Xiadong cuisine stands out as the finest among local festive banquets. The authentic Cloth Bag Chicken is originally called “Seafood Assorted Chicken,” but it earned the name “Cloth Bag Chicken” due to its pouch-like appearance. This dish uses only the finest ingredients and features a unique preparation method. A one-year-old hen is selected, slaughtered, and plucked, then a vertical incision of about two inches is made under its throat to remove the internal organs and bones, turning it into a “meat pouch.” Next, sixteen ingredients—including sea cucumber, wood ear fungus, dried shrimp, bamboo shoots, shredded lean pork, and firm egg custard—are added in precise proportions. The opening is then tightly sewn shut with bamboo strips. The chicken is deep-fried until golden brown, steamed in a bamboo basket, and served on a plate adorned with a colorful vegetable pattern arranged to resemble a whole chicken nestled in a bed of blossoms. When served, the back is cut open to reveal the rich filling—tender meat and delicious stuffing that is fragrant yet not greasy, offering a truly distinctive flavor.
Xiajin White Jade Birds, also known as canaries or finches, are referred to as snowfinches and commonly called yellow buntings. According to the *Xiajin County Annals* from the Republican era: “Snowfinches come in yellow and white varieties, as well as speckled ones, all commonly called White Jade Birds.” Their history of domestication dates back to the early Ming Dynasty, spanning over 600 years to the present day. White Jade Birds have a graceful and robust build, slightly longer than skylarks, and are known for their singing…
Apricots are a traditional fruit in this county with a long cultivation history. According to the *Xiajin County Annals* from the Ming Dynasty's Jiajing era, they were widely planted here in the early Ming period. In the early Qing Dynasty, a specialized apricot market was established in Xiaowangzhuang, 30 li northeast of the county town. When the apricots ripened each year, merchants gathered in large numbers, transporting them by cart and pack animal to markets in Youzhou, Yan region, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei, and Hunan. Xiajin Large Apricots come in three stone types—free-stone, cling-stone, and semi-cling-stone—and two kernel categories—bitter and sweet. Currently, there are 62 varieties, including Honglian Ermai Huang, Hong Ban Ge, Honghua Jie, Hong Lingdang, Chuanzhi Hong, Sanbian Chou, Pohe, Suanbai, Hongmeizi, Dabai Shui Xing, Jinhuang Xing, Eling Bai, Hongbadian, Baibadian, and Laogua Zhentou Xing. They are mainly grown on the ancient dikes and in the eastern and western Shahe River areas, with the highest yields in Houtun and Shuangmiao townships. A 1985 survey recorded the county’s total apricot production at 1.5 million jin. Among them, the Laogua Zhentou Xing from Zuodi Village stands out. Named for its resemblance to river pebbles (locally called "old crow pillows"), it is large, thin-skinned, and pleasantly sweet and tangy. This variety was developed through selection and grafting from native apricot trees. It has sturdy branches, large leaves, fast fruit development, and ripens before Mangzhong. Each apricot weighs 50–80 grams, turning pale yellow upon maturity with a rich jasmine-like fragrance, making it a premium-grade apricot.
Yihéchéng Pastries were first created during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty by Li Senxian, a renowned pastry master from Shuangmiao Village in Xiajin. To improve the quality of his pastries, he traveled to Beijing, Tianjin, and Jinan to learn techniques from master confectioners. As a result, the pastries not only preserve traditional flavors but also incorporate characteristics from those regions. The name “Yihéchéng,” meaning “harmony brings prosperity” and “peace fosters wealth,” reflects…
Produced in Zhangqiu County, these scallions are renowned as the “King of Scallions.” Rich in carbohydrates, minerals such as sulfur, phosphorus, and iron, as well as various vitamins, Zhangqiu scallions offer a distinctive aroma and spiciness. Regular consumption can stimulate appetite and strengthen the spleen and stomach. They also have strong antibacterial properties and act as an effective diaphoretic. Zhang…
Li Shizhen referred to it as the "sacred medicine" in his Compendium of Materia Medica. Along with ginseng and pilose antler, it is known as one of the "Three Treasures of Traditional Chinese Medicine." The earliest record of donkey-hide gelatin can be found in the Shen Nong's Herbal Classic, dating back about two thousand years. The text states that the gelatin "originates from Dongping Commandery, is made by boiling cowhide, and comes from Dongke." This shows that donkey-hide gelatin was originally made from cowhide. According to legend...
The round-backed armchair is a matching piece of furniture for the “Eight Immortals Table” (a square table) and is highly favored by people in Xiajin. Among them, Liu Lu round-backed armchairs are considered top-quality. Its production history is untraceable. However, it has gained widespread fame for its exquisite craftsmanship and durability. The wood used is mostly zimu willow (a type of wild willow), with mulberry wood being particularly preferred. The selected materials must undergo soaking and steaming before...
Sauce is a key condiment in cooking, capable of both harmonizing the flavors and enhancing the colors of dishes. In northwestern Shandong and southeastern Hebei, “Xiajin Sweet Sauce” stands out as one of the best. As one of the “Three Antiquities” of the county, it is made from wheat flour and is a renowned local product. The saying “En melon (from En County, now Encheng Town, Pingyuan County), Xia melon (from Xiajin), and sweet sauce” refers to this very product (see the *Xiajin County Annals · Miscellaneous Records* from the Republican era). Xiajin Sweet Sauce has a porridge-like consistency, a red color, and a balanced saltiness and sweetness. When cooked in oil, it gives off an exceptionally fragrant taste; when mixed with broth, it offers a mildly sweet flavor. When dipped with spring onions (locally called “sheep’s horn onions” in Xiajin—these are overwintered onions that sprout anew in spring), it delivers a pleasantly spicy and sweet taste, often regarded as a seasonal delicacy. Locals also commonly eat onions dipped in sweet sauce with meals all year round, making scallion-wrapped thin pancakes (grilled flatbread) dipped in sweet sauce a local specialty. Former residents who have lived away for long periods, as well as visitors drawn by its fame, often find great satisfaction in tasting Xiajin’s “pancake rolls with sweet sauce and scallions.” According to the *Xiajin County Annals · Miscellaneous Records* from the Republican era: there is a “Three Mountains Well” in the city whose water tastes extremely bitter—“silversmiths use this water to plate gold, which then emits a particularly radiant luster, and it also imparts a unique flavor when used to make sweet sauce.” The original “Yongquanju” Sauce Workshop in Xiajin was located just south of the “Three Mountains Well,” and its “Yongquanju Sweet Sauce” was made using this well water. The product sold well in several nearby counties and was often given as a gift, but due to small-scale production, it frequently sold out.
