Lujì Scalded Dough Fried Cake is small and delicate in shape, flat and round, with a brownish-red hue, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The fillings currently include red bean paste, hawthorn, and white sugar—each offering a fine, sweet, and fragrant taste. Thanks to its unique refinement and delicious flavor, it was honored as “Tianjin’s Best Food” in 1984, and in 1997 was recognized by the China Cuisine Association as one of China's Famous Snacks.
Tianjin yellow chives, also known as chive sprouts. Tianjin did not originally produce chive sprouts. During the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, a gardener surnamed Zhu accidentally discovered a cluster in a greenhouse during winter. Not only were they light yellow and fresh in color, but they also had an excellent taste—distinct from green chives, offering a unique flavor. As a result, they were widely cultivated. By the Guangxu era, they were commonly grown and became a prized winter vegetable…
Tianjin Yellow Chives, also known as yellow garlic chives, are not originally produced in Tianjin. During the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, a gardener surnamed Zhu accidentally discovered a cluster of them in a greenhouse during winter. Not only did they boast a light, fresh yellow hue, but their flavor was also exceptionally delicious—distinct from regular green garlic chives. As a result, they were widely cultivated. By the Guangxu era, they had become commonly grown and a cherished winter vegetable...
The purple crab is a type of hairy-legged river crab produced in the suburbs of Tianjin. The larger ones are about the size of a silver dollar, while the smaller ones are as small as a copper coin. Every winter, they gather in mud burrows along the riverbanks and must be dug out from under the ice. Though small, their bellies are clean and free of mud, and their taste is delicious. They are named for their exceptionally rich roe, which, visible through the thin shell, shows a purplish hue. During the Ming…
The Seven-Star Purple Crab gets its name from the purple crab itself and the shape it takes when served. This crab is a type of hairy-legged river crab produced in the suburbs of Tianjin. The larger ones are as big as silver dollars, while the smaller ones are about the size of copper coins. Every winter, they gather in mud burrows along the riverbanks and must be fished out by breaking the ice. Though small, their bellies are clean and free of mud, and their flavor is delicious. Their roe is extraordinarily rich, and through the thin shell, a purplish hue can be seen—hence the name.
One of the three most famous snacks in Tianjin. It has a history of nearly a hundred years. The ingredients are carefully selected and the production process is meticulous. The shop got its name because it was located right next to Erduoyan Hutong (Ear Hole Alley). The making of Erduoyan Fried Rice Cake requires high-quality glutinous rice, yellow millet, red adzuki beans, brown sugar, and fragrant oil. The filling undergoes processes such as rinsing, boiling, simmering, stirring, frying sugar, and mixing the filling. The wrapper dough is soaked in water, stone-ground,...
First, grind mung beans into powder, sift, soak in clean water, then rub by hand to remove the bean skins and impurities, drain the excess water, and mix with soaked rice. Grind the mixture into a porridge-like consistency. Next, place the griddle over low heat, scoop on the batter, spread it into thin, paper-like round pancakes, and cut them into willow leaf shapes. Then, to make the sauce, first heat sesame oil, add chopped scallions, minced ginger, and coriander roots until they turn golden. Add ground star anise and fermented soybean paste, then pour in soy sauce. Once it boils, transfer to a basin. Separately, bring water to a boil, add coarse salt and the prepared sauce. When the pot boils again, pour in soy sauce, add ground star anise, five-spice powder, minced ginger, and alkaline powder. Once the sauce boils, thicken it with a cornstarch slurry and pour it into a prepared container. Use some clean salted water to dilute the fermented tofu, then mix it with the other salted water and season with monosodium glutamate (MSG) to taste. Separately, fry chili powder in hot oil until it turns apricot yellow, then separate the oil from the paste. Next, take dried tofu slices, cut them into small diamond shapes, and fry them in hot sesame oil until the outer skin becomes crispy. Then, put them in boiling water to cook. Once it boils, add soy sauce and MSG. After it boils again, remove the dried tofu. Finally, thin out the sesame paste with sesame oil. The dish is visually appealing, has an attractive shape, and offers a rich variety of flavors.
Tianjin has a long history of growing Chinese cabbage, known for its superior quality, ranking first in the country, and is hailed as "Tianjin Green." There are several varieties of Tianjin Chinese cabbage, including Qingmaye, Baimaye, and Qingshaobai, all of which are tender in texture and pleasant in taste. Among them, Qingmaye is considered the finest variety, characterized by its bright green leaves, thin stems with low moisture content, crisp and tender texture, plump leaves with tightly packed hearts, and crinkled leaf surfaces resembling walnut patterns...
