Many people firmly believe that Zhejiang people do not eat spicy food. But this place is an exception. For spicy food in Zhejiang, you should go to Quzhou and for spicy food in Quzhou, you should go to Changshan. At the junction of Zhejiang and Jiangxi, Changshan is known as the “Town of Fleshly Spiced Food” and it has inherited the fresh and salty flavor of Zhejiang and Fujian, but also has acquired the essence of spicy eating of Jiangxi people.
Three Heads and One Foot
In Changshan, almost every restaurant has a signboard selling "Three Heads and One Foot", and each has its own secret recipe. As the soul of Quzhou cuisine and the best-selling snack at local evening food markets, the rabbit head and duck head are as mouth-numbing and spicy as Chengdu's "rabbit brains", and the fish head is similar to Hunan's fish head topped with chopped chili.
Baked Pancake
On the streets and alleys of Changshan, you can find mobile stalls selling baked pancakes almost everywhere. Here, a baked pancake can be breakfast, afternoon tea or a late night snack. Some are big while some are small. Although they are not expensive, there is no lack of elaboration in making. The freshly baked pancakes are crispy with the fragrance of green onion on the outside, and when it is torn apart, you will see a lot of meat mixed with chili and gravy slowly flow out. After eating, the whole mouth is numb.
Fried Pie and Stinky Tofu Wrapped in Pancake
Auntie Lu's pancakes are a signature snack of Changshan. A pie and a few pieces of stinky tofu are fried until they look crispy, and then are put into the pancake with a big spoonful of spicy sauce. Just take one bite and the spicy flavor soon spreads over the whole body, as if the cold wind in December were not so biting. Even the most discerning foodies feel satisfied.
Pickled Chicken Feet
As one of the excellent spicy representatives of Changshan, the Pickled Chicken Feet is a treasure of the local diners. It has a strong garlic aroma and is very chewy and tasty.
Pei Cake
Pei Cake represents the homesickness of Changshan people. One can eat at least three or four pieces at once for breakfast. Some taste sweet and some taste salty. And for the salty ones, you can put almost all your favorite side dishes and sprinkle chili peppers on them. The freshly baked cake is not like the fluffy texture of rice cake, but is firm and springy. After it cools down, it can be fried in oil until it is crispy outside and glutinous inside, with its own special aroma.
Wheat Pancake
Among all the snacks in Changshan, Wheat Pancake has the lightest flavor and can be eaten by all ages. Every year after the wheat harvest in May, every household in Changshan will make these pancakes stuffed with meat. While most meat pancakes are often baked in China, Wheat Pancake in Chang is fried. With crispy crust and generous meat filling, it tastes fragrant and soft, with a little spicy aftertaste.
Tofu Pancake
It is the signature snack of Qiuchuan Town, which is known as the top tofu town in western Zhejiang. It has gained a lot of fans in the county town and almost all the shops selling Tofu Pancake have the brand name Qiuchuan. Tofu Pancake is only available for breakfast. Tofu Pancake is spicy. The fluffy crust with sesame fragrance wraps the juicy tofu filling, and each bite is hot and spicy.
Traffic Information:
From Hangzhou to Changshan County, Quzhou City: about 3 hours by car
Take a D train to Changshan Station.
Take a G train to Quzhou High-Speed Train Station and then transfer to a public bus.