Spice plants generally refer to aromatic plants such as fragrant flowers and herbs, which contain aromatic volatile oils, antioxidants, and bactericides. They can not only repel mosquitoes and flies, beautify the environment, purify the air, and enhance home décor, but are also widely used in beauty care, bathing, diet, and medicine. The essential oils and dried spice substances extracted from spice plants are important flavoring agents for food, cosmetics…
The knife fish, also known as "knife gar" or "hairy gar," has fine, silvery-white scales that shimmer like silver. It typically measures around 30 centimeters in length, with females being larger than males. Its slender, flat body resembles a knife. According to the Cihai (a Chinese encyclopedia), "In spring and summer, they gather in schools and swim upstream to spawn either in the upper reaches of the river or at the river mouth, creating a fishing season. After spawning, they return to the sea." The lower reaches of the Yangtze River, from the south...
Boiled Shredded Tofu in Wuhu is a specialty snack from Wuhu City, Anhui Province. It is a renowned traditional morning tea dish in Wuhu. This dish is the signature delicacy of “Gengfuxing Restaurant,” a time-honored Huaiyang-style eatery with over 80 years of history. In the Qing Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, Boiled Shredded Tofu was known as “Nine-Shred Soup.” According to the Qing-era cookbook “Diaoding Ji,” the ingredients used in Boiled Shredded Tofu at that time were extremely refined...
Wuhu Shrimp Roe Noodles are a specialty snack from Wuhu City, Anhui Province. These noodles are made using the roe of green shrimp from the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, combined with various seasonings to create a rich paste-like broth. The broth is then poured over hand-pulled knife-cut noodles and cooked to perfection. The noodles are chewy and the dish is incredibly flavorful and highly nutritious. Wuhu locals absolutely love shrimp roe noodles. Back in tougher times, having a bowl was considered a true luxury—people would often sigh with longing during illness or on birthdays, saying, “If only I could have a bowl of shrimp roe noodles.” Nowadays, these noodles have become an affordable treat for everyone, yet they still maintain the same attention to quality and detail. As a result, they've become a beloved representative dish among the people of Wuhu and have even been listed as part of Anhui Province’s intangible cultural heritage.
Many people in Anhui enjoy eating preserved duck gizzards. Wuhu Preserved Duck Gizzard is a traditional cured meat dish from Wuhu, Anhui. It has a savory and salty flavor, is rich in nutrition, delicious, and simple to prepare. Ingredients: 500g duck gizzards, 25g salt, 35g soy sauce, 50g white spirit, 15g white sugar. Preparation method: Select fresh, plump, and evenly sized duck gizzards,…
Wuhu boasts strong characteristics of southern China, with cuisine that is refined, delicate, and refreshing. The Phoenix Food Street night market is very famous. This season, steamed hairtail fish has just become available, but mustard greens dumplings have also quickly gained popularity.…
Available in stir-fried and shaved versions, the stir-fried cold noodles are made with premium sesame oil and dried shrimp, standing out among many cold noodle stalls for their quality. Currently, they are run by Old Shang’s son, Xiao Shang. The neighboring Old Wang’s Cold Noodles are also delicious, and for a while, their reputation even surpassed that of Pujia Cold Noodles.…
Wontons in Wuhu have their own unique characteristics — large fillings, thin wrappers, and big size. Most are made with fresh minced pork mixed with scallions, ginger, and seasonings, then boiled in chicken or pork rib broth with MSG, resulting in an exceptionally delicious taste. For those who like sour flavors, a splash of vinegar can be added; for those who enjoy spicy and numbing tastes, a bit of pepper can be thrown in to further whet the appetite. Many restaurants in Tianjin also serve wontons, with some well-known ones including Zhimei Zhai, Zhoujia Canteen, Jimilin, and Dengyinglou. Some offer southern-style flavors, while others have northern influences, each with distinct tastes and features. More refined versions might include shredded chicken, preserved eggs, or even dried shrimp, winter vegetables, or seaweed in the broth, while simpler versions might just have some coriander to enhance the flavor.
