Introduction to Crushed Rice with Freshwater Snails: Flavor Profile: As a child, seeing large freshwater snails, I used to think they were the incarnations of the "Snail Girl" from fairy tales—only to later realize the two had nothing in common. Freshwater snails live by paddy fields, ponds, and streams. They are low in fat and high in protein, rich in various trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. According to *Compendium of Materia Medica*, they have functions such as clearing heat, detoxifying, reducing swelling, and calming wheezing. They can treat throat ailments, rectal prolapse, nosebleeds, and also help with eye pain and otitis media. When stir-frying snails at home, minced ginger and chopped onions are often used to eliminate the fishy smell. For those who can't handle spicy food, they might stir-fry them with loofah or chives; those who enjoy spice might simmer them with spices to make "sucked snails." But before simmering, the snails must be repeatedly scrubbed with a bamboo brush to remove dirt from their shells, then placed in a basin of clean water to soak, with a few drops of vegetable oil added to help wash out the mucus inside the shells. After cleaning, discard any dead snails and clip off the feces at the tail end—not only to allow airflow through both ends for better flavor absorption, but also so that when eating, one can suck the broth and snail meat directly into the mouth. The flavorful snail meat becomes especially smooth, tender, fresh, and crisp, making it a unique delicacy of Ganzhou. However, sucked snails seem to be a treat only for the young, as older folks may hesitate to try them—the strong simmering with spices greatly reduces the snails’ heat-clearing and detoxifying properties, and the added seasonings may even cause stomachaches or hemorrhoids. Crushed Rice with Freshwater Snails, on the other hand, is something nearly everyone in Ganzhou knows how to make. It retains the original flavor while offering balanced nutrition suitable for all ages. The method is as follows: crush peanuts, dice cucumbers, and prepare cooking wine, fresh broth, pepper powder, salt, sugar, vinegar, and wet starch to mix into a sauce. Select large snails, clean them, slice them thickly, squeeze out the moisture, and mix them in the sauce. Pour into a hot oiled wok to separate the pieces, cook until about 80% done, then remove and drain. Heat some base oil in the pan, add chopped scallions, minced ginger, and bean paste to sauté until fragrant, lightly stir-fry the cucumber dices, and finally add the snail meat and peanuts to stir-fry together for a minute. Drizzle with sesame oil and it’s ready to serve. With such a delicious dish, it’s no trouble to finish three big bowls of rice!
Clams with Scrambled Eggs is a classic seafood dish from Fujian, China. Maybe because I’m used to the taste back home, the ones I buy here always seem to have an oily flavor—so I can only enjoy these clams when my mom goes back to her hometown. Stir-frying them with some chopped scallions and cilantro makes them even more fragrant... See? Cooking really is that simple. Main ingredient: clams…
Legend of Pearl Rice Noodles: In the Ming Dynasty, a Putian-Xian opera titled "Rice Noodles Missing Wife" already existed. The plot roughly tells the story of a scholar named Gao Wenju who went to the capital to take the imperial exams, became the top scholar, and was forced by the prime minister to marry his daughter. His wife, Wang Yuzhen, traveled a long way to the capital to find him, but was falsely accused by the prime minister’s daughter of impersonating a relative of the official family and was confined to the kitchen to perform hard labor. Yuzhen...
The coastal areas of Putian are abundant in oysters, which are also very affordable and easy to find fresh. But it must be fresh—although it’s a relatively inexpensive seafood, its requirement for freshness is no lower than that of other seafood, if not higher. Therefore, when buying, it’s best to watch the vendor pick them straight from the shells. Don’t be put off by the hassle. …
Ingredients for Putian Bowl Cake: rice, white sugar or brown sugar Method: 1. Grind the rice into a slurry and set aside; 2. In a container, place white sugar or brown sugar, then add the rice slurry and stir well until evenly mixed; 3. Place the bowl in a steamer to steam; when the cake is done, the top will rise and crack; 4. Let it cool slightly before removing. Characteristics of Putian Bowl Cake…
Putian Stir-Fried Meat is a traditional home-cooked dish from Putian. Though the cooking method is simple and convenient, there are many subtle techniques hidden within. Without proper guidance, it’s quite difficult to achieve the same quality and flavor. Only after receiving advice from an expert did I realize that making this dish well requires mastering four key skills. The first is selecting the right meat...
