The Cao County Qing Mountain Goat is highly adaptable, widely distributed, fast-growing, early-maturing, and has a high reproductive rate. It is an excellent multipurpose breed valued for its wool, meat, and hide, especially renowned worldwide for its "Qinghua Pi" (blue-fur sheepskin), which is exported to many countries. The development of the Cao County Qing Mountain Goat has a long history. In the 1950s, the annual number of goats raised in the county reached around 100,000...
Traditional Hui ethnic pastries from Dongming. Since the 1990s, the Guo family has been making them, refining the production techniques over time. The Guo Family Pastry series includes more than 30 varieties and over 80 styles, such as honey cake, fish-scale crisp, peach crisp, mooncakes, rose-flavored fried dough twists, and cakes. Among them, the “Three-Cut” pastry is smooth on the inside, crispy on the outside…
Crispy and fragrant baked flatbread refers to a dish made by kneading white flour into strips, mixing in sesame oil, refined salt, five-spice powder, and other seasonings, then rolling and pressing them into flat, disc-like shapes before baking them on a specially designed oven. Once baked, they turn golden and crispy on the outside while remaining soft inside, exuding an irresistible aroma. There’s even a saying: “A single tray of baked flatbreads can fill the street with fragrance for miles.”…
Jiufan Wine is the finest variety of Huangjiu (Chinese yellow wine). The name "Jiufan," literally meaning "more rice," indicates that compared to regular wine, its production uses less water and more glutinous rice in the ingredient ratio. Due to the higher concentration of the mash and the resulting higher alcohol content, the wine has an exceptionally mellow quality, commonly referred to as having a "thick body." It boasts a bright orange-yellow clarity, a rich and fragrant aroma, and a deliciously sweet and mellow taste, known for improving with age...
The Yellow River carp from this county has golden-yellow scales, pale red fins, and a pair of barbels in front of its mouth. Its flesh is deliciously tender and rich, with few bones, making it a premium delicacy renowned both at home and abroad.…
Spicy Soup is a local delicacy of Dongming, commonly found in both urban and rural markets. With a history of over 200 years, it was first created by a family surnamed Hu on Zhao Street in the county town. The preparation method involves washing wheat flour into gluten chunks. When the water reaches 80°C, the gluten chunks are added to the pot and stirred into a tassel-like shape. Then vermicelli, kelp strips, and Hu...
Zang Family Braised Pork originated during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, starting with Zang Deqing, an ancestor of the Zang family, and has a history of over 130 years. The braised pork is made from pig heads and offal, seasoned with more than ten spices including star anise, nutmeg, and cardamom, and simmered in salted broth. After braising, it takes on a brown sugar-like color, is richly aromatic and tender, easy to eat, fatty yet not greasy, and boasts a unique flavor that has earned widespread praise. It is considered an excellent dish for entertaining guests or giving as a gift. The recipe has been passed down through four generations of the Zang family. In 1993, it was designated as a “Local Famous Dish” by the county, listed as one of the “Top Ten Famous Dishes” by the city, and included in the “Government Procurement Meat Guide” by the provincial government.
Scented pork tripe, also known as powdered pork tripe, is a traditional delicacy of the “Jin Family Old Shop” in this county. It is primarily made from 80% fresh pork and 20% mung bean flour, mixed with seasonings such as cardamom, Sichuan peppercorns, and sesame oil. The mixture is then stuffed into a pig’s bladder, tied at the opening to form a ball shape, and simmered over low heat until fully cooked. The finished product boasts excellent color, aroma, and flavor, making it a premium dish. …
Sesame seed cakes have a long history of production in Dongming, with numerous producers in both urban and rural areas. Made from refined flour mixed with water, the dough is combined with a well-prepared filling paste, kneaded repeatedly into rounds, then edged with beautifully carved patterns and coated with carefully selected sesame seeds before being baked in a specially designed oven. Freshly baked, the cakes are golden brown on the outside, soft and tender inside, crispy and delicious...
