Anhui cuisine

Last updated
Anhui cuisine
Chinese 安徽菜
Map showing major regional cuisines of China Cuisines of China.png
Map showing major regional cuisines of China

Anhui cuisine, alternatively referred to as Hui cuisine, is one of the Eight Culinary Traditions of Chinese cuisine. It is derived from the native cooking styles of the Huangshan region in southern Anhui Province.

Contents

Methods and ingredients

Anhui cuisine is known for its use of wild herbs, from both the land and the sea, and simple methods of preparation. Braising and stewing are common cooking techniques. Frying and stir frying are used much less frequently in Anhui cuisine than in other Chinese culinary traditions. Anhui cuisine consists of three styles: the Yangtze River region, Huai River region, and southern Anhui region. Anhui has ample uncultivated fields and forests, so the wild herbs used in the region's cuisine are readily available. Anhui cuisine is heavily associated with tofu, with Chinese folklore crediting the creation of tofu to the Han dynasty prince Liu An who hailed from Shou County (dubbed the "hometown of tofu"). [1] According to Chinese legend, stinky tofu was created by Anhuinese scholar Wang Zhihe who sold his product in Beijing to make a living after failing the imperial examination. Anhui is the home of hairy tofu where it is a popular snack.

Notable dishes in Anhui cuisine

EnglishTraditional ChineseSimplified ChinesePinyinDescription
Bagongshan stinky tofu 八公山臭豆腐八公山臭豆腐bāgōngshān chòu dòufǔAlso known as "four seasons tofu", is a traditional local snack in Huainan, Anhui.
Egg dumplings農家蛋餃农家蛋饺nóngjiā dàn jiǎoThese dumplings, usually associated with rural cooking, use thin sheets of egg instead of flour for the wrapping. Egg dumplings traditionally use pork as a filling. In preparation, a ladle is lightly coated with oil and heated, well beaten eggs are spooned into the ladle and cooked until the mixture forms a dumpling wrapper. The pork filling is then spooned into the egg wrapping and the entire dumpling steamed. It is often served with soy sauce. [2]
Li Hongzhang chop suey 李鴻章雜碎李鸿章杂碎Lǐ Hóngzhāng zásuìA popular dish named after Li Hongzhang,[ citation needed ] a prominent Qing dynasty statesman from Anhui Province. The dish, a complex soup, is somewhat salty with a taste of sweetness. Many ingredients are used in the soup but the most common ones include sea cucumber, fish, squid, bamboo, dry bean curd, chicken, ham and assorted vegetables.
Luzhou roast duck廬州烤鴨庐州烤鸭Lúzhōu kǎoyāA popular dish from Hefei which first gained recognition when it was offered as tribute to the imperial court. While not as well known internationally as Peking duck, Luzhou roast duck has won awards and distinction within China.[ citation needed ]
Potato cellophane noodles紅薯粉絲红薯粉丝hóngshǔ fěnsīSweet potato starch vermicelli. [3]
Sanhe shrimp paste三河蝦糊三河虾糊sānhé xiāhúA regional dish that originated in Sanhe, Feixi County, but can now be found in Hefei. The dish's main components are rice flour and a regional species of small white shrimp. The shrimp are stir fried with leeks and soy sauce, while the rice flour is soaked in water and later added to the shrimp. The dish is brown in colour and tastes pleasantly salty. It is eaten with a spoon.
Steamed stone frog清蒸石蛙清蒸石蛙Qīngzhēng shí wāThe dish has been proven to be rich in protein and other nutrients.
Wushan imperial goose吳山貢鵝吴山贡鹅wúshān gòng'éThe history of Wushan imperial goose dates back to the Tang dynasty. The dish is lightly coloured and has a fragrant and salty taste.
Stinky mandarin fish臭鱖魚臭鳜鱼Chòu guì yúThe dish smells stinky but tastes delicious and tender. The stinky mandarin fish has a complete shape and a bright red color. It emits a pure and special pickled flavor. The meat is delicate, mellow and tasty.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cantonese cuisine</span> Chinese regional cuisine from Guangdong

