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Fujian

Fujian is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou, while its largest city by population is Quanzhou, both located near the coast of the Taiwan Strait in the east of the province.

Featured Dishes from Fujian

Ding bian hu

Ding bian hu

Diāng-biĕng-gù , also known as guo bian hu (simplified Chinese: 锅边糊; traditional Chinese: 鍋邊糊; pinyin: guō biān hú; lit. 'wok side paste') and ding bian cuo (simplified Chinese: 鼎边锉; traditional Chinese: 鼎邊銼; pinyin: dǐng biān cuò; lit. 'pot side scraping'), is a characteristic dish of Fuzhou cuisine, a branch of Fujian cuisine, consisting of a rice flour batter poured around the side of cooking wok to form a thin noodle, then scraped into a stock to simmer and served in broth. Other ingredients to flavour the stock are often served in the broth; commonly included is a form of seafood, some meat (such as meatballs, usually pork) and various vegetables. Besides Fujian, it is also popular in Taiwan. In Taiwanese Hokkien, it is known as tiánn-pinn-sô (in the Taiwanese Romanization System; Chinese: 鐤邊趖), and has been served to foreign dignitaries at state banquets. During Ming and Qing Dynasty, diāng-biĕng-gù was introduced to Longyou and Jinhua in central Zhejiang by traders, called hu (Chinese: 糊) in Longyou and Fujian geng (Chinese: 福建羹) in Jinhua. However, the ingredients were changed due to the lack of access to seafood.

Wontons

Wontons

A wonton is a type of Chinese dumpling commonly found across regional styles of Chinese cuisine. It is also spelled wantan or wuntun in transliteration from Cantonese 雲吞 / 云吞 (wan4 tan1) and wenden from Shanghainese 餛飩 / 馄饨 (hhun den). Even though there are many different styles of wonton served throughout China, Cantonese wontons are the most popular in the West due to the predominance of Cantonese restaurants overseas. Wontons, which have their origins in China, has achieved significant popularity as a sought-after delicacy that is not only celebrated and enjoyed in East Asian cuisine, but also across various Southeast Asian culinary traditions as well.

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Xiasu

Savory doughnuts or fritters made with minced shrimp, water chestnuts, scallions, five spice

Youtiao

Youtiao

Youtiao , known in Southern China as Yu Char Kway, is a long golden-brown deep-fried strip of wheat flour dough of Chinese origin and (by a variety of other names) also popular in other East and Southeast Asian cuisines. Conventionally, youtiao are lightly salted and easily separated by hand. Youtiao are normally eaten at breakfast as an accompaniment for rice congee, soy milk or cow's milk blended with sugar. Youtiao may also be known as a Chinese cruller, Chinese oil stick, Chinese donut [sticks], and fried breadstick, among others.

Fa gao

Fa gao

Fa gao , also called fat pan (發粄) by the Hakka, prosperity cake, fortune cake, Cantonese sponge cake, is a Chinese steamed, cupcake-like pastry. Because it is often characterized by a split top when cooked, it is often referred as Chinese smiling steamed cake or blooming flowers. It is commonly consumed on the Chinese new year. It is also eaten on other festivals, wedding, and funerals by the Hakka people. The name of cake, fagao, is a homonym for "cake which expands" and "prosperity cake" as "fa" means both "prosperity" and "expand" and "gao" means "cake". The Hakka call the "top split" of the fa ban "xiao", which means smiling; which resembles a sign of a coming fortune; therefore, the bigger the "top split", the better.

