Do you know the eight major cuisines in China? This is famous in China. The eight major regional cuisines of China include a lot of delicacies, and Anhui cuisine is one of them. Anhui cuisine pays attention to the delicious taste and the strong flavor of the soup.
The ingredients in Anhui cuisine are mainly from the wild, and the taste is light. Anhui cuisine attaches great importance to the increase of natural ingredients in the diet. Representative dishes and desserts of Anhui cuisine include stinky mandarin fish, fried tofu, stewed bamboo shoots from Wenzheng Mountain, stewed pigeons from Huangshan, and Li Hongzhang’s chowder.
The most commonly used cooking techniques for Anhui cuisine include stewing, braising, and steaming. Frying and flash-frying are less used.
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Origins of Anhui Cuisine: Huizhou
Huizhou cuisine originated in Huizhou during the Southern Song Dynasty in China, and it is now Anhui. There are some opinions about the development of Huizhou cuisine.
1. In the past, Huizhou merchants would have a table full of hometown dishes when they talked about business or friends gatherings to show their respect for the guests. Because Anhui cuisine is made of special materials and characteristics, it is very representative, so Anhui cuisine began to develop diversified.
2. There are Huizhou merchants all over China. Their hometown is Huizhou, and they prefer the taste of hometown cuisine. Therefore, they opened Anhui cuisine restaurants in various parts of China, which allowed the development and spread of Anhui cuisine.
I was lucky to come to Hefei, a representative city in Anhui. What kind of food can we taste here? Let us explore an Anhui cuisine restaurant with a focus on Anhui cuisine.
Speaking of Huizhou cuisine, then how can one forget to order a traditional Huizhou folk dish, called Stinky Mandarin Fish.
Famous Anhui Dish: Stinky Mandarin Fish
Stinky Mandarin Fish smells stinky, but it tastes fragrant and tender. This characteristic is a bit like Guangxi’s Luosifen (Luosifen) and Hunan’s Stinky Tofu. The finished dish is a complete fish, which is reddish, and it exudes a special scent after marinating. The meat is cooked well, the taste is smooth and tender, and the texture is sufficient but it does not make you feel greasy. The primary ingredient are mandarin fish, ginger, and red pepper. A more complicated cooking method is used, first marinating and then frying. Of course, you can also choose to have the fish braised or steamed after marinating.
My Dinner in Hefei: Beef Cubes with Rice Crust
I have never seen this dish before, and when the waiter brought it up, it surprised me, oh, it’s big, it’s like a pot lid. First, I tasted the soup and vegetables surrounding the plate with a spoon. The soup tasted delicious without other complicated flavors. Then I used chopsticks to pierce the rice crust from the center of the “pot lid,” and I could get pieces of the crust. The crust is actually a delicacy made from deep-fried rice. The rice crust is dipped in the soup surrounding it in the bowl, and it tastes very good. It is crispy, but you won’t find it difficult to chew. The fragrance of the fried rice crust is fused with the delicious soup. A dish to taste at once!
Anhui Cuisine: Stir-fried Chicken with Green Peppers
Anhui Cuisine: Scrambled Eggs with Grandma’s Dishes
Anhui Cuisine: Iron squid
What impressed me the most of these Hefei delicacies was the Stinky Mandarin Fish. I have eaten fish cooked in various forms, but this is the first time I have experienced marinated, smelly and fragrant fish. It is special. If you come to Hefei, I recommend you try the Stinky Mandarin Fish. Beef Cubes with Rice Crust is also a good choice, and it will bring you surprises.
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