Prickly ash, also known as mountain pepper, has a spicy volatile oil in its pericarp, with main components including limonene, citronellol, geraniol, terpenes, and eugenol. The spiciness mainly comes from sanshool, which is found in the fruit of the prickly ash—a deciduous shrub or small tree belonging to the Rutaceae family. The fruit is reddish-brown and turns deep brown when dried, with a surface densely covered in rough, protruding glandular dots. Its size is similar to that of a mung bean…
Tangxian Jujube is a specialty of Tangxian County in Hebei Province and a product with geographical indication status in China. With a long cultivation history, it is renowned for being “large in size, small in pit, thin-skinned, and thick-fleshed,” making it a premium variety of jujube that enjoys an outstanding reputation. Dried Tangxian Jujube contains as much as 60–70% sugar, along with protein, vitamins, and various beneficial trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron…
Black Girl Dumplings are a specialty of Quyang County, Baoding City, Hebei Province. These dumplings are made with premium ingredients and crafted with meticulous care, offering a pure flavor and vibrant color. They are fragrant, refreshing, rich without being greasy, and aromatic without being overpowering. The dough is tender and the filling soft, melting in the mouth — truly a fine imperial delicacy. Known also as “The Time-Honored” dumplings, Black Girl Dumplings are nationally renowned...
Quyang Crisp Pear is a specialty of Quyang County in Baoding City, Hebei Province. With an attractive appearance, thin skin, abundant juice, small core, tender flesh, and a sweet, crisp taste, the Quyang Crisp Pear is beloved by many for its health benefits — clearing coughs, soothing the throat, moistening the lungs, nourishing kidneys, improving eyesight, and refreshing the spirit. It enjoys particularly high renown in Southeast Asian markets. The cultivation of Crisp Pears in Quyang County is mainly concentrated in...
Gaobeidian Yellow Peaches are a specialty of Gaobeidian City, Baoding, Hebei Province. Known for their excellent taste and rich nutrition, these peaches are popular in international markets such as Japan. Gaobeidian Yellow Peaches are recognized as a National Agricultural Product Geographical Indication Protected product. Gaobeidian City has a long history and a simple, honest folk culture. According to the "Gaobeidian City Annals," during the Xia Dynasty, the Yi tribal group thrived here...
Dried Tofu Strips, also known as tofu tendons, are produced in Gaobeidian, Hebei. Gaobeidian Dried Tofu Strips are made from locally grown soybeans. The production process includes selection, soaking, grinding into pulp, boiling, removing residue, coagulating, pressing into sheets, cutting into strips, simmering in brine, and bundling. Among these, the pulp grinding step adopts a method of coarse grinding followed by fine filtration using fine gauze, resulting in a pure texture that is...
Origin: Hebei, China. Cause of formation: Made by stir-frying chicken in hot oil. History: White Jade Chicken Slices originated in the late Qing Dynasty and were created by a renowned chef from the Baoding Prefecture government office. Later, they became popular in restaurants, where additional ingredients were added and the preparation process was refined. In 1983, when diplomatic envoys from 62 countries visited Tangshan, they tasted “White Jade Chicken Slices” and other dishes at Hongbin Restaurant, praising them as tender, light, and delicate like tofu, yet delicious. Features: The finished dish has a snow-white color, tender texture, and a fragrant, refreshing taste. Technique: Remove the skin and bones from young chicken meat, mince it into a paste, then stir in scallions, ginger, and water in one direction until firm. Add a small amount of egg white and salt, and stir again until firm. Separately whip two egg whites into a foam and mix them into the chicken paste. Heat a wok, add lard, and when it reaches about 40% heat, add the chicken paste. Slowly fry one side over gentle heat until cooked, then flip it to cook the other side until both sides puff up, take shape, and become white and shiny. Remove and drain the oil. Leave a little oil in the wok, add Sichuan peppercorns, fry until fragrant, then remove them. Add magnolia slices and Chinese broccoli shoots, stir-fry briefly, then add the tender chicken slices, wine, salt, MSG, a little pepper, and an appropriate amount of broth. Bring to a boil, then thicken with a starch slurry. (Gaobeidian)
Qiuzi resembles a plum but is smaller, with a taste that is sweet, sour, and slightly astringent. It is abundantly produced in Laiyuan but rarely found elsewhere. …
The soil and climate in Laiyuan County are suitable for the cultivation of fast-growing walnuts. The current planting area has reached 200,000 mu. Once the trees reach peak production, the yield can reach 100 kilograms per mu, with a total annual output of up to 40 million kilograms. Walnuts have a higher oil content and nutritional value compared to most oil crops. ...