Nian gao

Nian gao

Nian gao , sometimes translated as year cake or New Year cake or Chinese New Year's cake, is a food prepared from glutinous rice flour and consumed in Chinese cuisine. It is also simply known as "rice cake". While it can be eaten all year round, traditionally it is most popular during the Chinese New Year. It is considered good luck to eat nian gao during this time of the year because nian gao (年糕) is a homonym for "higher year" or "grow every year" (年高), which means "a more prosperous year". The character 年 is literally translated as "year", and the character 糕 (gāo) is literally translated as "cake" and is identical in sound to the character 高, meaning "tall" or "high". In Mandarin (though not all Chinese languages), Nian gao (年糕) also is an exact homonym of "sticky cake" (黏糕／粘糕), the character 黏／粘 (nián) meaning "sticky". This sticky sweet snack was believed to be an offering to the Kitchen God, with the aim that his mouth will be stuck with the sticky cake, so that he cannot badmouth the human family in front of the Jade Emperor. It is also traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year. Originally from China, it spread to or gave rise to related rice cakes in Southeast Asian countries and Sri Lanka due to overseas Chinese influences.

Ox tongue pastry

Ox tongue pastry

Ox-tongue pastry or horse-ear pastry (Chinese: 马耳; pinyin: mǎěr), also referred to as Chinese doughnut, is a Chinese pastry that is popular in south China in the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian. It is a fried dough food that is elliptical in shape and resembles an ox tongue or a horse ear. The pastry texture is chewy, with a soft interior and a crunchy crust. Ox-tongue pastry is lightly sweetened, and eaten as part of breakfast with soy milk. The pastry is made in a similar way as Youtiao, with sugar typically added to the flour.

Tangyuan

Tangyuan

Tangyuan are a traditional Chinese dessert made of glutinous rice shaped into balls that are served in a hot broth or syrup. They come in varying sizes, anything between a marble to a ping pong ball, and are sometimes stuffed with filling. Tangyuan are traditionally eaten during the Lantern Festival, but because the name is a homophone for union and symbolizes togetherness and completeness, this dish is also served at weddings, family reunions, Chinese New Year, and the Dōngzhì (winter solstice) festival. Tangyuan are traditionally eaten during the Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the first month of a lunar new year, which is the first full moon. The festival falls each year on a day in February in the Gregorian calendar. People eat tangyuan for good luck and hopes of filling their life with sweetness and joy. The traditional filling for tangyuan is made from sesame, peanuts, sugar, and animal fat. The Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road enabled the exchange of goods and ideas. Sesame was imported from Central Asia during the Han dynasty (202-220BC), and peanuts entered the country through trade with Filipino merchants from the Philippines during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).

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Taro steamed buns

Arctic Ocean Orange Soda

Arctic Ocean Orange Soda

Lapsang souchong tea

Lapsang souchong tea

Lei cha

Lei cha

Lei cha or ground tea is a traditional Southern Chinese tea-based beverage or gruel in Hakka cuisine.(擂; léi). The custom of lei cha began in the Three Kingdoms period or even in the Han dynasty. It is very common among Hakka people in Hakka regions of Taiwan. It was brought by Hakka people to Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and any locales with a substantial Hakka diaspora population. Besides Hakka lei cha, lei cha is also traditional among Hunanese people in northern Hunan. Lei cha is not the same as Taiwanese tea because there are always other ingredients. Ground tea consists of a mix of tea leaves and herbs that are ground together with various roasted nuts, seeds, grains, and flavorings.

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Mai Dong

Tieguanyin

Tieguanyin

Tieguanyin is a variety of Chinese oolong tea that originated in the 19th century in Anxi in Fujian province. Tieguanyin produced in different areas of Anxi have different gastronomic characteristics. The tea is named after the Chinese Goddess of Mercy Guanyin, Guanyin is an embodiment of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva. Other spellings and names include "Ti Kuan Yin", "Tit Kwun Yum", "Ti Kwan Yin", "Iron Buddha", "Iron Goddess Oolong", and "Tea of the Iron Bodhisattva". It is also known in its abbreviated form as "TGY". There are two legends behind this tea: Wei and Wang.