“Guangshan Crispy Cake” is a purely natural food developed based on the vegetarian records in Buddhist scriptures and the dietary theories of traditional Chinese medicine, in accordance with the requirements of modern nutrition science. This product has been certified by the Provincial Expert Technical Committee and won the “Ministerial Quality Product Award” at the “First National Urban Collective Enterprises Achievement Exhibition in 1994” organized by the State Economic and Trade Commission and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade...
Yashan Lotus Root Candy Yashan boasts not only rich historical and cultural heritage but also a fascinating culinary culture. The lotus root candy produced here is widely renowned, enjoying a large market in neighboring Tongling City and Qingyang County. Once the Winter Solstice passes each year, it marks the busy season for making lotus root candy. Lotus root candy is an elegant and delicate traditional food. Its shape is…
Yashan has long been known as the "Hometown of Peonies," and the so-called tree peony bark refers to the root bark of the peony. The elevation within the Yashan area ranges between 50 and 450 meters, featuring fertile land with sandy soil, a cool and moist climate, high organic matter content, loose soil particles — making it an ideal region for growing peonies. The peony is hailed as the "king of flowers" in China and has since ancient times been called...
Weizhu pigs originate from Xuancheng Prefecture in Anhui Province, with the central production area located along both banks of the Qingyi River, including Wenchang in Xuancheng County and Yijiang, Xitan, Taifeng, Donghe, Xianfang, Jiulian, and Dongtang in Nanling County. The production region features both lowland plains and hills, with an average annual temperature of 16.1°C, annual precipitation of 1,608 mm, and a frost-free period of 230 days. The lowland areas have crisscrossing rivers and canals...
Astragalus sinicus L, commonly known as Chinese milk vetch, has various aliases such as qiaoyao, redflower vegetable, and caozi. In ancient times, it was called zhufu, yauche, or qiaoyaoche, and records of it can be found as early as in the "Erya Shiyi" section of the Classic of Poetry. Its stems, when used as a vegetable, are referred to as "xiaochao cai" or "yuanyou cai", while its seeds were historically known as "piaoyao dou". The cultivation of Chinese milk vetch has a very long history. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Ji Shengxue's "Qimin Yaoshu" provided descriptions of it; Su Shi of the Northern Song Dynasty once remarked: "The most delicious vegetable comes from Sichuan, known as chao. My old friend Chao Yuanyou loved it, hence it was called Yuanyou cai"; Lu You of the Southern Song Dynasty also mentioned in the preface to his poems that Chinese milk vetch was widely planted in the rice fields of the Wu region (Sichuan vegetables include two types of chao: da chao refers to infertile peas, while xiao chao grows in rice fields and is also common in the Wu region). Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty acknowledged its medicinal value and included it in Volume 27 of the "Compendium of Materia Medica" under the vegetable category, listing it as the second type of vegetable. Nanling Astragalus sinicus Yijiang Seed originated in Yijiang Town, an ancient town within Nanling County. Historically part of ChunGu County in the Wu region, after the liberation, with the country’s high emphasis on green manure and the establishment of a tripartite crop structure of grain, economic, and forage crops, Yijiang Seed quickly spread to over ten southern rice-producing provinces and cities. By the late 1980s, both the public and officials had recognized its name as "Yijiang Seed". In the early 20th century, China’s four major "rice markets"—Wuhu, Wuxi, Changsha, and Jiujiang—shared advantages such as convenient riverside transportation, abundant grain production, and thriving commerce, which played a positive role in boosting grain production and distribution at the time, significantly improving local social development, farmers’ livelihoods, and commercial trade. Wuhu Rice Market, Nanling Granary. Nanling is known for its abundant rice production. As early as the 1920s, it had become a key granary for the Wuhu Rice Market. At one time, Shanghai newspapers like "Shenbao" and "Xinwenbao" reported daily on the market price of "Nanling Jian", while in Changsha, Hunan, there were updates on "Nanling September Red – Kuihu Glutinous Rice". This is a land with a long history—its fertile soil, suitable climate, abundant rainfall, half-mountainous and half-polder geography, with rice as the primary crop, make it one of the province’s