Spring rolls (also called spring pancakes): A long-standing specialty in Changting, these are a famous dish through which the Hakka people preserve the customs of the Central Plains. Every year during the Lantern Festival, every household makes them. (Features) Rolled into a cylinder shape, they have a golden color, crispy skin, and fragrant filling.…
Taro dumplings are a famous local delicacy in Changting and are also popular in many Hakka communities. The Hakka people mostly live in mountainous areas, as the saying goes, “Where there are no mountains, there are no Hakka; where there are mountains, the Hakka reside.” Sweet potatoes and taro are staple supplementary grains in these regions. To vary their diet, the Hakka people in Changting have created many unique snacks using these grains, and “taro dumplings” are one of them…
Immortal Jelly, also known as "Immortal Cake" in the Hakka regions of Meizhou, Guangdong, is a popular seasonal snack widely enjoyed in the Hakka areas of Fujian, Jiangxi, and Guangdong. It is especially abundant during the hot summer months. In the streets and alleys of Tingzhou, you can see many vendors carrying shoulder poles, walking around and calling out their wares. Small groups of people—whether elderly...
Rice Cakes Rice cakes, like glutinous rice cakes, are a traditional Hakka specialty in Tingzhou. Made from rice, they are convenient to source, simple to make, affordable, and thus widely consumed in both urban and rural areas of Tingzhou. The process of making rice cakes is straightforward: soak glutinous rice in water, grind it into a paste, pack it into a cloth bag to press out the moisture, then steam it...
Glutinous Rice Cake Legend has it that during the Song Dynasty, there was a Dragon Temple on Baozhu Peak of Manlan Ridge in Changting. When praying for rain during droughts, both urban and rural residents often offered glutinous rice cakes as sacrifices. Later, the abbot of the temple also made and sold glutinous rice cakes. Due to their chewy texture, sweet taste, affordability, and ability to satisfy hunger, travelers passing through would eagerly try them, making the glutinous rice cakes of Manlan Ridge widely known. The cakes became the premier dessert served at banquets…
Stir-fried Liver Flower Stir-fried liver flower is a traditional dish from Changting. Known for its fragrant and crispy taste, it makes an excellent pairing with alcohol, which is why it has been passed down through generations. (Features) Golden in color, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, delicious without being greasy.…
Made from high-quality rice through fine processing. It has a glossy appearance, is tough and resistant to overcooking, doesn’t break apart or get mushy, and is sweet and refreshing (Longyan)…
Among them, Siban rice noodles are the best, made from high-quality rice using traditional handmade craftsmanship. They are white in color, firm in texture, cook quickly, remain unbroken even after prolonged cooking, and are smooth and delicious. The renowned Longyan Clear Soup Noodles across Fujian are primarily made with fresh Siban rice noodles.…
A traditional product of Xinluo District and a renowned specialty of Western Fujian, these peanuts are famous for being crispy, crunchy, and fragrant, enjoying a great reputation across Southeast Asian countries. They are made using two traditional processing methods—wet roasting and dry waxing—with wet roasting being the best. This involves boiling fresh, high-quality peanuts with salt and then slow-roasting them over a low, moist flame. They have an attractive color, a rich aroma, and a deliciously crisp and savory taste with just the right amount of salt…
In the north, it is also called sweet potato; “fan” means foreign, and its name itself indicates that it is a crop introduced from Southeast Asia. Compared to rice in terms of nutrition and taste, sweet potatoes are considered an inferior grain. But in reality, they are the king among the grains grown in Hakka mountain areas, second only to rice. For the poor families in these mountainous regions, sweet potatoes are almost...
The Hakka people in Changting love to eat "blanched" dishes, where "blanched" refers to mixing minced meat with sweet potato starch or other types of starch, water, and salt until well combined, then adding it to boiling water along with other seasonings. Once the water boils again, the dish is ready. Due to the popularity of this type of blanched soup, small vendors began carrying shoulder poles — one end holding a food pot with a charcoal stove, the other…
Winter melon steamed in a pot is a traditional summer dish from Changting, known for its fragrant aroma and cooling effect that helps relieve the summer heat. It was included in banquet menus as early as the late Qing and early Republican period, and by the 1920s had become a signature dish of Chef Zhang Hongtai at Dongmen Restaurant. There's also an interesting story about this dish in Changting: during the Anti-Japanese War, when Xiamen University in Fujian relocated to Changting, Professor Wei Yingqi from the History Department highly praised this dish…
Changting Taro is a specialty of Changting in Longyan, Fujian. The taro is oval in shape, and this variety has a rough outer skin. When cut open, its interior displays a pattern resembling that of areca nuts, hence it is also known as "Areca Taro." Planting begins around the Awakening of Insects and the Spring Equinox, and harvesting can be done by Frost's Descent. Each plant produces one main tuber and several smaller ones of varying sizes. Changting Taro is a high-quality vegetable with a relatively high starch content...
Changting Hetian Chicken, named after its main production area in Hetian Town, Changting County, Longyan City, Fujian Province, is a traditional high-quality poultry breed in Fujian and one of the eight native meat chicken breeds recorded in China's Poultry Breed Register. Hetian Chicken is rich in protein, has moderate fat content, and features tender meat, thin and crispy skin, and sweet broth. Its beak, feet, and skin are yellow, while the…
Guanqian rice noodles have been fragrant for over a century. Before liberation and during the difficult years of the Cultural Revolution, they were once an indispensable delicacy served by the Hakka people of Changting to guests. Distinguished figures such as Mao Zedong once praised the delicious taste of these noodles. Legend has it that in 1929, when Mao Zedong led the Fourth Red Army on their first expedition into Fujian and stayed in Changting, due to the long journey...
As the saying goes, “If you haven’t tried Hetian Chicken, you haven’t really been to Changting.” Changting was once the land of Tingzhou, and poached Hetian Chicken is the most renowned local dish, hailed as the “Number One Dish of Tingzhou.” The people of Changting have many ways of cooking Hetian Chicken, including crispy fried chicken, oil-poured chicken, Bailu chicken, eight-treasure whole chicken, and salted wine chicken. Among these, the ginger-sauce poached…
Tingzhou Lamp Cake gets its name from its resemblance to ancient, flat, round bean oil lamps. It is made by soaking rice and soybeans, grinding them into a batter, then mixing in fine salt, MSG, and chopped scallions. The batter is scooped with a spoon into a specially designed round mold and then submerged in boiling oil. The batter rapidly expands into a spherical shape in the hot oil, cooking quickly—once the bottom turns golden, it’s done, enter…
Also known as grilled fish maw. Made by pounding fish and fatty pork into a paste, then mixing it with refined salt, sweet potato starch, fresh water chestnuts, scallion whites, and other ingredients. It boasts both appealing color and aroma, making it an exceptionally unique and delightful dish (Longyan)…
One of the Eight Famous Dried Foods of Western Fujian — Shanghang Dried Radish has been renowned since the early Ming Dynasty, boasting a history of five to six hundred years. Shanghang Dried Radish is celebrated for its unique flavor and quality. With a golden-yellow hue, tender skin, crisp flesh, mellow sweetness, and appetizing and digestive benefits, it can be stir-fried, stewed plainly, or sautéed in oil. If...
Shanmar Duck Breed Description Origin and Distribution: Also known as Xinling Duck. It is a small-sized egg-laying breed. Primarily produced in Hubang Township, Longyan County, Fujian Province, and also found in the Longyan region. The Shanma Duck may have been introduced to the area from Jiangxi along with migrant settlers, then gradually developed through natural selection in the mountainous ecological environment and long-term selective breeding by local people...