This dish is also said to be associated with Su Dongpo. It is well known that Su had a great love for pork and wrote many poems about eating meat, but he cherished the bamboo around his residence even more. Legend has it that he once wrote: “I would rather eat no meat than live without bamboo. No meat makes one thin, no bamboo makes one vulgar.” Someone later followed his meaning and wrote: “If you wish to stay neither thin nor vulgar, eat bamboo shoots with meat at every meal.” This gave rise to the origin of the dish “Braised Southern Ham with Spring Bamboo Shoots.” The dish is made by simmering thinly sliced, fatty Southern ham with tender spring bamboo shoots. It is soft, juicy, fragrant, and delicious, with a savory broth. Perhaps for this reason, “Braised Southern Ham with Spring Bamboo Shoots” has become a beloved traditional Hangzhou delicacy. (Hangzhou)
Legend has it that in ancient times, a beggar who had wandered to the Jiangnan region once fainted from hunger and cold. A fellow sufferer stole a small hen for him but, with no pot or stove available, wrapped the chicken in clay and buried it in the embers of a fire. When they cracked it open to eat, they were surprised to find the chicken exuding a wonderful aroma and tasting extremely delicious. Later, this method was passed on to restaurants...
Hangzhou boasts a rich variety of silk weaving crafts, among which brocade stands out as a distinctive one. Hangzhou brocade gained national fame as early as the Ming Dynasty, and by the Qing Dynasty, it was celebrated alongside Nanjing’s “Yun Brocade,” Suzhou’s “Song Brocade,” and Sichuan’s “Shu Brocade.” Du Jinsheng Brocade is one of the most renowned brocades from Hangzhou. In 1922, the patriotic industrialist Du Jinsheng founded the “...
Three-Shred Dough Bits is a specialty snack from Hangzhou, Zhejiang. It is an authentic dish that serves as both soup and food, as well as a meal and a snack. The ingredients of Three-Shred Dough Bits include refined flour, starch, premium broth, shredded meat, Ningbo preserved vegetables, and shredded pumpkin. During preparation, the refined flour and starch are mixed with water and stirred, then formed into strips when the water in the pot comes to a boil…
Mingliang Pan-Fried Pork Buns are one of the signature delicacies of Hangzhou, Zhejiang. This specialty snack can rival the famous Dahua Crispy Pastry. Its ingredients include flour, baking powder, yeast, barbecue sauce, pork loin, red fermented tofu, onions, and more. The bottoms of the buns are golden brown, the bun bodies are snow-white, and the filling is a vibrant red. When you take a bite, the texture is soft with a slight crunch, and the flavor is...
Fried Shrimp in Hot Oil is a traditional famous dish from Hangzhou. The shrimp shells are bright red, crispy, and loosen easily — they practically fall off at the touch — while the shrimp meat remains tender, with a hint of sweet and sour flavor, offering a unique taste. It’s an excellent dish to accompany rice or drinks. Main ingredient: 4000g river shrimp Seasonings: 50g peanut oil, 10g ginger, 10g scallions, 25g rice wine, 20g soy sauce, 5g monosodium glutamate, 15g white sugar...
Texture of lamb shaomai: These shaomai have thin wrappers and generous fillings, tender and delicious. Main ingredients: 500g wheat flour, 500g lean lamb; Side ingredients: 30g coriander; Seasonings: 50g green onion, 15g ginger, 5g salt, 3g monosodium glutamate (MSG), 30g soy sauce, 20g cooking wine, 10g fennel powder, 25g vinegar, 1g pepper, 30g sesame oil. Method: …
Nine-Surname Reunion Dumplings are one of the specialty foods of Hangzhou, Zhejiang. They are refreshing, soft, and glutinous, featuring a strong rustic flavor and festive charm. Ingredients include sweet potato starch, shredded radish, diced pork belly, scallions, soy sauce, yellow wine, monosodium glutamate, salt, and dried red chili husks. They are also extremely affordable—only fifteen yuan per steamer basket, with ten dumplings in each. Legend has it that in ancient times...
Product Origin: Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. Product Features: Evenly embedded steel, finely honed, exceptionally sharp, beautifully designed, and highly durable. Product Description: "Swift as the wind, smooth as oil, distinct in steel, varied in types, cutting landscapes into brocades—Hangzhou scissors rival even those of Bingzhou." This is a poem of praise written by the renowned Chinese playwright Tian Han in 1966 when he visited the Zhang Xiaoquan…
In the water towns of the Jiangnan region, dotted with lakes, various types of fish are naturally a common delicacy on people's tables. Different parts of the fish each offer their own unique flavors—some prefer the tail, while others favor the head. The fish head has a rich texture and diverse taste, such as the fish lips, cheek meat, and brain, all smooth, tender, and richly fatty, quite distinct from the meat on the rest of the fish. Therefore, stewed fish head soup has long been a traditional dish in Hangzhou. This "King of Clay Pot Fish Head" takes the classic fish head soup and elevates it further in richness and flavor.