Slender in body, slightly spindle-shaped; the rostrum at the front of the carapace is long, with 7–9 saw-like teeth on the upper edge and 3–5 on the lower edge; the second antennae are well developed, with flagella about twice the body length; the eight pairs of thoracic appendages are relatively small; however, the outer limbs of the three pairs of maxillipeds are well developed; females are slightly brownish-blue, while males are slightly yellowish. …
Guobacai, known as "Gaba Cai" in Tianjin dialect, is a uniquely flavored folk snack with a history of over a hundred years. The guoba (crisped rice) is primarily made from millet and mung beans, seasoned with fennel seeds and star anise. After soaking, it is ground into a paste using a stone mill. The paste is then spread onto a heated iron pan to dry into sticky porridge-like guoba, which is left to dry and lose moisture. The guoba is prized for being evenly thick, not sticking or burning, soft and delicious with a slight chewiness, and cut into willow leaf shapes. It is then mixed with a broth made from more than ten kinds of seasonings, topped with fresh coriander, sesame paste, and red chili oil for color and flavor, resulting in a bowl of vividly colored and appetizing guobacai. In the mouth, it feels soft, smooth, light, and fragrant, leaving a lingering aftertaste. Guobacai serves both as a dish and a soup—economical and beloved by many working people.
Braised Shark Fin in Supreme Style is made by steaming and braising shark fin (finlets) and chicken, among other ingredients. Originally, it was a signature dish of eight renowned Tianjin restaurants whose names ended with "Cheng" (meaning "success"), such as Jinqingcheng and Juhecheng, collectively known as the "Eight Great Chengs of Tianjin." In the later period, Juhecheng Restaurant came to represent the "Eight Great Chengs," inheriting and promoting their traditional flavors. The restaurant's famed chef Wang Sirong was well-known in Tianjin for his shark fin dishes and was honored with the title "King of Shark Fin." Because the "Red-Braised Shark Fin" is prepared using a whole, intact fin, it was hailed as the "King of All Dishes" in Tianjin, hence the name "Supreme Shark Fin." For decades, it has enjoyed great fame in Tianjin, Beijing, and Hebei.
Duck Fat Buns are a type of xiaolongbao (soup dumpling), with fillings similar to those of regular buns—mostly pork. However, they seem to contain shredded duck meat, and the filling is made with duck fat, vegetable oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, scallions, ginger, and seasonings. They are wrapped and steamed just like ordinary buns. But when you eat them, they are very fragrant, rich and greasy in the mouth, yet still fresh and not heavy. I’m not sure if the Duck Fat Buns you’re referring to are the same as the ones I had.
It has a round appearance and golden color, with a deliciously fragrant taste that combines aromatic richness and the unique sweet aroma of peach kernels. Ingredients: 100 kg pork, 6 kg sesame oil, 0.2 kg five-spice powder, 0.1 kg Sichuan peppercorn powder, 0.2 kg MSG, 1.2 kg peach kernels, 4.7 kg refined salt, 2 kg fresh ginger, 4 kg green onions, 8 kg soy sauce
Baiji Dumplings are made with a filling of tender beef and lamb rib meat, combined with greens or zucchini. The wrappers are thin and the filling generous, offering a soft texture, fresh taste, no gaminess or greasiness, and a rich flavor. …
During the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era, legend has it that a man named Yuchang, out of his deep love for the traditional food—“juicy steamed dumplings,” spent seven years refining the crafting technique, eventually developing a unique flavor. He then opened a small shop serving juicy steamed dumplings in his hometown. Though modest in scale, the shop gained popularity due to the dumplings’ vibrant colors and delicious taste.
Fried grasshoppers are a unique snack specialty of Tianjin. The specific method of making fried grasshoppers: remove the wings and thighs from live grasshoppers (scientific name: locusts); when the oil is boiling hot, fry the grasshoppers until they turn yellowish-brown, then remove and drain the oil. Prepare an earthenware basin in advance with soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil, and add some shredded scallions,...
The main ingredients are flour, peanut oil, and white sugar, along with over ten kinds of seasonings such as osmanthus and green plum. It involves ten production steps: fermenting the dough, boiling sugar, mixing ingredients, making the filling, kneading the dough, pressing the strips, splitting the strips, pairing the strips, shaping, and frying. It's delicious and visually appealing. The golden-brown color is neither undercooked nor burnt. Made up of ten thin strands twisted into three flowers, it contains various fillings.
Rainbow trout is a world-renowned premium fish species. In the early 1970s, Kim Il-sung, then President of North Korea, once gifted this fish to Premier Zhou Enlai. This fish is considered precious not only because of its excellent meat quality but also due to its very demanding breeding conditions — it must be raised in low-turbidity flowing water (constant running water). In December 1988, the Liupan Mountain State-owned Forestry…
Huaiguang trout in Huairou can be roughly divided into three main categories: the first is golden trout, the second is rainbow trout, and the third is Yamame trout. The first, golden trout: golden trout has a golden-yellow exterior and is valued for its ornamental appeal. Its flesh has a crisp texture and is best served as sashimi with a dipping sauce of wasabi. …
How to make braised catfish in a small building: Take a live catfish, remove the head and tail, and keep the middle section. Coat the base with starch, then braise in sesame oil. Simmer and roast three times, repeatedly frying in oil using high and low heat alternately (the oil is roasted with pepper, which helps remove the muddy taste of the catfish). After adding the auxiliary ingredients, thicken the sauce and serve. Characteristics: Golden in color, crispy outside and tender inside, with a savory and salty flavor. …