Special Flavor

Hangzhou Cuisine is blessed with a long history. After a long period of development, many delicacies with local characteristics have been derived from traditional Hangzhou Cuisine. Some of them feature Southern Song-era glamour; some focus on the medicinal value of the ingredients; some use tea leaves as a food ingredient... They are of such a great variety that they are too delicious for words.

The Southern Song Dynasty Dish–Sister Song’s Fish Broth

As a world-famous traditional Hangzhou cuisine, Sister Song’s Fish Broth (called Songsao Yugeng in Chinese), dates back to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). It tastes as good as crab meat and is lustrous in color, and creamy in taste.

According to the historical records, after the overturn of the Northern Song (960-1127), the Northern Song royal court and its people retreated to Lin’an (now Hangzhou). Among those who followed was a woman called Song Wusao. She settled down by West Lake with her brother-in-law and tried to make a living by fishing. On one occasion, when her brother-in-law had a bad cold, Song made him a special bowl of fish soup. It's a thick soup of fish, pepper, ginger, wine, ham and vinegar. Shortly after her brother-in-law ate the fish soup, he recovered.  Somehow, Emperor Gaozong (the founding emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty) tasted this special fish soup and spoke highly of it. Because of this, the reputation of the fish soup spread far and wide, and it was named after Song Wusao–Sister Song's Fish Broth.

The Hu Qing Yu Tang Medicinal Diet–Health-Preserving Stewed Duck with the Stems of Noble Dendrobium

The dish uses ginseng, stems of noble dendrobium, and duck as the main ingredients. The recipe is simple and the dish is easy to make, but it contains a profound concept of health preservation from traditional Chinese medicine.

The duck used should be over one year old. Duck is not only a delicacy at the Chinese table but also a good herb for summer nourishment. According to the principle of "treating heat with cold drug" in traditional Chinese medicine, duck meat is especially suitable for those who suffer from loss of appetite and weight in summer, excessive internal heat, and asthenic fever. Dendrobium, which is called a "life-saving magic plant" by people, is freshly picked. The use of ginseng underlines the uniqueness of this health-preserving dish. Depending on the season, different ginseng species are used to suit the conditions of the time, and the TCM theory of medicinal diet is fully utilized, which fully embodies the principle of seasonal health preservation in TCM.

The Tea-Flavored Dish–Shusheng • Chayuan Xiangshi

Based on traditional Hangzhou Cuisine and Zhejiang Cuisine, “Shusheng • Chayuan Xiangshi” uses only fancier ingredients, integrates Chinese and Western cooking skills, and incorporates Chinese culture, Zen tea, use of colors, and the presentation method of artistic dishes that pay attention to dish color, aroma, taste, appearance, dinnerware, quality, etc., so as to produce dishes that feature comprehensive nutrition and good taste.

The Whole Fish Feast - Griddled Fish Belly

The belly may be said to be the fattest and tenderest part of a fish, and, when well cooked, is entirely free from the original fishy flavor. The fish is fresh and tender, and the slightly spicy flavor enhances the overall flavor, which is highly praised.

The Lin'an Bamboo Shoot Feast– Yan Du Xian

Yan Du Xian is actually salted pork stewed with fresh bamboo shoots. When they are in the mood for a delicacy, the people of Lin’an salt pork and cook it with fresh bamboo shoots. After simmering the salted pork and fresh bamboo shoots for four hours, the dish features a thick broth and mellow pork, while maintaining the refreshing fragrance, tenderness and crisp texture of the bamboo shoots. This Lin'an special dish was once featured in the famous food program in China, "A Bite of China", as a model.

Tonglu Shiliu Huiqie

According to the records of Tonglu County, the most famous traditional feast in Tonglu is called "Shiliu Huiqie", which, prepared by famous chefs, is a perfect combination of color, aroma, and taste, and is rich in local flavor. "Shiliu Huiqie" originated in the Southern Song Dynasty, thrived in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and is reputed to be Tonglu’s version of the "Manchu-Han Imperial Banquet" among the people. In fact, the history of "Shiliu Huiqie" is much longer than the “Manchu-Han Imperial Banquet”. It has now been added to the intangible cultural heritage list of Zhejiang Province.

The first part of the dish's name, “Shiliu (literal meaning: sixteen)”, represents happiness and good luck, and the concept of seasonal eating. So, what does the other part, "Huiqie" refer to? "Huiqie" originally referred to the small cells in a food box, where different snacks are placed. In the old days, hawkers would carry food boxes and hawk them in the streets, wharves, opera houses, teahouses and other busy places. Later, it evolved into the tradition of serving guests a few cells of snacks before dinner. “Shiliu (Sixteen)” is a lucky number in Chinese culture, meaning good luck. "Shiliu Huiqie" gradually replaced the tea snacks before a banquet, and furthermore replaced the entire banquet.

“Shiliu Huiqie” first serves an appetizer consisting of dried fruit, fresh fruit, sweets, and cold meat, and then subsequently four hot fried dishes, four major dishes, four snacks, and four staple foods and dishes, a total of sixteen. At the opening of the feast, dried fruit, fresh fruit, and sweets are carried back to the kitchen, where they are re-plated and served at the end of the feast.

Snack - Cat’s Ear

Cat’s Ear is a notable snack in Hangzhou. It's a wheaten dish made with chicken cubes, slices of ham, dried scallops, dried mushrooms and sliced bamboo shoots.

There is a widespread story about its name. One day, Emperor Qianlong (the sixth emperor of the Qing Dynasty) disguised himself as a civilian and was taking a boat trip around West Lake when it began to rain. He hastened on board to seek shelter. But the rain continued unabated for hours. Cold and hungry, Emperor Qianlong asked the old fisherman in the boat for something to eat. But having only flour, but no rolling pin, the old fisherman found it impossible to make noodles. Qianlong felt quite upset when the old fisherman’s granddaughter came in with her little cat and said, “I can make noodles without a rolling pin.” The girl then molded the dough into shell-shaped noodles with her bare hands, cooked them in boiling water, and served them with sauce.  Immediately, Emperor Qianlong was attracted by the delicious noodles and inquired about its name. The girl answered, “They are like cat’s ears, so it’s Cat’s Ear”.