Tianjin woodcarving originated in the Qing Dynasty and is a folk handicraft renowned both at home and abroad. At that time, Yun, Jian, and Zhao were three of the largest woodcarving workshops. The Yun family excelled at carving phoenixes, while the Fang family was known for lions, hence the saying “Fang’s lions, Yun’s phoenixes.” The woodcarving industry was most famously represented by Liu Xinglin (1879–1972), known as “Woodcarving Liu.” The woodcarving industry...
Sesame cakes are a popular type of baked or pan-fried flatbread. In Tianjin, there is a wide variety of such baked goods, including large flatbreads, baked cakes, sesame cakes, flaky oil cakes, puff pastry cakes, fermented dough stacks, sweet sesame paste cakes, oven-dried cakes, cylinder oven cakes, spiral cakes, flaky meat buns, assorted cakes, oven zongzi, Du Chenci baked cakes, and beef tongue cakes, among over a hundred different styles.
Tianjin Snacks…
Fried grasshoppers are a unique snack specialty in Tianjin. Grasshoppers, scientifically known as locusts, are extremely harmful to crops. When a locust plague strikes, swarms of these insects can devour all the crops in the fields in no time. In the past, rural areas in northern China suffered greatly from them, and the people of Tianjin even developed a hatred so intense they would "peel their skin and eat their flesh." Over time, although the locusts were never eradicated, they gave rise to a famous and distinctive snack. Visiting Tianjin and not trying fried grasshoppers is considered a great pity.
Among Tianjin’s bronze sculptures, the “Tianjin Unique Skills” series by Longbaozhai stands out. Longbaozhai is a company specializing in bronze sculpture crafts. The company’s chief craft artist, Xu Shouhai (art name Gulong), a folk metal and bronze sculptor, has invited renowned clay sculpture artist Lu Tong and root carving artist Zhang Zongze, among others, as senior craft artists. The company enjoys a strong reputation in Tianjin’s bronze sculpture scene.
Tianjin prawns, also known as king prawns, prawns, or oriental prawns. The Bohai Bay adjacent to Tianjin is one of the main production areas for Chinese prawns in China. They are called "prawns" (对虾, literally "paired shrimps") because in the past they were sold or recorded by the pair. Tianjin prawns are large and robust, with thin shells, plump meat, smooth and shiny appearance, delicious taste, and...
Tianjin Wei Chives are a specialty of Tianjin. Leeks are one of China’s native vegetables and have a long history of consumption. Records of leeks date back to the Xia Dynasty, and by the Shang and Zhou periods, they were already regarded as a delicacy. Although Tianjin began producing and consuming leeks somewhat later, it eventually surpassed others in quality, making the vegetable a renowned dish. The leeks cultivated in Tianjin
The silk and velvet flowers of Tianjin are most famously represented by the works of Liu Xiangyuan from Wuqing County, known as "Flower Liu." Wang Yongyin from Nanwangping Village excels in crafting paper, silk, satin, velvet, and rush flowers, with his creations enjoying a high reputation both domestically and internationally. In the early 1950s, silk and velvet flower-and-bird artisans began making velvet birds and beasts for export. In the late 1970s, they started producing velvet and silk insects. By the 1980s, the craft had expanded to include whimsical velvet animals, figures, as well as silk bouquet and potted flowers. The silk and velvet flowers sold at Tianjin Yufengtai Flower Shop are especially popular during festivals and festive occasions. While preserving traditional craftsmanship in production techniques, the designs have been continuously innovated, gradually introducing trendy flowers, polyester flowers, as well as hair accessories and brooches. The range of silk and velvet flowers, plastic potted plants, handicrafts, and floral arrangements now available exceeds 250 varieties.
Hebei “Tianjin Pear”: It earned the name because historically it was exported through Tianjin. According to *Records of the Grand Historian*: “The imperial pears of Zhending are as big as a fist, sweet as honey, and crisp as water chestnuts.” Zhending refers to today’s Zhengding County. During the Han Dynasty, the pears produced in the Zhengding Prefecture were used as tributes for the imperial court, hence they were called “imperial pears.”…
One of Tianjin’s folk arts. It flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, brick carving artist Ma Shunqing pioneered the “layering and pasting technique,” giving brick carvings a sense of depth with distant, middle, and close-up perspectives. This innovation marked a unique development in the art world. After 1949, Liu Fengming, the inheritor of Ma’s brick carving artistry, created exquisite works such as “Gallop on the Grassland” and “Nine Lions Picture.”
The founder of Hongzhong-brand soy sauce was Li Huinan. In 1919, he went to Japan to study at the Department of Applied Chemistry at Tokyo Higher Technical School. He found Japan’s use of modern chemical methods in making soy sauce quite commendable, so he dedicated himself to this research. In 1927, he established the “Hongzhong Soy Sauce…” in Xidajie, Beiyingmen, Tianjin.
【Tianjin Lacquerware】 Primarily features inlay techniques, including carved gray, filled engraving, glued stacking, gold inlaying, and colored painting, among others. It comes in a wide variety of forms, such as cabinets, tables, stools, jewelry boxes, and screens, all possessing unique artistic charm. Inlaid lacquerware combines carving and inlay artistry, with innovative pattern designs, elegant colors, vivid and distinct character images, and exquisitely crafted ivory and jade carvings. These often draw inspiration from traditional stories, giving them a strong classical flair.