The salted duck eggs pickled in Niují Village, Xiao Jing Township, Dongming, are known for their fresh, tender, delicate, loose, sandy, and oily qualities, making them a feast for the eyes. The lead-free century eggs they produce feature dark brown, crystal-clear egg whites and firm, well-layered yolks, offering a fragrant and delicious taste. As early as the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, the salted duck eggs and century eggs from Niují became local tribute products...
Dongming Sausage is a specialty of Dongming County, Heze City, Shandong Province. Also known as "powder sausage," it is a traditional delicacy from the county’s “Jin Family Old Shop.” With its rich aroma, savory yet not greasy taste, unique flavor, pure color, and high nutritional value, it is suitable for all ages and leaves a delightful aftertaste that keeps people coming back for more. The Jin Family Powder Sausage Shop was founded in the late Qing Dynasty during the Guangxu era by Jin Fushan, an ancestor of the Jin family…
Wang Family Spiced Beef is a specialty of Dongming County, Heze City, Shandong Province. The beef from Wang Family in Dongming boasts a bright red color, a fragrant aroma, a tender and loose texture, and a delicious taste that suits all ages, making it an excellent choice for banquets and gifts. The product is operated by brothers Wang Bingqian and Wang Binglian, Hui people from Dianzi Village, Chengguan Town, Dongming County, and has been around since the 1980s…
Plush toys—plush toys—are an emerging craft product from Heze. They feature plastic molds enhanced with electronic sound effects and covered in various types of faux fur suitable for different animals and birds. Cute and charming, they are regarded by foreign buyers as treasured collectibles and premium gifts. Various types of plush toys from Mudan District have become best-selling commodities in the international market.…
Caozhou Sesame Cake is one of the famous snacks in southwestern Shandong. It is round as the moon, red tinged with yellow, crispy outside and tender inside, and deliciously fragrant. Its preparation method involves selecting high-quality wheat flour, which undergoes processes such as mixing, fermentation, kneading, and rolling. The dough is flattened and filled with an oily stuffing made from various seasonings including sesame oil, salt, Sichuan peppercorn, and fennel powder. Then it is shaped with decorative cuts along the edges,…
Flattened Roasted Potatoes are a local specialty snack in Heze. They are made by wrapping mashed potatoes in dough and then frying them in a pan. This dish is richly flavored, delicious, and brightly colored, making it very appetizing at first glance. However, as it is a fried food, it is not recommended for visitors with high blood lipids or high blood pressure to eat too much. It can be enjoyed at various restaurants throughout Heze, typically costing around 15 yuan per plate. …
Heze is rich in papaya production, so there are many local dishes and snacks made with papaya. Papaya, Pig’s Trotter and Soybean Soup is one of the most representative dishes. This dish has a long history, is highly nutritious, and is especially suitable for women. It can be found in restaurants of all sizes in Heze, typically costing around 35 yuan per clay pot.…
Legend has it that this dish was once a staple for improving livelihoods among the people of Sichuan in ancient times, typically prepared by first boiling the pork and then stir-frying it. During the late Qing Dynasty, a scholar-official surnamed Ling from Chengdu, who had fallen from grace in his official career, retired to his home and devoted himself to culinary research. He modified the traditional method of boiling before stir-frying by first removing the pork's gaminess, then steaming it sealed in a water bath before finally pan-frying it...
Shachu Town in Heze City is renowned for producing green and pollution-free agricultural products such as carrots, asparagus, and cabbage. It is the top carrot-producing town in China, with a local planting base spanning 40,000 acres, cultivating carrots, including large red carrots, …
Since 2000, early spring small sweet melons have been cultivated in Mudan District. The planting area has now expanded to over 100,000 mu, with an annual output exceeding 500 million jin. These melons are sold to more than 20 provinces and cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, becoming a new engine for increasing farmers' income and a major industry in building a new countryside. This has achieved simultaneous growth in both economic and social benefits...
Peony of Caozhou The peony is a unique flower species in China, belonging to the Ranunculaceae family and classified as a deciduous shrub. It is renowned worldwide as the “king of flowers” and celebrated for its “matchless beauty and heavenly fragrance.” Majestic and noble, rich yet unpretentious, it symbolizes happiness, peace, and national prosperity. Heze, historically known as Caozhou, ...