Anhui Cuisine - Methods and Ingredients

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.

Notable dishes in Anhui cuisine
English Traditional Chinese Simplified Chinese Pinyin Description
Li Hongzhang Hodge-Podge 李鴻章雜燴 李鸿章杂烩 Lǐ Hóngzhāng záhuì A popular dish named after Li Hongzhang, a prominent statesman in the Qing Dynasty who was from Anhui. 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 kǎoyā A 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.
Sanhe Shrimp Paste 三河蝦糊 三河虾糊 sānhé xiāhú A regional dish that originated in Sanhe, 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.
Egg Dumplings 農家蛋餃 农家蛋饺 nóngjiā dànjiǎo These 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.
Wushan Imperial Goose 吳山貢鵝 吴山贡鹅 wúshān gòng'é The history of Wushan Imperial Goose dates back more than 1,000 years to the Tang Dynasty. The dish is lightly coloured and has a fragrant and salty taste.
Bagongshan Stinky Tofu 八公山臭豆腐 八公山臭豆腐 bāgōngshān chòu dòufǔ

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