Cantonese or Guangdong cuisine, also known as Yue cuisine, is the cuisine of Guangdong province of China, particularly the provincial capital Guangzhou, and the surrounding regions in the Pearl River Delta including Hong Kong and Macau. Strictly speaking, Cantonese cuisine is the cuisine of Guangzhou or of Cantonese speakers, but it often includes the cooking styles of all the speakers of Yue Chinese languages in Guangdong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddhist cuisine</span> East Asian cuisine informed by Buddhism

Buddhist cuisine is an Asian cuisine that is followed by monks and many believers from areas historically influenced by Mahayana Buddhism. It is vegetarian or vegan, and it is based on the Dharmic concept of ahimsa (non-violence). Vegetarianism is common in other Dharmic faiths such as Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism, as well as East Asian religions like Taoism. While monks, nuns and a minority of believers are vegetarian year-round, many believers follow the Buddhist vegetarian diet for celebrations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of China

Chinese cuisine comprises cuisines originating from China, as well as from Chinese people from other parts of the world. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has profoundly influenced many other cuisines in Asia and beyond, with modifications made to cater to local palates. Chinese food staples such as rice, soy sauce, noodles, tea, chili oil, and tofu, and utensils such as chopsticks and the wok, can now be found worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuisine</span> Characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions

A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to enable dishes unique to a region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fusion cuisine</span> Cuisine consisting of a combination of several culinary traditions

Fusion cuisine is a cuisine that combines elements of different culinary traditions that originate from different countries, regions, or cultures. Cuisines of this type are not categorized according to any one particular cuisine style and have played a part in many contemporary restaurant cuisines since the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sichuan cuisine</span> Cuisine originating from the Sichuan province of China

Sichuan cuisine or Sichuanese cuisine, alternatively romanized as Szechwan cuisine or Szechuan cuisine, is a style of Chinese cuisine originating from Sichuan province and the neighboring Chongqing municipality. Chongqing was formerly a part of Sichuan until 1997; thus, there is a great deal of cultural overlap between the two administrative divisions. There are many regional, local variations of Sichuanese cuisine within Sichuan and Chongqing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vietnamese cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Vietnam

Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes : sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish reflects one or more elements, which are also based around a five-pronged philosophy. Vietnamese recipes use ingredients like lemongrass, ginger, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander, Saigon cinnamon, bird's eye chili, lime, and Thai basil leaves. Traditional Vietnamese cooking has often been characterised as using fresh ingredients, not using much dairy or oil, having interesting textures, and making use of herbs and vegetables. The cuisine is also low in sugar and is almost always naturally gluten-free, as many of the dishes are rice-based instead of wheat-based, made with rice noodles, papers and flour. Vietnamese cuisine is strongly influenced not only by the cuisines of neighboring China, Cambodia and Laos, but also by French cuisine due to French colonial rule over the region from 1887 to 1954.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysian cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Malaysia

Malaysian cuisine consists of cooking traditions and practices found in Malaysia, and reflects the multi-ethnic makeup of its population. The vast majority of Malaysia's population can roughly be divided among three major ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese and Indians. The remainder consists of the indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia, the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia, the Peranakan and Eurasian creole communities, as well as a significant number of foreign workers and expatriates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesian cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Indonesia

Indonesian cuisine is a collection of various regional culinary traditions that formed in the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. There are a wide variety of recipes and cuisines in part because Indonesia is composed of approximately 6,000 populated islands of the total 17,508 in the world's largest archipelago, with more than 1,300 ethnic groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latin American cuisine</span> Broad culinary traditions

Latin American cuisine is the typical foods, beverages, and cooking styles common to many of the countries and cultures in Latin America. Latin America is a highly racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse with varying cuisines. Some items typical of Latin American cuisine include maize-based dishes arepas, empanadas, pupusas, tacos, tamales, tortillas and various salsas and other condiments. Sofrito, a culinary term that originally referred to a specific combination of sautéed or braised aromatics, exists in Latin American cuisine. It refers to a sauce of tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, garlic, onions and herbs. Rice, corn, pasta, bread, plantain, potato, yucca, and beans are also staples in Latin American cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stinky tofu</span> Chinese fermented tofu with a strong odor