A traditional specialty fruit of Xiajin County with a long cultivation history. According to the Xiajin County Annals from the Ming Dynasty's Jiajing era, it was widely planted in the region as early as the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. Among the many varieties of apricots in Xiajin, the “Old Crow Pillow Apricot” stands out as one of the finest. It boasts a rich aroma, a sweet yet slightly tangy flavor, and is rich in various vitamins. With numerous cultivars and an early ripening period, it is highly favored by many. Canned in syrup, the Old Crow Pillow Apricot makes for a nutritious and flavorful treat.
A famous local dish from Xiajin, also known as Seafood Assorted Chicken. It gets its name because it resembles a cloth bag. The dish is exquisitely prepared with premium ingredients. A one-year-old hen is selected, slaughtered and bled, then plucked, gutted, and deboned, leaving only the head and leg bones. Sixteen ingredients—including sea cucumber, wood ear fungus, bamboo shoots, dried shrimp, finely shredded pork, and firm egg cake—are proportionally stuffed inside. …
The main dishes of the Ancient Mulberry Feast include mulberry leaf soup, mulberry fruit stir-fried with corn, mulberry leaf steamed buns, mulberry leaf fried eggs, fried mulberry leaves, and mulberry leaf meatballs. The greatest feature of the Ancient Mulberry Feast lies in its rich medicinal value. In addition to dispelling wind and clearing heat, as well as improving liver function and vision, mulberry leaves also help maintain a youthful complexion and darken hair. Mulberry twigs can dispel rheumatism, unblock meridians, and regulate water circulation...
In recent years, a new local delicacy has emerged in Xiajin — Bitter Water Lamb Meatballs. With tender and delicious meat, lean but not tough, fatty but not greasy, soft yet not falling apart, well-seasoned with a rich aroma and unique flavor, they have become very popular among locals. The origin of Bitter Water Lamb Meatballs traces back to a unique craft created by a farmer living in Kushui Village, Beicheng, Xiajin...
History: "Braised Pork in a Pot" originated in the Qing Dynasty. It gets its name because the pork is stewed in a ceramic pot. Legend has it that this dish was created by a chef at Fengji Lou Restaurant in Jinan. The Qing Dynasty text "Suiyuan Shidan" by Yuan Mei contains a record stating: "Put meat in a porcelain pot, slow simmer it in rice husks, the method is the same as before, but make sure to seal the pot."
The main ingredient of sweet and sour pancakes is millet. Depending on the spices added, they come in various flavors such as peanut, chestnut, pineapple, banana, mint, and rose. They are thin, crispy, sweet yet not greasy, golden in color, diverse in variety, rich in nutrition, and easy to digest. (Jinan)…
Five-Nut Buns are sweet, fragrant, snow-white in color, beautifully shaped, and highly nutritious, making them one of the distinctive local pastries of Jinan. They are made by stir-frying five types of nuts—peanut kernels, sesame seeds, walnut kernels, almond kernels, and melon seed kernels—removing their skins, crushing them into small pieces, then mixing them with diced red dates, osmanthus jam, crispy golden dough powder, and finally sweetened with white sugar…
Rose, a deciduous shrub of the Rosaceae family, blooms in summer, with a fragrance that is "richly sweet and grows even more intense as it dries." While roses are scattered in gardens and private estates across China, large-scale cultivation is rare. However, Pingyin County, located in the southwest of Shandong Province, has vast rose plantations, making it nationally renowned as the "Hometown of Roses." Pingyin County lies to the north of the Yellow River, with flat terrain in the northern part...
Qihé Yellow River Rice is a specialty of Qihé County in Dezhou City, Shandong Province. The rice is pure and translucent, sparkling clean, and releases a rich aroma when steamed or boiled. It has a sticky, fragrant texture, a delicious taste, and a sweet aftertaste. Approved by the China Green Food Development Center, it fully meets Grade A green food standards. Grown along the banks of the Yellow River within the county...
Straw and willow weaving crafts are made from materials such as straw, wheat stalks, corn husks, and willow twigs. This craft originated in towns like Qianpu and Huairén. Initially, these items were mainly woven for personal use, prioritizing practicality over aesthetics. Starting in 1972, Shanghe County’s straw and willow weaving crafts began to be exported in bulk. This greatly promoted the development of the straw and willow...
The Beginning of Spring marks the start of spring and the new year. In rural areas across China, various celebrations are held to pray for a good harvest in the coming year. Tasting spring is characterized by eating spring pancakes, spring rolls, and spring platters, which can be made by every household. The dough is made with boiling water, and once cooked, the pancakes are refreshing, chewy, fragrant, and perfect for wrapping fillings. In old Jinan…
Special Brew of Baotu Spring is crafted using traditional five-grain brewing techniques combined with modern scientific methods. It features a rich cellar aroma, sweet and mellow taste, and a long-lasting aftertaste. (Jinan)…