main grain-producing counties. The production history of Chinese milk vetch here is equally long, and due to the diligence of local farmers, the planting area accounts for more than 50% of the paddy fields, making it the largest Chinese milk vetch planting region in Anhui Province for many consecutive years. In 1988, it was designated as a national Chinese milk vetch seed base county. It produces over 2 million kilograms of Chinese milk vetch seeds annually. In 1996, a national field observation meeting on Chinese milk vetch was held in Nanling. Appendix: ChunGu is an ancient place name. During the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, it belonged to the domain of Yangzhou; when Taibo of Wu fled south to the Jingman region and styled himself Gouwu, it later came under the jurisdiction of King Wu of Zhou after he conquered the Shang and sought out Taibo, enfeoffing the region as part of Wu. In the early Western Han Dynasty, this area belonged to Zhangjun. In the second year of Emperor Wu’s Yuanguang era (109 BCE), Zhangjun was renamed to Danyangjun and remained under Yangzhou, with ChunGu included. Since then, the name ChunGu has been used, covering parts of today’s Fanchang, Nanling, Wuhu, and even some areas of Tongling County. In the second year of Emperor Xian’s Xingping era (195 CE), Sun Ce led troops across the river to defeat Liu Yao and appointed Eastern Wu generals such as Zhou Yu, Huang Gai, Zhou Tai, Han Dang, and Lü Meng successively as magistrates of ChunGu. This is recorded in historical texts such as Chen Shou’s "Records of the Three Kingdoms", marking ChunGu as a significant military stronghold in the Jiangnan region. From "Qimin Yaoshu": qiaoyao*93; *Erya* says (1): “Zhu Fu, yao che.” Guo Pu's annotation states: “It is a creeping plant with fine leaves and purple flowers. Edible. Commonly called ‘qiaoyao che’.” (1) See *Erya·Shi Cao*, text is the same. *Taiping Yulan* (Song Bao Chongcheng’s collated Song edition) Volume 998 quotes *Erya* similarly, but another version of *Yulan* mistakenly writes it as “wang shi, yao cao”. Guo’s annotation “commonly called” is rendered as “now commonly called”, the rest is the same. *“Qiaoyao”* is likely the leguminous Astragalus sinicus, but it also resembles the leguminous Vicia villosa. *Compendium of Materia Medica*, Vegetable Section 27, Vegetable 2: Qiaoyao [Explanation of Name] Yao che (*Erya*), ye can dou (*Compendium*), xiao chao cai. Zangqi said: Qiaoyao is called qiao rao by people in Youzhou. *Erya* says: Zhu fu, yao che (commonly called qiaoyao che) is exactly that. It creeps like beans, has fine leaves, purple flowers, and is edible. Shizhen said: Qiaoyao gets its name because its stems and leaves are tender and graceful, swaying as if floating. Su Dongpo said: The most delicious vegetable comes from Sichuan, known as chao. My old friend Chao Yuanyou loved it, hence it was called Yuanyou cai. Lu Fangweng wrote in the preface to his poems: There are two types of chao in Sichuan vegetables: da chao refers to infertile peas; xiao chao grows in rice fields and is also common in the Wu region, also called piaoyao cao or ye can dou. When fried and mixed with rice grits, it’s called cao hua, delicious to eat, and even better in soup. [Collected Explanations] Zangqi said: Qiaoyao grows in flat marshlands. It creeps like beans, has purple flowers. Shizhen said: It is found everywhere. People in Sichuan plant it in autumn and harvest it in spring; when old, they plow it back into the fields as fertilizer. Hence Xue Tian’s poem: “Extra peas and chao planted in fertile late fields.” The creepers resemble beans but are finer; leaves resemble newly sprouted locust buds and tribulus, with a yellowish-green color. Just before flowering, they are picked and steamed to eat, flavored with wine, salt, or made into stuffing for soup—tasting like small bean sprouts. By March, small purple-white flowers bloom. Pods form, with seeds resembling small peas. [Flavor] Pungent, neutral, non-toxic. Shen said: Best cooked, eating raw may cause vomiting. [Main Indications] Breaks up blood stasis, stops bleeding, promotes tissue regeneration. Crushed juice taken orally treats five types of jaundice diseases until cured (Zangqi). Benefits five organs, improves hearing and vision, dispels heat wind, makes one feel light and strong, good to eat regularly and highly beneficial to health (Meng Shen). Calms heat malaria, activates blood, and harmonizes stomach (Shizhen). [Prescriptions] Two new ones. Activates blood and improves vision: Grind piaoyao dou into powder, take two qian with licorice decoction, twice daily. (From *Hygienic Simple Recipes*). Persistent heat malaria: Pound qiaoyao and take the juice. (From *Guangli Recipes*).
