Donghai Rice is a type of rice produced in Donghai County, Jiangsu Province. It is a China National Geographical Indication product. With abundant water resources and a suitable climate, the county produces high-quality rice that combines the strengths of both southern and northern rice varieties, securing a notable position in the domestic rice market. Located in the northeastern part of Jiangsu Province at latitude 34°11′…
The Huai Pig is an ancient local breed originating from the Huaibei Plain. As early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods around the 1st century BC, agriculture in the Huaibei Plain was already quite developed. To meet the needs of meat consumption and farmland fertilization, pig farming became widespread, gradually leading to the development of the Huai Pig breed, which exhibited consistent physical characteristics and production performance. During the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties period from the 3rd to 6th centuries AD and the Southern Song Dynasty in the 12th century...
Milk Soup Fish Skin is made with fish skin from Baihe in Lianyungang’s harbor area, combined with ingredients such as ham, mushrooms, shrimp, and asparagus shoots, then simmered in chicken broth. The shrimp are placed on top of the soup. This dish features a rich broth and tender meat, making it extremely delicious.…
In the Haizhou Bay fishing grounds, there lives a soft-bodied creature that looks like a praying mantis and resembles a shrimp, commonly known as "Shrimp Granny." Shrimp Grannies are large and meaty, with female ones generally considered the best. Identifying a female Shrimp Granny is simple — look for a white, block-style "王" (king) character on its neck. When boiled in saltwater, they are as renowned as salt-boiled shrimp. People also commonly wash the Shrimp Granny...
Sea cucumber, also known as sand ginseng, is the most precious among all sea cucumber varieties. The sea cucumbers from Lianyungang are yellowish-brown in color, with four rows of large spines and four rows of small spines each. They cannot tolerate high temperatures and go into hibernation in summer, which makes it the prime season for catching them. Sea cucumbers are extremely nutritious—per 100 grams, they contain 76.5 grams of protein, 1.1 grams of fat, and 3...
Seaweed (laver), commonly known as suo cai, also called zi cai or zi ying, refers to the edible leafy algae species within the genus Porphyra of the family Bangiaceae in the red algae phylum (Rhodophyta). Seaweed is highly nutritious, with a protein content exceeding that of kelp, and is rich in carotene and riboflavin…
Woolly shrimp, also known as Zhou's neocaridina, is a specialty of Lianyungang City. It has an exceptionally delicious taste and can be boiled and dried into shrimp jerky. The dried shrimp are orange-red in color, shaped like golden hooks, and are excellent for stir-frying, making dumplings, or cooking in soups. …
A myth is passed down in Lianyungang. One day, Zhang Guolao, one of the Eight Immortals, was passing through a mountain village at the foot of Huaguo Mountain. He saw the bright spring sunshine, the gentle warmth, the hills covered in blooming peach and apricot blossoms, and crystal-clear mountain springs flowing through. Unable to resist the beauty, he jumped off the back of his donkey, held the reins in his hand, and strolled along a path between the wheat fields, admiring this…
Lotus Sparrows have a unique flavor and are crispy and refreshing when eaten. They are a specialty of the coastal areas of Lianyungang City. The sparrows are deep-fried until crispy outside and tender inside, then drizzled with a sweet and sour sauce to finish. Ingredients needed: 450g lotus sparrows, 25g glutinous rice flour, 20g Shaoxing wine, 2.5g fine salt, 15g scallion and ginger juice, 7.5g minced garlic,…
Prawns are one of the seafood products of Lianyungang City. In addition to those naturally found in the sea area, counties and districts such as Ganyu, Guanyun, Lianyun, and Yuntai also engage in artificial farming using coastal tidal flats. The prawns are large-bodied with thin shells, have plump white meat, and are highly nutritious. Each 100 grams of prawn meat contains over 20 grams of protein, about 0.7 grams of fat, making it a high...
Muscovite refers to a type of mica ore suitable for industrial use and is an important raw material in industries such as electrical manufacturing. The only producing area in Jiangsu Province is Donghai County, Lianyungang City. More than 130 years ago, farmers in the Qinglong Mountain and Lu Lake areas of Donghai County discovered this mineral. Soon after, a Shanghainese man named Zhang Shouxi and his relatives came to mine here. In 1940...
