The scientific name of the king oyster mushroom is: Pleurotus eryngii (DC.ex.Fr.) Quel. Also known as king trumpet mushroom. It belongs to the Fungi kingdom, Basidiomycota phylum, Agaricales order, Pleurotaceae family, and Pleurotus genus. The king oyster mushroom has thick, fleshy caps and a tender, crisp texture. Especially notable is the stem, which is dense, firm, and milky white...
Reed Leaf (Themeda) Zongzi — a distinctive food of the She ethnic group. It is made by wrapping glutinous rice soaked in yellow alkaline water for several hours with reed leaves, then boiling it until cooked. The zongzi is rectangular, about 20 centimeters long, and turns a light yellow color after boiling. It has a sticky yet not overly mushy texture. Some variations mix a small amount of peas, golden beans, or fescue beans into the glutinous rice...
It is a traditional product of Ningde. It became famous for being presented as a tribute. The craft was originally introduced from Shan’yang in Gutian and gradually refined over generations. It flourished in the second year of the Xuantong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1910), employing over 40 workers. By the 18th year of the Republic of China (1929), production had dwindled to just over 500; by the 31st year of the Republic of China, only two workshops remained—“Ma Renji” and “Ruan Zhongji”; in 1949, only one workshop, “Ma Renji,” remained, producing just over 70 per year. In 1985, a craft and art factory was established, which recruited five skilled artisans including Ma Jinming and Ruan Cancan, descendants of the Ma and Ruan families, along with ten apprentices to form a bamboo weaving workshop. Later, due to unresolved issues regarding technical patent protection, the artisans were reluctant to pass on their skills, bringing this traditional craft close to extinction.
Water bamboo is a unique aquatic vegetable in China, belonging to the Poaceae family. It is a perennial aquatic herbaceous plant with white creeping rhizomes at the root base, which sprout in spring to produce new shoots. Worldwide, only China and Vietnam cultivate water bamboo as a vegetable. In ancient times, it was referred to as "gū." Before the Tang Dynasty, water bamboo was grown as a grain crop, and its seeds…
Horseshoe bamboo, also known as green bamboo, belongs to the Dendrocalamus genus of the Poaceae family and is a sympodial clumping bamboo. Horseshoe bamboo shoots have a delicious and sweet taste. According to tests conducted by the Fujian Food Quality Supervision and Inspection Station, they are rich in 18 essential amino acids required by the human body, soluble sugars, ascorbic acid, various vitamins, and other organic nutrients, as well as minerals such as phosphorus, iron, and calcium...
Yellow Tip Bamboo Shoots are produced along the riverbanks of Huangtian and Shuikou in Gutian County, with a particularly high yield in Huangtian. The Yellow Tip bamboo mostly grows in clusters and sprouts from the ground around the Qingming Festival. The standard harvesting length is 25 cm, of which 18–20 cm is the underground portion, which is yellow, while the above-ground part is bluish-green. Those grown in loose, humus-rich soil are of the best quality...
Gutian Red Yeast Rice: An additive and condiment used in the food industry for fermentation, preservation, flavor enhancement, and coloring. The best quality comes from Gutian, hence the name. It appears as granular particles in dark red or bright red, lightweight, with several radial bio-pigments at the ends of the grains, giving off a distinctive aroma. When placed in water, it floats on the surface without sinking. Based on...
Gutian persimmons (Diospyros kaki Linn.f.) are brightly colored, beautifully shaped, and have flesh that is either crisp and sweet or soft and juicy, with a high sugar content. Besides being eaten fresh, they can also be processed into persimmon balls, which are popular along the coast and cherished as a nourishing delicacy by fishermen heading out to sea. Gutian persimmons are highly nutritious, containing various essential nutrients required by the human body, and offer benefits such as stopping bleeding and moistening the intestines, preventing arteriosclerosis, lowering blood pressure, detoxifying alcohol, and promoting diuresis to reduce swelling. Persimmon frost can treat sore throats, dryness in the throat, and mouth ulcers, while persimmon calyxes can help with hiccups and nocturia, among other therapeutic effects.
Grapes are one of the four major fruits in Pinghu Town, with a total of 4,200 acres planted across the town, yielding over 3,300 tons annually. Varieties include early-ripening ones such as Jingxiu, Jinya, and Zaohongti, as well as mid- to late-ripening ones like Jinya, Meirenzhi, Hongdiqiu, Jufeng, Yadumi, Tengrin, Gaqi, Huangjiaqiutian, and Clingstone, among more than 20 others. The grapes grown here...