Stinky tofu is a Chinese form of fermented tofu that has a strong odor. It is usually sold at night markets or roadside stands as a snack, or in lunch bars as a side dish, rather than in restaurants. Traditionally the dish is fermented in a brine with vegetables and meat, sometimes for months. Modern factory-produced stinky tofu is marinated in brine for one or two days to add odor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of food preparation</span> Overview of and topical guide to food preparation

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the preparation of food:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shandong cuisine</span> Branch of Chinese traditional cuisine native to Shandong province

Shandong cuisine, more commonly known in Chinese as Lu cuisine, is one of the Eight Culinary Traditions of Chinese cuisine and one of the Four Great Traditions. It is derived from the native cooking style of Shandong Province, a northern coastal province of China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huaiyang cuisine</span> Branch of Chinese traditional cuisine native to Jiangsu province

Huaiyang or Jianghuai cuisine is one of the Four Great Traditions in Chinese cuisine. It is derived from the native cooking styles of the region surrounding the lower reaches of the Huai and Yangtze rivers and centered on the cities of Huai'an, Yangzhou and Zhenjiang in Jiangsu Province. Although it is one of several sub-regional styles within Jiangsu cuisine, Huaiyang cuisine is widely seen in Chinese culinary circles as the most popular and prestigious style of Jiangsu cuisine, to a point where it is considered to be one of the Four Great Traditions that dominate the culinary heritage of China, along with Cantonese cuisine, Shandong cuisine, and Sichuan cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jiangxi cuisine</span>

Jiangxi cuisine, also known as Gan cuisine, is a style of Chinese cuisine derived from the native cooking styles of Jiangxi province in southern China. According to the East China Travel Guide published in 1983, Jiangxi Cuisine has its unique taste which can be described in four Chinese idioms: 原汁原味(aim to bring out the own flavor of the cooking material),油厚不腻(dishes contained a significant amount of oil but the taste are not greasy),口味浓厚(dishes have really thick taste),咸鲜兼辣(always come with spicy solid, salty flavor). Jiangxi cuisine is widely popular within the ordinary family because most of the notable dishes from Jiangxi cuisine are the extension of homely dishes with solid local flavor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henan cuisine</span> Native cooking styles of the Henan province in China

Henan or Yu cuisine is an umbrella term used to define the native cooking styles of the Henan province in China. Henan is a province located in Central China and is often also referred to by the names Zhongzhou or Zhongyuan, which means ‘midland’. Being landlocked on all sides, the influence of localized culinary styles are plentiful to be observed in Henan Cuisine. It incorporates a blend of culinary styles from Jiangsu and Beijing, which gives it a unique mix of taste. Henan Cuisine is well known for its taste variety including a blend of sour, sweet, bitter, spicy and salty. There are a wide variety of Henan dishes, including Carp with Fried Noodles in Sweet and Sour Sauce, Grilled Head and Tail of Black Carp, Bianjing Roasted Duck, Stewed Noodles with Mutton, and Spicy Soup. Despite its mix of flavours within its culinary forms, Henan cuisine is not known to take them to the extreme. Rather, Henan cuisine is known for inducing a very moderate and balanced mix of flavours in its dishes. Henan has a long cultural history, which not only left us precious cultural relics and historical sites but also Henan cuisine. Henan is in the central part of China, so it is a fusion of the characteristics of both southern and northern, resulting in a unique local cuisine. Henan cuisine, also known as Yu cuisine, has the honor of being one of China's oldest and most traditional cooking styles. There are more than 50 kinds of cooking methods in preparing Henan cuisine. The history of the province shows its relation to the affinity towards food culture among the people of Henan, where the motive to bring together the different tastes from the north and the south to blend it into one dish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese regional cuisine</span> Regional cuisines of China

Chinese regional cuisines are amongst the many different cuisines found in different provinces and prefectures of China as well as from larger overseas Chinese communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot pot</span> Type of Chinese dish

Hot pot or hotpot, also known as steamboat, is a dish whereby a heat source placed on the dining table keeps a pot of soup stock simmering, and a variety of Chinese foodstuffs and ingredients are served beside the pot for the diners to put into the hot stock.

References

  1. "Tofu culture in China".
  2. "Danwei Canteen Egg Dumplings". YouTube . Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
  3. "Cellophane noodles in Anhui province". China Daily. 2014.