Shangyuan Yuan has, since the Song Dynasty, carried on the custom of “boiling floating balls on the Lantern Festival.” The so-called “floating balls” refer to tangyuan (sweet dumplings), which are also called Yuanxiao because they are eaten during the Lantern Festival. Shangyuan Yuan has a skin, but the skin is not wrapped — instead, the filling is dipped in water and rolled in glutinous rice flour. The thickness of the skin can be controlled by you; if you want it thicker, just roll it a few more times. The filling is made by mashing fried peanuts and black sesame seeds, adding chopped sweet winter melon strips, and appropriately mixing in some kumquats and dried osmanthus. If dried osmanthus isn’t available, adding a drop or two of banana oil works too. The filling is mixed with cooked lard and white sugar, then shaped into small balls slightly smaller than a ping-pong ball, and finally rolled in glutinous rice flour. This method is admittedly a bit more troublesome, but once you taste it, you’ll immediately notice how tender the skin is and how fragrant the filling is — truly exceptional. (Quanzhou)
There is a saying in Quanzhou: “Plump oysters, plump leeks,” and “Onion in spring, leeks in second.” This means that by the second lunar month, leeks are at their most vigorous growth, and oysters are at their plumpest. Oyster omelette primarily uses these two ingredients—the leeks are cut to about one Chinese inch in length and mixed with cleaned oysters, then mixed with sweet potato starch and an appropriate amount of water...
The rice dumplings with meat filling from Quanzhou are also one of the seasonal delicacies of ancient Quanzhou. During the old lunar calendar’s Dragon Boat Festival, it was almost universal to eat both meat dumplings and alkaline dumplings. This article focuses solely on the meat dumplings. The main ingredient of the meat dumplings is glutinous rice, supplemented with semi-lean, semi-fat three-layer pork, along with other ingredients, all wrapped in bamboo leaves and tied securely with thin hemp twine. Premium-quality meat dumplings include, in addition to the pork...
Taro paste is made from taro of the variety known as betel nut taro (also called "crouching chi" or "upper zhī"). As early as the Song Dynasty, Wang Shiyue, the prefect of Quanzhou, couldn’t help but write with delight: “Of all vegetables, this one suits my taste the best; coming south, I’m thrilled to see the great crouching chi. When I return, I’ll pass on Master Su’s method — turning jade-like flesh into a healing soup and cure for hunger.” Northern Song Dynasty’s Su Shi (also known as Su Dongpo), while serving as a military training commissioner in Huangzhou, invented the famous “Dongpo Pork”...
Dried squid from Xiaozuo is a specialty of Xiaozuo Town, Hui'an County, Quanzhou City, Fujian Province. Xiaozuo dried squid from Hui'an is a well-known local seafood delicacy in southern Fujian and is deeply loved by many. It is the most famous dried squid across the province. The “squid-catching season” runs from the fourth to the eighth lunar month each year, with May and June being the peak production period. Fishermen catch...
Quanzhou salted rice is a traditional Han Chinese delicacy from Quanzhou, Fujian. It is a way of cooking rice with many variations, including pumpkin salted rice, radish salted rice, mustard greens salted rice, taro salted rice, and diced pork belly salted rice. Unlike fried rice, salted rice has a cooling effect and is suitable for hot summer days when internal heat is high. It’s particularly noteworthy that salted rice is a type of rice dish, not a porridge. The fact that such a small bowl of rice can be refreshingly cool is truly remarkable—no wonder this coastal region has such a strong seaside charm.
Precious Delicacy Cake, also known as "Orange Red Cake," has a smooth, jade-like appearance that is moist and delicate. It is soft and chewy on the bite, with a fragrant and refreshing taste. The production method is simple: first soak the glutinous rice thoroughly, then dry it, grind it into powder, steam it in a pot, and mix it with a sugar syrup and a small amount of tangerine peel. Knead it evenly, then steam it again over high heat and cut it into pieces. The product sells well across various regions and is renowned...