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Ai fruit

Glutinous rice dumplings made with pseudognaphalium affine, commonly filled with minced meat, bamboo shoots and garlic, common during the Qingming Festival

Bian rou

Bian rou

Pork dumpling soup

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Boiled

sliced Hetian chicken - Hetian chicken is boiled, chopped into pieces and served with a sauce made with ginger, sesame oil, scallions

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Boji ban

Steamed sticky rice milk crepes filled with shredded meat, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, bean sprouts

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Braised frog legs

Stir fried frog legs with wine, soy sauce, ginger, chili peppers

Buddha jumps over the wall

Buddha jumps over the wall

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, also known as Buddha's Temptation or Fotiaoqiang , is a variety of shark fin soup in Fujian cuisine. This dish has been regarded as a Chinese delicacy known for its rich taste, and special manner of cooking. The dish's name is an allusion to the dish's ability to entice the vegetarian Buddhist monks from their temples to partake in the meat-based dish, and implies that even the strictly vegetarian Gautama Buddha would try to jump over a wall to sample it. It is high in protein and calcium. It is one of China's state banquet dishes. Concerns over the sustainability and welfare of sharks limited its consumption and led to various modified versions without the usage of shark fin as ingredient.

Chargrilled oysters

Chargrilled oysters

Oysters cooked over a grill

Chwee kueh

Chwee kueh

Chwee kueh , also spelt chwee kweh, is a type of steamed rice cake originating in Teochew cuisine that is served with preserved radish. During the 19th century, many Teochew people moved to Singapore, bringing their culinary expertise with them. Today, chwee kueh is a popular breakfast item in Singapore, served in many of its hawker centres and it is commonly associated with Singaporean cuisine. To make chwee kueh, rice flour and water are mixed together to form a slightly viscous mixture. The mixture is then poured into small saucer-like aluminium cups and steamed, forming a characteristic bowl-like shape when cooked. The rice cakes are almost tasteless on their own, but are topped with diced preserved radish and served with chilli sauce.

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Clams in chicken soup

Clams cooked in chicken broth

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Crispy fish rolls

Fried bean curd skin with a fish filling

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Diced chicken and fish lips

Chicken soup with fish lips

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Drunken ribs

Pork ribs marinated in wine

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Eastern wall dragon pearls

Longan fruit with meat filling

Fish ball

Fish ball

Fish balls are the balls made from fish paste which are then boiled or deep-fried. Similar in composition to fishcake, fish balls are often made from fish mince or surimi, salt, and a culinary binder such as tapioca flour, corn, or potato starch. Fish balls are popular in East and Southeast Asia, Europe , and some coastal countries of West Africa. In Asia they are eaten as a snack or added to soups or hotpot dishes. They are usually attributed to Chinese cuisine and the fish ball industry is largely operated by people of Chinese descent.: 286 European versions tend to be less processed, sometimes using milk or potatoes for binding. Nordic countries like Norway, Denmark and Sweden each have their own variation.

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Five colors pearls

Squid and vegetable stir fry

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Five colors shrimp

Stir fried shrimp and vegetables

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Fragrant snails in wine

Ginger braised duck

Ginger braised duck

Duck braised with ginger, sesame oil, rice wine, chili peppers, sugar, vegetables

Gua bao

Gua bao

Koah-pau or gua bao, also known as a pork belly bun, bao, or bao bun, is a type of lotus leaf bun originating from Fujianese cuisine in China. It is also a popular snack in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and Nagasaki Chinatown in Japan. It consists of a slice of stewed meat and condiments sandwiched between flat steamed bread known as lotus leaf bread . The lotus leaf bread is typically 6–8 centimetres (2.4–3.1 in) in size, semi-circular and flat in form, with a horizontal fold that, when opened, gives the appearance that it has been sliced. The traditional filling for gua bao is a slice of red-cooked pork belly, typically dressed with stir-fried suan cai (pickled mustard greens), coriander, and ground peanuts.