There are many shops in Tianjin that make cake dry. Among them, Yangcun Cake Dry has been produced since the early Ming Dynasty, boasts a long history, and is considered the most authentic. Made from premium rice flour and white sugar and processed with fine craftsmanship, Yangcun Cake Dry is snow-white, delicate, and has a light sweet taste. Shortly after the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, Yangcun Cake Dry was once presented as a specialty of China along with Maotai liquor…
Tianjin Jar Pork gets its name from being cooked in ceramic jars. The pork is blanched in boiling water, then cut into chunks. A special small jar is lined with pork bones, followed by the meat chunks, seasonings, and pork skin, before sealing the jar with its lid. It is then slow-cooked over low heat until tender, and finally transferred to a bowl to set and solidify. The dish takes on a jujube-red hue, is crystal clear, richly oily yet melt-in-the-mouth tender, aromatic, flavorful, and fatty without being greasy. It can be reheated before serving without losing its taste, and also pairs well with cabbage, gluten, potatoes, and more. It is a seasonal dish for winter and has a history of over 200 years.
Smaller and rounder in shape than regular jujubes, with a purplish-red, smooth and wrinkle-free skin, they taste sour and can be eaten raw or used medicinally. The jujube pits have various functions such as strengthening the heart, nourishing the liver, and calming the mind and brain. …
“Dragon Whisker Noodles” are one of the traditional banquet noodle dishes from northern China. Evolved from Shandong hand-pulled noodles, they are a refined version with a history of over 300 years. Legend has it that during the Ming Dynasty, a chef in the imperial kitchen created noodles as fine as hair strands, resembling dragon whiskers, on the day of eating spring pancakes to mark the beginning of spring. The emperor was delighted, ate heartily, and praised the dish, greatly pleased by its taste. From then on, this fried delicacy became a fashionable snack. The stretching technique, as majestic as a grand landscape, produces noodles as thin as hair, intertwined like dragon whiskers—hence the name “Dragon Whisker Noodles.” In 1983, the first National Culinary Skills Competition (National Master Chefs’ Technical Evaluation) was held in Beijing. Tianjin sent a delegation of three contestants and one assistant. Among them, Jiang Wenjie (deceased) from Taoliyuan Restaurant stretched Snowflake Dragon Whisker Noodles, which earned unanimous praise from experts and earned him the title of Best Noodle Chef. Since then, Tianjin has seen a continuous emergence of talent in noodle stretching. Dinyinglou and Tianjin Roast Duck Restaurant have both had contestants achieve remarkable results in national and international culinary competitions. In 2001, a delegation organized by the Tianjin Municipal Commission of Commerce went to Belgium to participate in the China-Belgium Cultural and Art Exchange. During the International Gourmet Art performance showcasing Tianjin’s unique culinary skills, Tianjin master chef Shang Hongfang demonstrated the stretching of Dragon Whisker Noodles and hollow noodles, earning praise from the local audience and the organizing committee, bringing honor to Tianjin. “Dragon Whisker Noodles” use simple ingredients but involve highly skilled techniques. The process hinges on three key steps: First is dough preparation. The dough must be soft yet firm, kneaded until smooth, flexible, and resilient. Second is strand pulling and stretching. Holding both ends of the dough, apply even force and shake it up and down. Cross and switch positions repeatedly to “ripen” and smooth the dough. Place the long strand on the work surface, press it with both hands, twist inward with the left hand and outward with the right to build tension. Lift both ends, shake and stretch, then place it back on the board, fold it in half, and dust with flour to prevent sticking. Continue folding, twisting, and pulling into fine strands. Third is frying. Be mindful not to use high oil temperature and follow the “three light” principles: gently place the stretched noodles into the oil, lightly stir them with chopsticks, fry until firm and lightly golden, then gently lift them out to make salted Dragon Whisker Noodles. The noodles should be uniformly thin, not clumped or broken, sweet, crispy, and delicious.
Kiwifruit is one of the Three Treasures of Tianjin. It is a wild plant with medicinal properties. What makes kiwifruit unique is that it contains dozens of times more vitamins than apples, earning it the title of “world’s precious fruit.” Tianjin kiwifruit comes from the Baxianzhuo Primitive Forest, where it grows entirely in the wild and boasts high nutritional value. …
Tianjin’s red adzuki beans are a traditional high-quality agricultural product of the region and also a longstanding export commodity, primarily sold to Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asia. Tianjin red adzuki beans feature plump, uniform grains, light reddish and glossy color, white hilum, thin skin, and high starchiness, with an extraction rate of up to 75%. Each 100 grams contains 314–33...
Tianjin specialty—Solid Celery, is a distinctive local crop of Tianjin. This variety originates from a unique, high-quality traditional strain cultivated in the rural outskirts of Tianjin, and has been refined and improved over many years by the Tianjin Vegetable Research Institute. It features a very small petiole medullary cavity and deep, narrow ventral grooves. It is crisp and refreshing to eat, with excellent quality. The plant is highly resistant to fertilizer and water, adaptable, high-yielding, and cold-resistant. In spring, it
Tianjin Thin Foods — Wontons When it comes to wontons, that’s what they’re called in the north. In Sichuan, they’re known as “chāoshǒu,” and in Guangdong, “yúntūn.” Tianjin-style wontons are made with a filling of minced pork wrapped in thin dough wrappers, then boiled. The bowl is topped with dried small shrimps, preserved winter vegetables, or a combination of dried shrimps and seaweed, all doused in steaming hot bone broth. A sprinkle of chopped coriander adds an exceptionally fragrant aroma.