【Xiamen Cuisine: Colorful Butterflies Circling the Coiled Dragon】〖Cooking Process and Ingredients〗Main ingredients: 12 large prawns, 150g conch meat. Side ingredients: 25g cooked ham shreds, a small amount of water chestnut-scallion and tomato slices. Seasonings: appropriate amounts of wet starch, salt, MSG, minced ginger, stock, and 750g peanut oil. Preparation: 1. Shell the large prawns, leaving the tail shells on...
【Xiamen Flavor: Pine Nut Prawns】〖Dish Features〗Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, rich in flavor and aroma.〖Ingredients and Cooking Process〗Main ingredient: 12 prawns. Side ingredients: 250g shrimp paste, 250g melon seeds, 50g pork belly, 2 duck eggs, 4 slices of salted bread. Seasonings: 25g each of flour and starch, a small amount of salt, MSG, pepper...
【Xiamen Flavor: Dragon Palace Crystal Clams】〖Dish Features〗 Crystal clear, light, delicious, crispy, tender and smooth. In 1986, it won the Fujian Province Famous & Quality Dishes Award; in 1993, it received the Gold Medal at the 3rd National Culinary Competition.〖Cooking Process & Ingredients〗 Main ingredient: 200g fresh grouper fillet. Side ingredients: 1000g shrimp paste,…
Dehua is located in central Fujian Province, along the upper reaches of the Dazhangxi River, with the main peak of Mount Daiyun towering within its borders. The area boasts abundant natural resources and is richly endowed with fine-quality porcelain clay, making it one of China’s renowned porcelain production centers. Dehua porcelain originated in the Song Dynasty and saw significant development during the Ming Dynasty. As Buddhism flourished in China, sculptural art such as depictions of deities and Buddha captured the interest of porcelain artisans…
Jihong Cake is one of the famous local specialties of Yongchun County in southern Fujian. It has a fresh and refreshing taste, excellent texture, and delicious aroma, making it an ideal gift. Commonly known as "bride’s candy," Jihong, as the name suggests, conveys wishes for lovers to be united, for love to last forever, and for a lifetime of happiness together. The ingredients for Jihong Cake are simple—just glutinous rice, white sugar, and kumquats. Jihong Cake...
In ancient times, Maxiang was known for its "three treasures": candied peanuts, fragrant cakes, and fried date-like sweets. Candied peanuts are now called peanut brittle, commonly referred to as "dourenfu." As the name suggests, the making of candied peanuts involves roasting the peanuts, removing their skins and any spoiled ones, then using a round wooden stick about a foot long with a handle at one end. The worker places the stick on a thick wooden board and forcefully pounds the peanuts into crumbs…
【Xiamen Cuisine: Jade Emperor Supreme】〖Dish Features〗Soft, tender, smooth, and delicious. This dish won the silver medal at the Third National Culinary Competition in 1993.〖Cooking Process and Ingredients〗Main ingredient: 150g fresh mantis shrimp meat. Secondary ingredients: 20g pork fat, 25g cooked mantis shrimp roe, 30g peeled water chestnuts, 30g peeled vegetables…
【Xiamen Cuisine: Deep-fried Sturgeon Caps】〖Dish Features〗 Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, rich in flavor and delicious — a crowd favorite. Won the team gold medal at the 3rd National Culinary Competition in 1993.〖Cooking Process and Ingredients〗 Main ingredient: 12 small sturgeons (750g) Accessories: 250g fresh shrimp, 150g peeled water chestnuts, 50g pork fat…
Dendrocalamus latiflorus shoots: Yongchun has fresh shoots available year-round. From the Start of Summer to late autumn, you can find Dendrocalamus latiflorus shoots, while in spring there are Moso bamboo shoots and in winter, winter shoots sprouting beneath the soil layer. These shoots are highly nutritious, containing protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and more. Among these, the vitamin C content is more than double that of Chinese cabbage…
Kumquat Candy: During the Spring Festival, when you visit relatives or friends in the overseas Chinese hometown of Yongchun, the host will always serve you a plate of bright orange-yellow kumquat candy fragrant with citrus aroma along with tea and cigarettes, inviting you to have a taste for good luck. You should at least pick up one piece, put it in your mouth, and then...
