Three-Smoked Hot Pot Sichuan cuisine’s “Tripe Hot Pot” is famous, and Xiushui’s Three-Smoked Hot Pot is created based on this Sichuan dish, using the region’s unique smoked cured meats and locally produced Sichuan peppercorns. Due to its distinctive flavor, it has become a renowned local dish in Xiushui. The main ingredients of Three-Smoked Hot Pot are: smoked cured pig tail…
Stewed Muscovy Duck in a Clay Pot In the ten counties bordering Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi, rural households love to raise Muscovy ducks. Unlike common ducks, Muscovy ducks enjoy eating insects and grass and can be raised on dry land around the house. They grow quickly, and by the time they develop a red crest on their heads, they usually weigh seven or eight pounds. Slaughtering one during festivals or holidays can provide enough meat for the whole family…
Qingshuiyan Pan-Fried Dumplings
Stir-fried Rice Noodles from Ta Township is a dish rich in local flavor. It is not only commonly featured at banquets hosted by locals, but also loved by out-of-town guests, bosses, and managers. Having a small bowl of this dish before drinking alcohol ensures you can handle “any kind of liquor.” …
Vegetarian Pig Liver Made from Beans – This is a unique local appetizer traditionally served with alcohol in Zhajin, Daqiao, and Bailing areas of Xiushui County. Nowadays, many restaurants in the county seat serve this dish as a local specialty to treat guests. The preparation method is simple: coarse...
Xixiang Dang Fenpi, the rice sheets from the mountainous rural areas of Xiushui, have a distinctive flavor—especially those from Xixiang in the Bailin area. Once you try them, you’ll definitely want more. In recent years, Shanghai-educated youths revisiting the places where they once went for re-education among the poor and lower-middle peasants always order Xiushui’s “Shaozi ai guo xia mi dan, mi jiu la rou dang fenpi.”
A Young Phoenix Hatches a Golden Egg — This is a delicious dish specially prepared by an elderly woman in the mountainous region of Xiushui to nourish the health of educated youths sent down to the countryside. Due to its delightful taste and rich nutrition, it has not only become a signature dish at major hotels in Xiushui but has also spread to large and medium-sized cities such as Shanghai, Nanchang, and Jiujiang through the return of these educated youths to urban areas. …
Yellowback Stickfish In the rivers and streams of the Xiushui mountainous area, there is a type of stickfish that is about five to six inches long, with a slightly yellow back, few scales, and an all-meat body except for a single main spine along the dorsal ridge. Growing up in the unpolluted, clear waters of the mountain valleys, the fish has exceptionally tender meat and deliciously savory broth. Many regular visitors to Xiushui love to order this fish, and depending on personal preference, it is prepared using various cooking methods to bring out different flavors.
Rice Straw Steamed Pork in Bowl. The rice straw steamed pork in bowl, made in the regions of Shakou and Manjiang in Wuxiang, Xiushui, has now become a famous dish. It has been served in the county’s top hotels as a distinctive local delicacy to entertain distinguished guests and tourists. Preparing this dish requires selecting locally sourced streaky pork with skin and lean…
Dragon-Phoenix Mixed Soup — This is a uniquely flavorful and beloved dish from Tai Township in Xiushui. Over time, it gained popularity across the entire county, though ingredients and flavors varied from place to place. In the countryside, it’s commonly called “shrimp egg soup,” while city folks simply refer to it as “mixed soup.” The term “mixed” (什绵) sounds like “ten scenes” (十景), referring generally to a dish made from a variety of ingredients…
In ancient times, Xiushui was known as the State of Aihou during the Shang Dynasty, referred to as the Ai Territory in the Spring and Autumn Period, and called the County of Ai during the Han Dynasty. Today, the ruins of the ancient capital of Ai can still be found at Longgangping in Zhajin Town, west of the county. The region of ancient Ai was abundant with mugwort, which grew lush along field ridges, terraces, roadsides, and water’s edges. Legend has it that this is why Xiushui was historically called the Land of Ai. Mugwort is a perennial herbaceous plant…
Huangwang Liangfen Jelly The Xiushui region in the mountainous northwest of Jiangxi produces many wild liangfen fruits. These fruits have green skins and are filled with numerous tiny seeds resembling white sesame, making them an excellent ingredient for making liangfen jelly in the summer. Xiushui’s liangfen jelly is famous across the surrounding three provinces and nine counties, but the most renowned comes from the hometown of Huang Tingjian—Huangwang Liangfen Jelly in Shuangjing, Hangkou...