Braised Tiger Shoots in Covered Pot features plump, tender shoots with a red-and-white color contrast and an elegant appearance. It has a crisp texture when eaten and is a classic Hangzhou dish often enjoyed in summer. Preparation method: 1. Wash the tiger shoots, split them lengthwise, gently pound with a knife, then cut into strips. 2. Place a wok over medium heat, add salad oil, put in the tiger shoots, stir-fry briefly, then add milk broth. Cover the wok, move to...
Main ingredients for fresh meat wontons: 500 grams of fine white flour, 500 grams of pork leg meat. Side ingredients: a small amount of scallions, 1 tablespoon of ginger powder, an appropriate amount of salt, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, a small amount of cooking wine, a small amount of MSG, a small amount of seaweed, 3 tablespoons of dried shrimp, an appropriate amount of sesame oil. Preparation method: 1. Place [the flour] in a basin, add an appropriate amount of water, and knead into a dough with moderate hardness...
Hangzhou is located in the northern part of Zhejiang Province, along the lower reaches of the Qiantang River. Hangzhou is renowned as the "Hometown of Peonies" for its production of peonies and other medicinal herbs.…
Osmanthus can be classified into four types: golden osmanthus, silver osmanthus, red osmanthus, and ever-blooming osmanthus, among which golden and silver osmanthus are considered the best. The cultivation of osmanthus in Hangzhou flourished during the Tang and Song dynasties. According to folklore, during the Tang Dynasty, on a moonlit Mid-Autumn night, Monk Deming of Hangzhou’s Lingyin Temple suddenly heard the sound of dripping rain. When he opened the door, he saw countless pearl-like particles falling from the moon. He went up the mountain and gathered a full bag of them. The next day, Deming told his master, Elder Zhii, about it. After examining the particles carefully, the elder said, “These might be osmanthus seeds shaken loose when Wu Gang was cutting the osmanthus tree in the Moon Palace.” So they planted the colorful little seeds on the slopes around the temple. By the following Mid-Autumn Festival, not only had the osmanthus trees grown tall and lush, but they were also covered in fragrant blossoms of various colors. Monk Deming then named them golden osmanthus, silver osmanthus, red osmanthus, and ever-blooming osmanthus. Later, the poet Bai Juyi wrote the famous line “Seeking the hanging tags in the mountain temple under the moon,” and thus the charming legend of “osmanthus seeds falling from the moon” has been passed down to this day. The area beneath South Peak in Hangzhou, known as Mangaolong, is a renowned spot for osmanthus viewing. Around the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, when the red osmanthus is in full bloom, visitors to this “golden snowy world” can not only explore the serene beauty of the place but also enjoy delicious treats such as osmanthus sugar and chestnut soup with osmanthus. Aside from being ornamental, osmanthus also holds economic value. Golden and silver osmanthus, with their rich fragrance, serve as natural ingredients for processed flavorings. Dried osmanthus mixed with white sugar becomes the commonly seen osmanthus sugar on the market. If the essence extracted from osmanthus is blended into candied sugar, it becomes osmanthus-flavored candy. As for osmanthus wine, there are already records in the “Book of Han · Record of Ritual and Music” that mention “respecting osmanthus wine, entertaining guests from all directions.”
The Bamboo Shoot Tip Shrimp Emperor Dumpling is a "signature" dim sum at Grand Gateway, featuring large shrimp as the main ingredient, complemented by a filling made from a secret recipe of over eight different ingredients. The crystal-clear skin is handmade using a proprietary technique by the chefs. It has a translucent appearance, a deliciously fragrant taste, and crisp, tender shrimp — an unforgettable treat. …
Hangzhou specialties…
Hangzhou Sheep Tail Dried Bamboo Shoots…
Victory Cakes from the Southern Song Dynasty originated in the Song Dynasty and have been beloved by the people of Hangzhou for thousands of years. The outer layer of these cakes is made from finely ground fragrant rice and glutinous rice flour, with a smooth and even texture. The filling consists of sweet red bean paste, mixed with a small amount of white sugar and osmanthus. The cakes are a crimson color, symbolizing victory in war. The taste of Victory Cakes is fragrant, soft, and delicious...
The papaya crisp from Celebrity Gourmet is made primarily with papaya strips and flour. First, water is added to the flour and stirred until well mixed, then kneaded into a dough and rolled into a flat shape. The papaya strips are wrapped inside the dough to form an oval shape, which is then deep-fried in oil at 150°C (medium heat) until golden brown. The papaya crisp is exquisitely shaped, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a fragrant and delicious taste. …
The World’s Number One Baozi is also a signature dish at Mingren Mingjia. It features a spherical dough skin wrapped around seasoned minced meat, which is then placed in a fermentation chamber for 3–4 hours before being baked in an oven until golden brown. Made with carefully selected ingredients, it has a golden hue, delicious aroma, and exquisite taste—truly a masterpiece among buns. …