The scientific name of bamboo fungus is Dictyophora indusiata (Vent. ex Pers.) Fisch, and it is commonly known as bamboo ginseng, bamboo flute, veil mushroom, net veil mushroom, or bamboo maiden. Bamboo fungus belongs to the class Gasteromycetes, order Phallales, family Phallaceae, and genus Dictyophora. It is an extremely precious...
Gutian honey peaches (sweet peath of gutian) are among the finest in Fujian Province, renowned both within and beyond the province for their unique flavor and quality. The cultivation of Gutian honey peaches has a long history (dating back to 1700 AD), spanning over 300 years. Local residents have traditionally grown honey peaches since ancient times and have accumulated rich experience in cultivation...
Hubin Honey Pomelo is a new strain selected from Pingshan Pomelo. Between 1987 and 1990, it was identified as a highly promising pomelo variety by the research group of the "Fujian Province Pomelo Excellent Variety Resource Survey and Study" project, led by the Fruit Tree Research Institute of the Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Zhangzhou Agricultural Science Research Institute, and was named "Hubin Honey Pomelo." In 19…
Mishi, also known as glutinous rice cake, is a traditional food eaten during the Winter Solstice. The process involves washing and soaking glutinous rice for 8 hours, then steaming it in a bamboo steamer. Once cooked, the rice is placed in a stone mortar and pounded until soft and ready to eat. It can also be shaped into a ball and placed on ground sweet potato powder, where it will naturally form a round cake as it cools and hardens. Alternatively, roasted rice, beans, peanuts, and sesame seeds can be ground into powder, mixed with sugar, and used to coat the pounded mishi. The pounded mishi can be cut into small pieces and rolled in the powder, or formed into round cakes, cut into pieces, and either fried or steamed soft before being served with the powder.
Pinghu is a large town on the northern route of Gutian. It is a land of fish and rice, abundant in produce and bustling with merchants. The locals are warm and hospitable, often hosting guests at their homes, with houses frequently filled with visitors. On the dining tables where guests are entertained, a large bowl of tofu soup is always present. This is a specialty dish of the Pinghu people. After tasting Pinghu’s tofu soup, visitors from afar…
These are made using freshly machine-extruded thick noodles. First, the noodles are boiled in boiling water, drained, and dried. Then they are added to a wok of oil heated to high temperature and stir-fried along with shredded pork, mushrooms, garlic, and clam sauce. The constant, rapid stirring ensures the noodles are thoroughly cooked, soft, and not sticking to the wok. The result is a delicious and aromatic noodle dish. It is readily available at food stalls and restaurants and is highly favored by both tourists and locals. …
These are a snack made from machine-produced thick fresh noodles, first boiled in boiling water, rinsed, then stir-fried until thoroughly cooked and mixed with starch and seasonings. They get their name from being portioned into small bowls and sold from street vendors' food boxes. Authentic Gutian Box Noodles are truly unforgettable. …
Spring rolls are a traditional festive food of the Han Chinese people. Popular across the country, they are especially favored by the people of Gutian during holidays and celebrations, also known as "1饼" or "卷煎." They are made by wrapping a filling in a round, thin, pan-fried dough wrapper into a long roll, ready to eat, or can be deep-fried until golden and floating. The fillings can be either meat-based or…
Tofu pudding, locally called “tofu bits” (豆腐仔) in Gutian, is often sold by street vendors. In Gutian, “tofu bits” are usually peddled by vendors carrying a shoulder yoke with two wooden buckets — one holding the “tofu bits,” and the other containing bowls and clean water. The “tofu bits” are kept warm in a wooden bucket. Typically, when a customer arrives...
Ingredients: Mountain yellow bamboo, lobelia, pulian salt (folk herbs); usually available at herb shops. A few pieces of dried shiitake mushrooms (highly recommended to enhance the soup’s flavor); a small handful of goji berries; about ten red dates; duck meat. Step one…
Rabbit meat is highly regarded, with a saying that goes, “Poultry is no match for pigeon, and game is no match for rabbit.” The most exceptional dish of all is “Rabbit Stewed in Wild Herbs.” These so-called “wild herbs” are actually medicinal plants, which can be found in the mountains of Ningde and Fuzhou regions in Fujian. Although called wild herbs, they aren’t green—rather, they are various dried roots, branches, and leaves. These wild herbs are…