Maltose candy, also known as maltose cake or malt sugar, is one of Quanzhou’s local specialties. It is made by crushing and boiling malt, then fermenting it into sugar. The candy has a pure and delicious taste that doesn’t stick to the teeth. Rich in glucose and vitamins, it also aids digestion…
Blanc de Chine Porcelain: Already renowned as early as the Ming Dynasty. The porcelain has a yellowish-white hue resembling ivory or congealed fat, often described as "ivory white" or "lard white" to highlight its exquisite quality. The glaze is smooth and jade-like, with excellent translucency. The pieces are left uncolored, featuring a simple and elegant plain finish that is uniquely distinctive, especially renowned for their sculpted statues of Guanyin and Buddha. …
Dehua Shi Quan Da Bu Wine…
Rice straw paper is made from young bamboo and hemp fibers, and is renowned as being “more resilient than frost or snow” and “pure and flawless as ice and jade.” It is characterized by its fine and delicate texture, minimal flaws, lightness, flexibility, smoothness, cleanliness, strong water absorption, and resistance to damage over time. Varieties include: Daguang, Dabian, Guanbian, Gulián, Ganglián, Dakou, and Jiabian. Quality grades are divided into: Special…
Produced by Quanzhou Distillery, Chunshengtang’s Secret Formula Wind-Injury Tonic Wine was first created during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty (1820–1850) by founder Guo Xinchun. This wine is made from a secret recipe featuring over 30 kinds of precious and authentic Chinese medicinal herbs, blended with high-quality aged sorghum liquor and rice wine. It has certain therapeutic effects on conditions such as wind-damp injuries, overexertion, and physical weakness. …
Lao Fanzhi WanYing Shenqu was first created in the 11th year of the Yongzheng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1733), secretly formulated by Wu Yifei, a renowned physician of Quanzhou at the time. It is primarily used to treat colds, indigestion-induced abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea, heatstroke, and dysentery, demonstrating remarkable efficacy. It was once presented as a tribute to the Qing imperial court and received high praise. In the 3rd year of the Xuantong reign (1911), it participated in the...
Runbing is a type of spring roll that originated in Quanzhou and later became popular in Taiwan and Fujian. It is an older way of preparing rolled snacks than the traditional spring roll, though the two differ slightly in preparation. In Quanzhou, runbing is a familiar dish, as eating it is a traditional custom in southern Fujian. Historical records indicate that since the Song Dynasty…
Walking along the streets of Quanzhou, you’ll see signs for all kinds of beef shops, but every one of them serves an irresistible dish—beef soup. In Quanzhou, beef is simmered into a rich broth that captures the deep flavor of the meat, along with finely shredded ginger. The combination of these two aromas creates a deliciously fragrant yet not greasy taste, with a remarkably satisfying texture. There are two types of beef soup here: soft and firm...
Oyster omelette is a famous Han Chinese snack from Fujian Province, belonging to the Min cuisine. Quanzhou is the birthplace of oyster omelette. After the Winter Solstice, as the peak season for oysters (referred to as "oyster" in Southern Fujian dialect) arrives, various oyster-based snacks hit the market. Among them, the unique flavor of "oyster omelette" is especially popular. When it comes to oyster omelette, there is a folk tale that says, "The Earth Goddess doesn't..."
In Quanzhou, pig's blood soup can be considered the most affordable yet delicious snack, and it also offers excellent blood-enriching benefits. The most famous version is probably from Shuimen Guo. Their pig's blood soup is rich in flavor, simmered with big bones, featuring smooth and tender blood cubes and a deep brown broth. Adding extras like cracklings or pork intestines as toppings can make the taste even more robust and delightful.
Early-ripening pears of Dehua -- Named among China's Famous, Special, and High-quality New Agricultural Products in 2015. Since July, early-ripening pears in Dehua County have gradually ripened and come onto the market. With their crisp, sweet, and juicy taste, they are highly favored by consumers, selling smoothly at high prices, with both on-site purchases and online orders thriving. Huiyang Village in the county is a specialized village for early-ripening pear cultivation, located at the foot of the Daiyun Mountain…
Dehua Chinese yam, commonly known as Cunjin yam or potato yam, has a long history of cultivation. Its main production area is located in the Daiyun Mountain Range, known as the “Roof of Central Fujian,” at altitudes of 500–1200 meters. With large diurnal temperature variations and abundant rainfall, long-term artificial seed selection has resulted in the unique premium variety called Cunjin yam. Locally, it enjoys the reputation that “Among all yams under heaven, none surpasses the Cunjin yam…”
Dehua Pears are a new variety developed in 1996 by selecting and breeding from imported varieties such as Shinseiki pears from Taiwan. In recent years, due to the impact of global warming, flower buds of varieties such as Shinseiki pears in the southern part of the Daiyun Mountain range in Dehua County have been unable to go into proper dormancy during winter, resulting in significant yield reductions or even total crop failure. To address this issue, Dehua County conducted...