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Hakka meatballs

Meatballs made with shredded radish, pork, seafood, beef, fish

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Hakka taro dumplings

Dumplings made with a taro wrapper filled with pork, shrimp, turnip, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, onions, may be boiled or fried, common during the Chinese Spring Festival

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Jiulongjiang fragrant fish

A popular freshwater fish, serve with noodles

Laohua

Laohua

Rice noodles in a pork bone broth with, for example, seafood, meat, offal, vegetables, mushrooms

Lizhi rou

Lizhi rou

Lychee pork or lizhi rou is a well known dish in Fujianese cuisine. It consists of small pieces of deep-fried pork and sliced water chestnuts served in a sweet and sour sauce. Its bright red colour is derived from red yeast rice. In unsophisticated establishments, the sauce is commonly made with ketchup, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Lychee pork is commonly associated with the cuisines of Fuzhou and Putian. Its creation can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty and the dish is considered to be a prominent strand of Min cuisine. Despite its name, the dish does not contain the lychee fruit. Its name is instead derived from the appearance of the dish in which the red and curled fried pieces of pork resemble the skin of the lychee fruit. [citation needed] The origin of the dish is attributed to a legend involving Mei, a royal consort of the Xuanzong Emperor of the Jiang clan. The consort, who came from Putian was said to be frequently homesick, due to the distance of the imperial court from her hometown. Lychees from Putian were said to cure her despondency but were rarely available due to the difficulty of transporting the fruit. It is believed that the chef employed by Mei, Jiang (Chinese: 老蒋头; pinyin: lǎo jiǎng tóu), devised a recipe to cook meat so that it resembled those lychees. Mei was later killed in the Anshi Rebellion, and the chef was believed to have escaped and fled back to Fujian, bringing the dish with him.

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Min sheng guo

Stir fried peanuts

Ngoh hiang

Ngoh hiang

Ngo hiang , also known as heh gerng (Chinese: 蝦管; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hê-kǹg) lor bak (Chinese: 五香滷肉; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ngó͘-hiong-ló͘-bah) or kikiam ( Tagalog pronunciation: [ˈkɪk.jam]) is a unique Hokkien and Teochew dish widely adopted in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand; in addition to its place of origin in southern China. It is essentially a composition of various meats and vegetables and other ingredients, such as a sausage-like roll consisting of minced pork and prawn (or fish) seasoned with five-spice powder (Hokkien: Chinese: 五香粉, ngó͘-hiong-hún) after which it is named, rolled inside a tofu skin and deep-fried, lup cheong, cucumber, century egg, ginger, deep-fried egg, deep-fried tofu, fishball and many others. It is usually served with chili sauce and a house-special sweet sauce. Many stalls in Singaporean food courts and hawker centres sell fried bee hoon with ngo hiang; this combination is common for breakfast and lunch. In Indonesia, people enjoy ngo hiang with sambal.

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Ningua raw fish slices

Grass carp sashimi, serve with mustard, soy sauce, sesame oil

Oyster omelette

Oyster omelette

The oyster omelette, also known as o-a-tsian , o-chien (Chinese: 蚵煎; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ô-chian) or orh luak (simplified Chinese: 蚝烙; traditional Chinese: 蠔烙; Peng'im: o5 luah4), is a dish of Min Nan (Hokkien and Teochew) origin that is renowned for its savory flavor in its native Minnan region and Chaoshan, along with Taiwan and many parts of Southeast Asia, such as Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore, due to the influence of the Hokkien and Teochew diaspora. The dish consists of an omelette with a filling primarily composed of small Pacific oysters. Starch (typically sweet potato starch) is mixed into the egg batter, giving the resulting egg wrap a thicker consistency. Pork lard is often used to fry the resulting omelet. Depending on regional variations, a savory sauce may then be poured on top of the omelette for added taste.[citation needed] Spicy or chili sauce mixed with lime juice is often added to provide an intense kick. Shrimp can sometimes be substituted in place of oysters; in this case, it is called shrimp omelette (蝦仁煎).[failed verification]