Lianyungang is abundant in turtles, with a large population of wild ones and also a significant number raised artificially, resulting in plentiful production. Steaming is the best way to cook turtle. “Farewell My Concubine” is one of its signature dishes. Locals also call the turtle “wáng bā” (a homophone for “turtle”), and the dish gets its name from the pun on the sounds of “bā” (eight) and “chicken.”
Donghai Peanuts Peanut cultivation in Donghai County has a long history. According to the *Donghai County Annals*, peanuts were grown here as early as before 1949, with many local varieties. After Donghai County was designated as a peanut production base by Jiangsu Province in 1978, the planting area expanded rapidly. By 1982, it had reached 324,700 mu, …
Donghai County is a well-known “vegetable base” in Jiangsu Province, with a relatively large area dedicated to tomato cultivation. “Donghai Tomatoes” are highly popular in the market and sell well both within and outside the province due to their high vitamin C content, pleasant sweetness, superior quality, and good storability and transportability. In recent years, Donghai County has adjusted its agricultural structure according to local conditions and sought transformation by aligning with market demands. It has been...
The starch from beans or sweet potatoes is diluted with an appropriate amount of water to form a paste, which is then cooked and cooled into solid blocks, commonly known as “liangfen.” Lianyungang offers a variety of liangfen, including pea starch, mung bean starch, and sweet potato starch versions—all refreshing, clean in taste, and rich in aroma. Each maker has their own secret techniques for preparing liangfen, often closely guarded. There are generally two ways to enjoy liangfen: hot or cold…
Shredded Tofu in Chicken Broth "Shredded Tofu in Chicken Broth" is a traditional famous dish from the Huaiyang region. It originated during the Qing Dynasty and has a history of over 300 years. Legend has it that during the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, there was a monk named Wensi at Tianning Temple on the right side of Meihua Ridge in Yangzhou who excelled at making various tofu dishes. In particular, the tofu soup he made using tender tofu, daylily buds, wood ear mushrooms, and other ingredients had an exceptionally delicious flavor. Buddhist devotees who came to pray and worship all loved to taste this soup, and it became quite famous in the Yangzhou area. This is recorded in the "Yangzhou Huafang Lu." It is said that Emperor Qianlong himself once tasted this dish, and it even became a renowned dish in the Qing imperial court. Since the dish was created by Monk Wensi, people began to call it "Wensi Tofu," and it has been passed down to this day. From the early years of the Republic of China to the 1930s, this dish was also very popular in the Jiangnan region, though its preparation method had changed compared to the Qing Dynasty. Chefs improved the ingredients and cooking techniques, making its preparation more refined and its flavor even more delicious.
Bean-based cold noodles are made from various beans, including mung bean flour, pea flour, red bean flour, and fava bean flour, each with its own unique flavor. Topped with seasonings such as sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, mashed garlic, and chili paste, they offer a refreshing taste with a perfect balance of sour, savory, salty, and spicy flavors that you can adjust to your liking. Nutritious and cooling in the summer, they also have a distinctive flavor when pan-fried with oil in the winter, making them a specialty of northern Jiangsu…
Braised Perch is made from sea perch, featuring a golden color, double heads and tails, no bones or spines, and is convenient to eat.…
Banpu Dripping Vinegar is a specialty of Haizhou District, Fuxin, Liaoning. The current administrative region of Banpu Town, Haizhou District, Lianyungang City, Jiangsu Province. Request from the People's Government of Haizhou District, Lianyungang City Regarding Clarification of the Protected Geographic Indication Product Area for Banpu Dripping Vinegar, Haizheng Fa [2013] No. 27. Jiangsu Provincial Local Standard: "Banpu Dripping Vinegar" (…
Haizhou Red Snapper is a specialty of Haizhou District, Lianyungang City, Jiangsu Province. A carnivorous fish, the red snapper has exceptionally tender and delicate meat that is soft as tofu, tastier than young chicken, and especially delicious in the head — the more you chew, the more flavorful it becomes. The red snapper is a prized economic fish in Haizhou Bay, belonging to the Sparidae family, with the scientific name Pagrus major. The fish often gather around the Qiansan Islands area. The red snapper is a carnivorous fish…