Eight Delicacies of Manchuan

Eight Delicacies of Manchuan

　　The Eight Delicacies of Manchuan is a signature dish from Manchuan Pass Town, Shanyang County, Shangluo City, Shaanxi Province. The “Eight Delicacies” refer to eight traditional main dishes served to honored guests or during major celebrations in Manchuan and surrounding areas. These dishes have elegant names, use a rich variety of seasonings, are meticulously prepared, and boast excellent color, aroma, and taste.

　　Manchuan Pass is located on the boundary between the Qin and Chu regions. In the past, it was a thriving hub for both water and land transport, a key junction connecting nine provinces where merchants from north and south gathered. It served as an important distribution center for goods and a military stronghold, rich in cultural heritage and often referred to as the “Little Wuhan.” The convenience of transportation, economic prosperity, and the flow of people facilitated a subtle fusion of northern and southern cultures and customs on this beautiful and fertile land, giving rise to a unique regional culture and set of traditions infused with the flavors of both Qin and Chu, as well as a distinctive local cuisine.

　　The people of Manchuan take their food seriously. Even a simple everyday meal for one person usually includes at least four side dishes. When guests arrive or during festivals, a whole table of dishes is prepared. The “Eight Delicacies” are naturally indispensable. The so-called “Eight Delicacies” refer to a combination of four steamed bowls and four plated dishes. The people of Manchuan value symbolism and seek good fortune. Before the “Eight Delicacies” are served, four “pressing-the-table” dishes are presented first. These remain on the table throughout the meal without being removed, symbolizing prosperity and abundance in all four seasons. If the meal is for the birthday celebration of an elderly person, an additional dish—a marinated meat platter known as the “top plate” or “Five Blessings Celebrating Longevity” or “Five Blessings Descend Upon You”—is added. This expresses the younger generation’s respect and filial piety toward the elders, wishing them health and longevity, creating a warm atmosphere filled with familial joy. The four pressing-the-table dishes are, in order: pea jelly, fish-patterned eggplant, deep-fried wild fish, and green vegetables with soybean oil. All four dishes are made from locally sourced ingredients. Pea jelly is white as jade, crystal clear, and has a delightful chewiness—you can lift it with chopsticks without worry, avoiding any guest embarrassment or disappointment. Fish-patterned eggplant is made by peeling eggplants, carving them into fish-scale-like pieces, steaming them, and then adding a seasoning sauce for a fragrant and refreshing taste. The deep-fried wild fish comes from unpolluted, locally caught wild fish in the Jinjia River, offering a deliciously fresh flavor. Manchuan is warm and humid, with green vegetables available year-round. Cold bean oil salad is an authentic vegetarian dish that is beneficial when eaten regularly.

　　Knife-Tip Meatballs: The first dish to make its appearance among the “Eight Delicacies” is the Three-Delicacy Bowl. It is made by mincing premium pork into filling, then scraping it into a pointed shape with a knife—commonly called “knife-tip meatballs.” The three delicacies include: fresh meat, rich broth, and taro. The meatballs are steamed in a steamer basket over high heat for an hour until the fragrance wafts through the air. They are then placed on a bed of locally produced taro, the bowl is inverted, and the broth and seasonings are poured over the top. The result is a dish that is fresh, fragrant, light, and refined, suiting both northern and southern palates.

　　Red-Braised Pork Knuckle: This is the second dish in the “Eight Delicacies.” Premium pork leg meat is selected, boiled until half-cooked, removed, glazed and fried, then seasoned and steamed in a basket for an hour. After steaming, the bone is removed, juice is added, and it is served. The texture is rich but not greasy, fragrant, crispy, tender, and soft. Regular consumption is said to benefit skin and brain health.

　　Stuffed Pork Tripe Bowl: The third dish in the “Eight Delicacies.” Made using thick and meaty pork tripe, which undergoes multiple thorough washes to remove odor and impurities, then rinsed repeatedly in cold water. It is stewed in a pot until cooked, removed, arranged into strips, placed in a bowl with seasonings, and steamed for an hour. It is then served with broth and topped with red-skinned radish or potatoes. This dish is light, tender, and nourishing, and regular consumption is believed to aid digestion and improve bowel health.

　　Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Starch Noodles: The fourth signature dish in the “Eight Delicacies.” Made using sweet potato starch produced in Manchuan, mixed with water to form a paste, spread into a pancake in hot oil, then removed and cooled. It is then sliced thinly and stir-fried with premium Manchuan soybean paste before serving. The dish is soft and smooth, with a meat-like texture, an oily and glossy surface, and an appetizing appeal.

　　Egg Roll: The fifth dish in the “Eight Delicacies,” also known as the “Five-Flavor Roll.” It uses minced premium pork, egg yolks to make thin pancakes, the pork filling is rolled inside the egg pancake, then steamed. Once cooked, it is removed, cut into sections about 1.5–2.5 cm long, arranged in a bowl lined with taro, seasoned with scallions, ginger, and spices, and steamed again for an hour. Once ready, it is removed from the steamer, broth is added, and it is served. Its characteristics include a light and fragrant taste, with a harmonious blend of red, yellow, green, and white colors, offering excellent presentation, aroma, taste, and form.

　　Sweet Potato Balls: The sixth dish in the “Eight Delicacies” is sweet potato balls. The Mengzhu Mountain area of Manchuan Pass produces a rare and special ingredient: sweet potatoes. These are red-skinned, sweet, high in starch content, and extremely flavorful. They are steamed, formed into balls, deep-fried until golden brown, sprinkled with sugar upon removal from the fryer, and emit an enticing aroma.

　　Pork Trotter Bowl: The seventh dish in the “Eight Delicacies” is the pork trotter bowl. Boiled pork trotters are chopped into pieces, placed in a bowl lined with red lotus root from Manchuan, steamed for an hour, then served with broth. The texture is rich but not greasy, light yet flavorful, combining meat and vegetable elements, and is nourishing and beautifying.

　　Fermented Black Bean Preserved Pork: The final dish in Manchuan’s “Eight Delicacies” is fermented black bean preserved pork. The main ingredient is locally produced cured pork, typically using pork belly or buttock meat with a balanced fat-to-lean ratio. The meat is boiled, removed, sliced, and then stir-fried with premium fermented black beans from Manchuan. Scallions, ginger, and spices are added to bring out the savory aroma before plating. The characteristics include crispy meat with curled edges, rich umami from the fermented beans, an appetite-whetting flavor, and it pairs well with rice or alcohol.

　　As the dishes are served, so is the drink. After the wine, the usual staples are Manchuan-style mung bean rice or a two-tone “gold and silver” rice made from corn mixed with white rice, served with two bowls of sliced pork and six small side dishes, finishing with a “Three-Delicacy Soup” or “Sour-Spicy Soup,” also known as the “Table-Clearing Soup.”

　　The “Eight Delicacies of Manchuan” are widely loved for their appealing colors, shapes, and flavors. Each bowl has its own unique taste, each dish its own particular care. It entirely moves away from the Northern Chinese style of heavy meat-heavy dishes, focusing instead on light and pure rustic cuisine. It is rich in flavor but not greasy, fragrant and delicate, greatly stimulating the appetite. Many people take pride in marrying a woman from Manchuan. Marrying a Manchuan woman is like ensuring a lifetime of culinary delight.