Lao Biao Tofu Lao Biao Tofu is a famous dish from Jiangxi, but the truly authentic version is said to come from Xiushui, where locals call it “hometown tofu.” In June 1984, General Secretary [name redacted] and leaders from the State Planning Commission, Ministry of Commerce, Rural Development Research Center, and Xinhua News Agency visited the three provinces of Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi...
Sprouted Peanut Sprouts with Venison The main ingredients are peanut sprouts and tender venison from the hind leg. Peanut sprouts were originally a dish commonly made by farmers in Sidu, Xiushui. The Dongling area of Sidu is rich in peanuts. During the peanut harvest season, if there is heavy rain, the peanuts left unharvested in the fields or those dropped and forgotten in the soil would sprout tender shoots...
Braised Pork with Chestnuts is a famous Sichuan dish. Xiushui County is rich in chestnuts and Sichuan peppercorns. The version made with local ingredients is especially beloved and has become an indispensable dish at banquets in Xiushui. The recipe is simple: take skin-on pork belly, cut it into 2.5 cm cubes…
Chinese yam, also known as Dioscorea opposita, is grown by farmers in Liudu Village downstream of Baizi Stone Hydropower Station along the Xiu River. The yams here are white-fleshed, thin-skinned, and thick-bodied. The preserved duck production base in Xiushui is located in Shangfeng, where all Shangfeng preserved duck is made from free-range ducks. Chinese Yam Preserved Duck Soup has become a beloved dish in Xiushui households and at banquets in recent years, thanks to its tender and flavorful duck meat, refreshing yam, and sweet, nourishing broth.
Pickled Vegetable Steamed Pork — Don’t let the humble-sounding name fool you. This dish is actually akin to “Dongpo Pork” or the “Moldy Dried Vegetable Tiger-Skin Pork” from the Huaiyang region. What makes Xiu Shui’s pickled vegetable steamed pork worthy of being served at hotel banquets is its unique flavor. As for the name, it goes by various titles such as pickled vegetable steamed pork, Dongpo pork, or braised pork. The pickled vegetable used to steam this meat is a specialty made by locals in Xiu Shui...
People from Huaiyuan in Xiushui love to cure pork, with the winter season being the traditional curing period. The method involves cutting fresh pork into long strips, about five to six pounds each. After washing and air-drying, the pork is placed in a heated wok with roasted coarse salt. The meat is rolled and rubbed until the skin turns light yellow, the fat begins to render, and a subtle aroma emerges. The pork is then taken out and placed in a large wooden basin, with hot salt sprinkled over the bones...
Xiushui Hongniang Guojiang Wine. The areas around Xiushui Huangsha, Huanggang, Shangfeng, and Heshi are respectively known as Anxiang and Fengxiang, which are regions abundant in grain. The people of Anxiang and Fengxiang enjoy brewing a type of sweet glutinous rice wine. This wine has a rich red color, a strong aroma, and a sweet taste. Don’t mistake it for grape wine, and certainly not for…
Alkaline Ash Cake When the Hakka people first migrated to Xiushui, life was extremely harsh. They lived in caves or thatched huts on high mountains and steep ridges, relying on clearing land to grow ramie, orchids, and grain for survival. However, the Hakka were known for their hospitality. Even under such difficult conditions, they would try their best to entertain relatives and friends who came to visit, and would also give them gifts to take home when they left...