small melon cultivation has now become a profitable industry for the town, significantly...
The “Lotus” brand monosodium glutamate is of premium quality, featuring large, uniform grains that are clean, white, and transparent. It contains various components including sodium amino acid, with an annual production of 120,000 tons, ranking first in China’s industry and second in the world. It has won such prestigious awards as the “13th International Food Expo Gold Award,” “Paris International Gold Award,” and “Mexico International Gold Award,” and was the first to receive the Quality Product Round Square Certification.