Tianmen Steamed Dishes

Tianmen Steamed Dishes

　　“A feast isn’t a feast without steamed dishes — not a single banquet is held without the steamer,” as the saying widely circulated in Tianmen vividly illustrates the prominent status of steamed cuisine in the local food culture. The origins of Tianmen steamed dishes can be traced back nearly six thousand years, to the Shijiahe Culture period. Having been passed down through the millennia, Tianmen steamed dishes, with their profound historical and cultural heritage, unique flavors, and exquisite cooking techniques, have long been regarded as one of the representative cuisines of Hubei.

　　In terms of cooking methods, Tianmen steamed dishes encompass eight distinct techniques: powdered steaming, plain steaming, explosive steaming, wrapped steaming, sealed steaming, inverted steaming, stuffed steaming, and decorative steaming. Collectively known as the “Eight Tianmen Steams,” among these, “powdered steaming,” “plain steaming,” and “explosive steaming” are both the most ancient and the most renowned.

　　Powdered steaming involves mixing the ingredients to be steamed with rice flour or other grain-based ingredients before steaming. Thanks to the use of rice flour, this method is suitable for both meat and vegetable dishes. Among the most representative are powdered steamed chrysanthemum greens, powdered steamed pork, and powdered steamed soft-shell turtle. The famously beloved “Bamboo Pole Beats the Tiger,” also known as the “table-pressing dish,” is made by mixing lotus root and pork, then steaming it with rice flour.

　　Plain steaming refers to placing the food in a seasoned broth or sauce before steaming it in a basket. Representative dishes include plain steamed whole chicken, plain steamed crucian carp, plain steamed soft-shell turtle, and plain steamed eel.

　　Explosive steaming is a technique used primarily for scale-less fish during powdered steaming, where the fish skin is treated with boiling hot oil to create blistering effects and a sound reminiscent of firecrackers. An example is explosive steamed eel.