Fried date-like pastry and peanut powder pastry are renowned local specialties of Dapu, following in the fame of flower date pastry. The difference among these three pastries lies in their ingredient composition. Flower date pastry uses only glutinous rice flour both inside and out, resulting in lower quality. Fried date-like pastry is coated with foreign hemp (a type of starch), while peanut powder pastry is coated with ground peanut kernels—thus, both surpass flower date pastry in taste and texture. Over the past century, fried date-like pastry and peanut powder pastry have become famous products of Dapu in Yongchun. The pioneer credited with researching and formulating the ingredients for these pastries is Pan Shiyuan from Yanfeng Bangshanwan in Dapu. In his youth, he innovated the ingredient mix, earning widespread praise. He passed away in 1955 at the age of 82. His descendants inherited his exceptional craftsmanship, making it almost a unique family tradition. His grandson, Pan Dongcai, recently retired from the grain department after over 20 years of service. During his tenure, he trained countless newcomers across the county. As a result, fried date-like pastry is now produced all over the county, but Dapu remains the benchmark for quality. The superior taste and texture of fried date-like pastry and peanut powder pastry stem first from using a dough made of glutinous rice flour and taro (not the common variety) instead of plain glutinous rice. The dough ingredients are: 10 catties of glutinous rice flour (preferably large-grain, also called four-season glutinous rice), 0.15 catties of sugar, and 0.7 catties of taro. Preparation method: Soak the glutinous rice flour for 72 hours, wash, dry, and grind into powder. Mix with boiling water to form a dough, steam in a bamboo steamer for 2.5 hours, then cool in a bucket. Mix with mashed taro, cut into uniform thin slices, and sun-dry. Finally, deep-fry using a combination of yin and yang oil (a traditional oil-blending technique). After frying, the dough will reveal shiny, fine threads when cut open. Secondly, the rice sugar (made from glutinous rice flour and wheat) must be boiled to perfection. The foreign hemp and peanut powder should be roasted until crisp and fragrant—avoid burning. Mastering these key points (especially the taro dough) ensures that the fried date-like pastry and peanut powder pastry turn out tender, crispy, and aromatic. Nowadays, these pastries are commonly given as gifts when visiting relatives or friends. Hosts and guests enjoy them with hot tea, which enhances their aroma. They are also popular as engagement sweets at weddings, considered superior to flower date pastry. When overseas Chinese return home, their families traditionally welcome them with hot tea and these pastries. (Yongchun County)
Maoxie, originally produced in Daqiuhua, Fumei, Anxi, was also called "Mao Wai" during the Republican era. According to the *Tea Variety Records* by the Tea Research Institute of the Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences: “Zhang Jiaxie from Pingshi Village (aged 71 in 1957) recalled: ‘In the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1907), I went out to buy cloth and passed by the home of Gao Xiang at Daqiulun, Fumei Village. He…
Huangdan, commercially known as Huangguanyin, originated in Luoyan, Anxi during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty (1850–1860). This tea variety is suitable for making oolong tea, as well as black and green teas. Huangdan is another premium oolong tea that boasts a style distinct from Tieguanyin. Its picking and processing techniques are highly meticulous. Only with proper handling can its full characteristics be brought out...
Yongchun Mandarins are one of the traditional and premium specialties in the Yongchun area of Fujian Province, and also the leading variety in Yongchun’s agricultural production. These mandarins are known for their large, well-shaped fruits, bright orange-yellow color, thin peel, juicy and tender flesh, crisp and sweet taste, unique flavor, and rich content of vitamins and other nutrients. They enjoy a high reputation both domestically and internationally,…
Yongchun Aged Vinegar is made from high-quality glutinous rice, red yeast rice, sesame, and white sugar as raw materials, brewed carefully according to a specific formula. Its brewing technique is unique. The vinegar has a dark brown color, strong acidity without harshness, a mildly sweet aftertaste, and a mellow, refreshing flavor that leaves the mouth feeling moist and pleasant. It can be stored for a long time without spoiling. It stands alongside Zhenjiang Xiangcu (Fragrant Vinegar) from Jiangsu, Baoning Vinegar from Sichuan, and Shanxi Laochencu (Old Aged Vinegar) in reputation and quality. This vinegar…
Anxi is a major production area for Chinese oolong tea, with a long history of tea cultivation dating back to the Tang Dynasty when tea was already being produced. The region enjoys abundant rainfall, a mild climate, overlapping mountain ranges, dense forests, year-round misty conditions, and beautiful landscapes with green hills and clear waters — all ideal for tea plant growth. Over generations, tea growers have diligently selected and bred a series of high-quality tea cultivars...
Yongchun Bangshe Turtle is a traditional, well-known delicacy meticulously made from glutinous rice, mung beans, white sugar, and other ingredients, shaped like a turtle. With a history of over 200 years, it has long been beloved by people and can be compared to Quanzhou Dousha Cake and Jinjiang Shishi Sweet Rice Cake. In both urban and rural areas of Yongchun, whenever hosting guests, after serving the soup and main dishes, a plate piled high with...
The Yongchun painted bamboo basket is exquisitely crafted, watertight, and virtually unbreakable even when dropped. Its lid can support the weight of a person over 100 jin (approximately 50 kg) standing on it without budging. The entire basket is delicate, ingeniously designed, and shines brilliantly. Its production is meticulous, involving more than 20 types of raw materials. It primarily uses gold foil, fine bamboo strips, raw lacquer, tung oil, summer cloth, and starch flour, and goes through…
Gushan lychees, a specialty of Gushan Town in Yongchun County, Fujian Province, are of the Wuye (dark leaf) lychee variety. Renowned for their excellent color, aroma, and taste, they have been celebrated far and wide. As early as the Song Dynasty, they were listed among the finest varieties and recorded in the "Lychee Treatise." The cultivation of Gushan lychees has a long history. During the Song Dynasty, the eminent statesman and calligrapher Cai Xiang, while serving as prefect of Quanzhou, once visited the "Sacred Spring" at Mount Le, the foremost mountain in Yongchun...
Made by freezing. Qingbuliang can be served as a drink, cooling and thirst-quenching, perfect for preventing heatstroke in summer. It’s a great summer treat, comparable to beverages like mineral water or Coca-Cola. It can also be paired with bread, pastries, or biscuits, making it an affordable and convenient snack or quick meal. The agar jelly in Nanmen, Quanzhou (the street from Zhongshan South Road to Nanmen seems to be…)