Yantai Cuisine

Yantai Cuisine

　　 Yantai cuisine, primarily Fushan cuisine, has a long and storied history. Along with Jinan’s Lixia cuisine, it forms two major flavors of Shandong cuisine and once had a significant influence on imperial court dining. Yantai cuisine mainly uses seafood as its primary ingredient, known for its freshness, crispness, tenderness, and original flavor. Fushan cuisine excels in steaming, pan-frying, sautéing, deep-frying, roasting, and braising. It has not only had a great influence on cooking techniques in North China, Northeast China, and the Beijing-Tianjin area domestically, but also enjoys a high reputation internationally. There are over 6,000 overseas Chinese from Fushan alone, 90% of whom are engaged in the food and beverage industry. In more than 30 countries and regions around the world, you can find restaurants featuring Fushan-style cuisine. Famous Chinese restaurants such as Osaka’s “Daiseikaku” and “Jinchengtu” in Japan, “Songzhu Tower” in Kowloon, Hong Kong, “Chinese Restaurant” in London, UK, “Paradise on Earth” in Paris, France, and “Lu Garden Restaurant” in Washington, USA, are all run by people from Fushan. (Yantai)

　　　 Fushan boasts a long culinary history and a rich food culture. Historical records of Fushan cuisine date back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Fushan cuisine, along with Jinan’s Lixia cuisine and Jining’s Confucius Mansion cuisine, is recognized by the culinary world as one of the “three pillars” of Shandong cuisine.

　　 　 In August 2001, an expert group from the China Cuisine Association conducted a special investigation and evaluation in Fushan District. The group unanimously agreed that Fushan chefs are spread across the world and enjoy a prestigious reputation in the culinary field. Fushan cuisine has a long history and a solid foundation, playing a pivotal role in the development of Shandong cuisine. After research, the China Cuisine Association officially approved the designation “Shandong Yantai Fushan – Hometown of Shandong Cuisine.” The Fushan District government holds the right to use and manage this title.

　　 Fushan has become the earliest birthplace of Shandong cuisine and is rightfully honored as the “Hometown of Shandong Cuisine.” First, its superior geographical and natural conditions have laid a solid material foundation for Fushan to be named the “Hometown of Shandong Cuisine.” Fushan has fertile land, a suitable climate, and abundant produce, with a wide variety of grains, fruits, and vegetables, earning it the title “Hometown of Fruits and Vegetables.” It borders the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea to the north, with a long coastline and abundant, high-quality aquatic products. Seafood delicacies such as sea cucumber, abalone, large prawns, cuttlefish eggs, scallops, oysters, clams, sea squirts, clams, conch, grouper, yellow croaker, and flounder from the Fushan coast are arguably unmatched nationwide and incomparable to those from other regions. Second, Fushan has historically enjoyed economic prosperity, commercial vitality, and well-developed land and water transportation, attracting merchants from all over. After Yantai opened as a trading port in 1860, it provided favorable objective conditions for the economic development of the Yantai-Fushan area and the flourishing of the restaurant industry, which helped establish Fushan as the “Hometown of Shandong Cuisine” and promoted the growth of the local catering business. Third, Fushan has a long and storied culinary history, with its rich food culture nurturing generations of chefs with exceptional skills and experience. This is a key factor in Fushan becoming the “Hometown of Shandong Cuisine.” The Fushan chef community formed very early and is commonly referred to as a “clan” within the culinary industry. These Fushan chef “clans” are often named after regions, such as Gaotuan Clan, Menlou Clan, and Guxian Clan. Each “clan” has its own master chefs responsible for passing down, supporting, and mentoring the next generation, imparting exquisite cooking techniques. The gradual development and expansion of the chef community over generations, along with the inheritance and refinement of cooking skills, have injected tremendous momentum into the growth of Fushan-style Shandong cuisine and continuously opened up new horizons for the “Hometown of Shandong Cuisine.” Culinary skills in Fushan have deep roots among the general public—not only are the chefs highly skilled, but almost every household’s matriarch can cook up a feast for guests. As the saying goes, “If you want a good meal, go around Fushan.” This is widely acknowledged in the Yantai region. Fourth, Fushan restaurants are renowned far and wide. A number of distinctive hotels and restaurants, represented by Fushan Overseas Chinese Hotel, Baige Yuan Grand Hotel, Fuyuan Grand Hotel, and Liyuan Grand Hotel, represent the highest level of Fushan’s culinary artistry. Other sizable, high-end restaurants and eateries are located along Fushan’s main streets, while uniquely flavored small and large restaurants are scattered throughout urban and rural Fushan like stars in the sky. According to statistics, there are over 800 catering businesses in Fushan, employing around 10,000 people in the industry. Currently, the catering industry in Fushan, the “Hometown of Shandong Cuisine,” is developing at an unprecedented speed, scale, workforce size, and level of sophistication.

　　 Fushan is one of the birthplaces of Shandong cuisine. In October 2001, it was officially approved by the China Cuisine Association as the “Shandong Yantai Fushan – Hometown of Shandong Cuisine.” Its long culinary history and profound food culture have nurtured generations of chefs with exceptional skills and experience. With their exquisite cooking techniques and signature dishes, they have not only earned fame across China but also made a name for themselves abroad, spreading Shandong cuisine culture around the world. The area is rich in both natural and cultural landscapes. Major tourist attractions include the Menlou Reservoir, Riverside Park, and the Wang Yirong Memorial Hall.