Nanling County has long been known as the “Granary of Nanling in the Wuxi Rice Market,” and is praised as the “Land of Fish and Rice in the South of the Yangtze” and the “Granary of the Jiangnan Region.” It is one of the main grain-producing areas of the “Wuxi Rice Market,” which is one of China’s four major rice markets. The people of Nanling are simple and hardworking, with over 70% of the rice fields planted with double-cropping rice. Since 1985, the county…
Also known as Dwarf Yellow, it is mainly distributed in hilly areas such as Eling, Wuli, Sanli, Hewan, Luling, Dazhen, and Gongsan. It has been cultivated for decades, with an average yield of 75 kilograms per mu, and can reach up to 100 kilograms. This type of sesame has a growth period of about 100 days, is sown from late May to mid-June, and matures in late September. …
In the late Qing Dynasty, the area of Sunjialao on the outskirts of the county town was known for producing large-seed beans (also called green-seed beans or white-seed beans), which featured large grains, excellent quality, and rich nutrition. In 1956, they were promoted as a traditional product. These beans are generally sown during Mangzhong (Grain in Ear), with fresh beans available around Liqiu (Start of Autumn), harvested upon maturity around Chushu (Limit of Heat), yielding about 100–125 kilograms per mu...
Also known as September Red, it is a selected strain from Red Hull Glutinous Rice and is a local variety of this county. Its qualities have remained strong over time. Originally grown along the shores of Kuitan Lake, specifically in areas such as Ku Lake, Huangtang, and Huangmu, it later spread to neighboring counties. It typically yields 400–500 kilograms per mu, exhibits strong resistance and wide adaptability, has long grains, and a high milling rate of up to 74%, along with strong stickiness…
Produced in the river-network areas along the eastern and western parts of Wuwei County, there are over 20 pearl processing enterprises. The most influential ones include the Blue God Treasure Arts & Crafts Factory and Xinma Jewelry Co., Ltd., both designated as provincial tourism production and sales units and located in the Dujiang Industrial Zone of Nihan Town. There is also the Gaogou Pearl Market. Major products include: pearls, agate, water...
Orchid-flower radish is a traditional pickled radish product made by the Wuhu County Pickle Factory in Anhui Province. It uses the local variety of small, long, white radishes as raw material. After processing, the finished product is characterized by being fresh, salty, crisp, and tender, with excellent color, aroma, taste, and appearance. Production method: 1. Pickling: A single heavy-salt curing method is used, meaning that for every 100 kilograms of fresh…
Nanling Yijiang Lamb is one of the famous local delicacies in the Wuhu area, boasting a history of over 100 years. With its delicious flavor and great value, it is beloved by many. Its reputation extends far beyond the province and is known to nearly everyone. Lamb is warm in nature, sweet in taste, and benefits the spleen, stomach, heart, and kidneys. It helps warm the meridians, nourish blood, boost kidney function, enhance vitality...