Laiyuan boasts vast mountainous areas, diverse climates, lush vegetation, and a wide variety of high-quality medicinal herbs. The annual total output reaches over 5 million kilograms, ranking first in Hebei Province. Historically, there was a saying about "southern and northern medicinal herbs," with the south referring to Anguo and the north to Laiyuan. Baishi Mountain and Henglingzi are among the main production areas. There are more than one hundred and fifty types of widely sold medicinal herbs, such as black bupleurum, saposhnikovia root, platycodon root, earthworm-like herb, polygonatum odoratum, and skullcap, to name just a few. Local villagers carry a “fifteen-jin” load (a seven-jin basket and an eight-jin hoe) when foraging. Every summer after the farming season ends, men and women head up the mountains in groups to collect herbs. There used to be a saying, “No matter how many nets you cast in the water, each one will have fish and shrimp,” but in recent years, over-harvesting has led to a gradual decline in these resources, making rest and moderation necessary.
Liyuan almond kernels are made from wild, high-quality sweet almonds grown at an altitude of 1,600 meters in the mountains. They have a sweet and delicious taste, and are rich in 18 essential trace elements required by the human body, along with abundant vitamins, mineral elements, as well as a wealth of flavonoids and polyphenols. They are hailed as the “natural plant gold.”…
Hazelnuts, also known as mountain chestnuts, pointed chestnuts, or cudgels, resemble chestnuts in shape and have a hard shell. Among the "world's four major nuts," hazelnuts not only have the longest history of human consumption but also the highest nutritional value, earning them the title of "King of Nuts." The nutmeat is plump, round, and white, with a fragrant aroma and high oil content. It tastes especially...
Millet, also known as Setaria italica, was called "he" in ancient times. It is an annual herbaceous plant, commonly referred to as "gu" in northern China, and "millet" after hulling. It thrives in warm climates and is highly adaptable. Originating in the Yellow River basin of China, it has a long history of cultivation in the country and is now mainly grown in North, Northwest, and Northeast China. Millet grains are small, light yellow or deep yellow in color...
Mountain leek, found all over Laiyuan County, is one of the area’s unique local specialties. A perennial herbaceous plant growing to about 30 cm in height, mountain leek has a cylindrical bulb covered with fibrous, scale-like bracts. Its basal leaves are narrowly linear, 5–20 cm long and about 0.3 cm wide, with entire margins. The flowering stem emerges from the leaf cluster, bearing a terminal umbel of dark-colored flowers...
Baiyangdian pine-flower preserved eggs, also known as "Hebei preserved eggs," are mainly produced in the Baiyangdian area within Anxin County, Hebei Province. The production of Baiyangdian pine-flower preserved eggs has a history of over 100 years. During the Qing Dynasty, many workshops were established locally to process these eggs, which were sold in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Baoding. Baiyangdian boasts vast water areas, and...
Laiyuan Apricot Kernels are made from high-quality apricot pits sourced from the mountainous regions of Laiyuan. After careful processing and roasting, they are rich in nutrition, containing calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, inorganic salts, and various vitamins needed by the human body. They offer benefits such as moistening the lungs, relieving coughs, lubricating the intestines to ease diarrhea, and killing parasites to detoxify. The almonds are rich in vitamin B17, which can help prevent and alleviate…
What makes Laiyuan tofu special is its coagulation process. Unlike tofu made with brine or gypsum, it is coagulated using “sour whey.” What is sour whey? It is the soybean whey that is pressed out during tofu making, which is then placed in a vat and fermented. If the fermentation is not acidic enough, a bit of millet soup can be added…
One region nurtures its people in its own way. Laiyuan’s loess soil, sandy land, and cool climate are perfect for growing millet. The grains produced here are not only large but also golden in color, hence called yellow millet. This type of millet is highly glutinous. The ancestors of Laiyuan used yellow millet as their main ingredient, refining coarse grains into fine food, and invented many delicious and tasty sticky cake varieties. Moreover, through…
Winters in the north are long. In Laoyuan, winter begins in mid-November of the previous year and doesn’t end until late April of the following year when the trees start to sprout new buds. The cold season lasts for over five months. In the past, without greenhouses, it was impossible to have fresh vegetables in winter. How to get through these long, harsh months became a serious challenge for the not-so-well-off mountain folk...
Pancakes can be found all over China, but their flavors vary from place to place. Laoyuan Pancakes are a unique variety. Their uniqueness mainly lies in the ingredients. Locals say that Laoyuan Pancakes are "three-grain pancakes," primarily made with corn, millet, and soybeans, along with appropriate amounts of Sichuan peppercorn, star anise, green onions, ginger, and garlic as secondary ingredients. To make the...