Among the variety of Putian-Xian cuisine snacks, Putian sausage skewers with thin sliced intestines have long been renowned. Pig small intestines are originally a very unremarkable ingredient, but through skillful processing and careful cooking, even outsiders can hardly tell what they are made of—only praising the unique taste and peculiar shape of this snack. …
Xinghua Rice Noodles are one of Putian’s top ten city business cards, boasting a long history that can be traced back to the Song Dynasty, making them one of China’s earliest fast foods. Made from premium-quality rice using traditional craftsmanship, the finished noodles are as fine as silk, snow-white and translucent, uniformly tough yet not brittle, and of excellent texture. Varieties include Xinghua fine rice noodles, silver-thread rice noodles, …
Made from lean pork pounded into a paste, mixed with ingredients such as star fruit, borax, pepper, and ginger juice, then shaped into small round balls and blanched in hot water. Served in a clear bone broth, it is a famous soup dish (Putian)…
Longan, ripening only after lychees have been harvested, is thus nicknamed “the lychee’s servant,” commonly known as longan. According to the *Shennong’s Herbal Classic*, “Longan, named ‘Yizhi’ (benefits intelligence), comes from the valleys of the South Sea.” In the early Three Kingdoms period (220–226 AD), Emperor Wen of Wei once proclaimed to his ministers: “The treasures of the south, such as longan and lychee… come from Jiu Zhen and Jiao Zhi.” Jiu Zhen and…
Job's Tears from Jinsha Village in Longhua Town, Xianyou County, have been cultivated since the Song Dynasty. By the Ming Dynasty, they had become a tribute product. Today, Jinsha Job's Tears are popular both domestically and abroad. These Job's Tears are easy to hull, with a hulling rate of over 60%. They feature deep ventral grooves, round grains, and high solid content. When cooked, the broth is rich and they offer benefits such as clearing heat, detoxifying, promoting diuresis, removing dampness, and can treat...
Wudan pomelo is a renowned and premium fruit of Duwei. In the late Qing Dynasty, Wu Jindong’s grandfather cultivated an outstanding pomelo tree in Kenwei Natural Village by Tan Pond in Duwei, which was later propagated to neighboring villages using the grafting method. By 1949, Duwei’s Wudan pomelo production had reached 2,500 kilograms. Thanks to the parthenocarpic nature of the fruit, Wudan pomelos are seedless, crisp, and sweet. In 198…
Fujian’s cultivation of lychees began in the Tang Dynasty, and by the Song Dynasty, the trend had flourished significantly. The lychees of Fujian are renowned nationwide for their exceptional color and taste, and among them, those from Putian are considered the finest. During the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era, the Putian native Liao Biqi praised his hometown’s lychees as follows: “Who has bestowed such a fragrant name upon them? Both the Fanghong and Chenzi varieties are worthy of praise. In the groves, the jade-like nectar nourishes sweet dew, and beyond the mundane world, immortal silks scatter like rosy clouds...”
Longan, also known as longyan or "guiyuan," is widely cultivated in Fujian, which is the main producing region in China, accounting for over half of the country’s total output. The longan from counties and cities such as Tong’an, Jinjiang, Putian, Xianyou, Nan’an, and Quanzhou in Fujian are the most renowned. Longan is extremely nutritious, known for its benefits in stimulating appetite, benefiting the spleen, enriching blood, and calming the nerves. …
Putian Black Pig is one of the local superior pig breeds in Fujian Province, mainly distributed in townships (towns) such as Changtai, Huangshi, Huoshi, Lingchuan, Wutang, Xitianwei, Hanjiang, and the suburban areas. The county raises over 40,000 sows, producing more than 500,000 piglets annually (according to data from the County Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Service Station, 330,000 piglets were vaccinated in 1988), and exports...
Putian produces over 150 varieties of traditional wooden lacquerware, including bowls, plates, dishes, cups, basins, pots, and flowerpot covers, crafted from high-quality wood using exquisite techniques. These items feature elegant and delicate designs, with smooth and lustrous colors, serving both as daily necessities and works of art. The lacquered wooden bowls are made with premium materials and fine craftsmanship. In terms of lacquer artistry, there are traditional techniques such as…
Putian oysters contain glycine and glycogen, with dried oyster meat reaching up to 45%-57% protein, 7%-9% fat, and 19%-38% glycogen. They are also rich in various vitamins, taurine, as well as essential nutrients and trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. Their calcium content is close to that of milk, while their iron content is 21 times higher than that of milk…
Nanyi Seaweed – Putian Xiuyu District Nanyi Abalone Association. Putian is a city surrounded by mountains and the sea, rich in natural resources, among which the seafood from Nanyi Island is the most renowned for its freshness. Nanyi Island is the largest island in our province and boasts the ideal conditions for seafood cultivation: a subtropical marine climate, air rich in negative ions, surrounded by the sea on all sides, strong ocean currents, and crystal-clear waters. The native...
Nanyi Kelp Putian’s Xiuyu District, home to the Nanyi Abalone Association, boasts a landscape of mountains and sea with abundant local produce. Among them, the seafood from Nanyi Island is especially renowned for its freshness. As the largest island in our province, Nanyi Island offers the golden conditions for seafood growth: a subtropical marine climate, air rich in negative ions, surrounded by sea on all sides, strong ocean currents, and crystal-clear waters. The native...
These spring rolls are fragrant and delicious, a unique local delicacy in the Putian-Xianyou region. The Song Dynasty celebrity Cai Xiang once wrote the line “Spring platter of greens stirs memories of the cold,” praising the delightful taste of spring rolls.