Edamame, also known as vegetable soybean, is a type of soybean crop specifically grown for its fresh, tender pods. Essentially, edamame refers to fresh soybeans still in their green pods. It is an annual crop with thick, tough stems covered in fine hairs. The pods are flat-shaped and also have fine hairs, which is why they are called "hairy beans" (毛豆). When fresh, the pods are a vibrant light green and look crisp and appealing. …
Glutinous Rice Rolls, also known as Bean Flour Cake, is one of the ancient varieties of snacks from Lan County. Its ingredients include yellow millet flour steamed with water, and the dough is made slightly softer with a bit more water added during mixing. Separately, roasted soybeans are ground into powder. To make the rolls, the steamed yellow millet dough is coated on the outside with soybean flour, rolled into sheets, then spread with red bean paste (red bean paste can also be replaced with brown sugar...)
Lian County Dough Modeling Art: Liancheng Town in Lian County is renowned as the hometown of dough modeling art in Shanxi Province and enjoys a certain level of fame nationwide. Local residents create exquisitely crafted and finely made dough offerings, such as poultry and livestock symbolizing the prosperity of the six domestic animals, pine and crane representing longevity, the God of Longevity, and peaches of immortality, as well as motifs symbolizing joy and good fortune like the Ruyi (scepter of fulfillment), harmonious union, carp leaping over the dragon gate, and the immediate bestowment of a noble title. There are also depictions of historical stories and folk tales, such as the Journey to the West, Monkey King subduing demons, Pigsy stealing melons, the Heavenly Match, and the Magpie Bridge Meeting, all used to pay homage to this bodhisattva in the hearts of the people.
Linyuan County is a well-known major potato-growing region in the province, and Dashetou Township is the township with the largest potato planting area, cultivating over 12,000 mu of potatoes. Compared to potatoes from other areas, Linyuan’s potatoes have several distinctive features. One of the most important is their high starch content. China has many regions suitable for growing potatoes...
This time, let’s talk about another local specialty of Lan County—oats. Everyone knows that oats come from oats grain, so why do we call it “oats” instead of “oats grain”? Want to find out? Then read on. To talk about oats, we first have to talk about oats grain. It is a cereal crop, scientifically known as naked oats. It’s highly nutritious, …
Jiehekou Town, Lan County: Chinese cabbage.…
Shilou Lamb, also known as "Hundred-Leaves Seed Lamb," is small in size but sturdy, with dense, fine wool. It is a specialty of the Shilou region.…
Crystal Tofu Crystal Tofu is a unique local snack from Lüliang City, made primarily from potatoes. It is an indispensable dish when entertaining relatives and friends or during weddings and funerals. Visually, this snack has a crystal-clear appearance and resembles slices of tofu. It tastes delicious—smooth and not greasy at all. Nutritional Analysis: 1. Harmonizes the middle energizer, nourishes the stomach, strengthens the spleen, and promotes diuresis: Crystal...
The local specialties of this county include dates, lamb, and licorice. Shilou dates are renowned for their large size, small pits, thin skin, thick flesh, sweet taste, and long shelf life, with an annual production of up to 30 million jin. Xishilou County is located in the loess plateau region characterized by ridges, mounds, hills, and gullies in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. As Shilou lies along China’s First Bend of the Yellow River, the dry, hot, and high-temperature conditions of the loess plateau clash day and night with the cool, moist air from the river, resulting in significant temperature variations, abundant sunshine, and highly water-absorbent sandy soil — all of which contribute to the exceptionally high quality of dates grown here.
The licorice from Shilou County in Lüliang has long enjoyed a great reputation. According to surveys, the total reserves of licorice within Shilou County amount to over 5.8 million jin, and it is referred to as "Fen Cao" (Fen Grass) in the pharmaceutical industry. It has various health benefits such as invigorating the spleen and replenishing qi, clearing heat and detoxifying, eliminating phlegm and relieving coughs, as well as alleviating pain.
Quchan Spring…
Fangshan Pine Nuts…
One of the specialties of Fangshan County. The sea buckthorn growing area spans 502,000 mu, with an annual yield of 20 million kilograms. Rich in various vitamins and amino acids, sea buckthorn boasts high nutritional value and serves as premium raw material for producing beverages, food, and sodas...
【Place of Origin】 Lüliang on the Loess Plateau in western Shanxi Province
Shanxi pickled vegetables are made using fermentation or sauce-based methods. The fermented ones are called suancai (sour vegetables); in the Rites of Zhou they were referred to as “zu” or “ji” (chopped and pickled). The Northern Wei Dynasty’s Qimin Yaoshu recorded various methods for pickling sour vegetables, a tradition that continues among the people of Shanxi. In the rural areas of southern Shanxi, it is customary to chop radish leaves, grate white radishes, and tightly pack layers of leaves and shreds into a jar…
Junzao dates are primarily produced in Jiaokou County, Shanxi Province, among other areas, and are one of the local ancient varieties. Fruit characteristics: The fruit is large, cylindrical or long-obovoid in shape. The average fruit weight is 22.9 grams, with a maximum of 36.1 grams, and sizes are inconsistent. The fruit shoulder is relatively small and slightly raised, with a deep and moderately wide stem cavity. The fruit top is flat. The fruit stem is relatively thick and long. The fruit surface is smooth, the skin...
When the weather gets hot, we all crave something refreshing and light. A serving of mixed cold tofu jelly makes a great main dish—crystal clear, spicy with a hint of sourness, smooth and delicious, it’s simply perfect. Tofu jelly is usually made from mung bean starch and mainly contains carbohydrates, protein, and other nutrients. It’s worth noting that since tofu jelly...
Jiaokou walnuts…
Wen Shui Grapes As early as the Tang and Song dynasties, Wen Shui County was renowned for its grape production. The grapes are abundantly grown in villages such as Fangyuan, Yier, Wuwu, Xicheng, and Yadi (Old Yadi). There are several varieties, including red, white, long, and round. In particular, the “Pinger” and “Rose” varieties, known for their thin skins, tender flesh, and sweet flavor, are famous both within and outside the province. The 1883 (the ninth year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty) “Wen Shui County Annals” recorded that raisins made from fresh grapes in villages such as Fangyuan—smoked using traditional methods—were listed as tribute items. “The main tribute consisted of three large boxes, each containing three smaller boxes, with each box holding ten hu, all wrapped in yellow silk and sent to the capital. In addition to the main tribute, there was also a secondary tribute sent to the provincial capital, a practice that had been in place for a long time.” Before the July 7th Incident, just the village of Fangyuan alone had 48 smoking workshops, producing over 50,000 kilograms of raisins annually, which were sold as far as Tianjin, Beijing, and the northeastern provinces. Grape production in Wen Shui ranked first in Shanxi Province.
Wenshui Crisp Pear The Wenshui Crisp Pear has over 40 years of cultivation history. The current planting base has expanded to 100,000 mu, mainly distributed across hilly and mountainous areas at elevations of 800–1,200 meters. The deep soil layers, fertile land, moderate rainfall, large diurnal temperature variations, and high effective accumulated temperature provide ideal growing conditions for producing high-quality crisp pears...