Peanut soup

Peanut soup

Peanut soup or groundnut soup is a soup made from peanuts, often with various other ingredients. It is a staple in African cuisine but is also eaten in East Asia , the United States (mainly in Virginia) and other areas around the world. It is also common in some regions, such as Argentina's northwest, Bolivia and Peru, where it can sometimes be served with bone meat and hollow short pasta or fries. In Ghana it is often eaten with fufu, omo tuo and banku often very spicy. Groundnut soup is also a native soup of the Benin (Edo) people in Nigeria and it is often eaten with pounded yam. Some of the essential ingredients used in making it are: Ugu, Oziza leafs Piper guineense (uziza seed) and Vernonia amygdalina (bitter leaf). It is prepared from groundnut which is mashed into a paste, usually termed as groundnut paste. When cooked, the groundnut is ashy pink in color. Groundnut soup is eaten with eba, fufu, banku, kenkey and so on. It is a delicacy that Nigerian, Ghanaian and people in other African countries consume, such as in Sierra Leone. In Ghana, it is known as nkatenkwan in Akan language and "Azidetsi" in Ewe language. Media related to Peanut soup at Wikimedia Commons

Popiah

Popiah

Popiah is a Fujianese/Teochew-style fresh spring roll filled with an assortment of fresh, dried, and cooked ingredients, eaten during the Qingming Festival and other celebratory occasions. The dish is made by the people and diaspora of Fujian province of China (in Quanzhou, Xiamen, and Zhangzhou), neighbouring Chaoshan district, and by the Teochew and Hoklo diaspora in various regions throughout Southeast Asia and in Taiwan (due to the majority of Taiwanese being Hoklo), The origin of popiah dates back to the 17th century. In the Chaoshan dialect and Hokkien language, popiah is pronounced as /poʔ˩piã˥˧/ (薄餅), which means "thin flatbread/cake". Depending on the regions in Fujian, it is also commonly referred to as /lun˩piã˥˧/ (潤餅), which is the etymological origin of "lumpia" in the Philippines and Indonesia. It is referred to as rùnbǐng (潤餅) or báobǐng (薄餅) in Mandarin, and also as bópíjuǎn (薄皮卷).

Pork strips with green peppers

Pork strips with green peppers

Stir fried strips of marinated pork with green peppers

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Qingzheng jia li yu

Steamed strengthening fish

Red wine chicken

Red wine chicken

Chicken cooked with red yeast rice and lees, a fermented rice paste, many also use other types of meat

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Scallops with daikon radish

A dish using rehydrated dried scallops and daikon radish

Sha cha noodles

Sha cha noodles

Satay noodles with chicken, beef, seafood, pork, vegetables

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Wind

dried duck - Ducks are de-feathered, seasoned and air-dried, the meat is used in wind-dried duck porridge, for example

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Wind

dried duck porridge - Porridge made with air-dried duck meat, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, minced meat, garlic

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Xiayang beef balls

Meatballs made with minced beef and potato flour

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Yangyu

A steamed mixture of pork, dried fish or shrimp, fried peanuts, scallions, mushrooms and winter bamboo shoots

Yanpi

Yanpi

Yanpi is a type of wonton skin used in Chinese cuisine. Lean pork meat taken from the shanks is mixed with glutinous rice, pounded to a paste, then sprinkled with starch. The meat gives yanpi a taste and texture similar to that of surimi. The thin yanpi skins are used to wrap bianrouyan (Chinese: 扁肉燕; pinyin: biǎnròuyàn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: píⁿ-bah-ian; lit. 'flat meat'; Hokchew Romanized: Biēng-nṳ̆k-iéng), a type of meat wonton which are often used in taiping yan, a soup eaten on special occasions in Fujian. Yanpi is a speciality of Northern Fujianese cuisine, particularly Putian cuisine. Wang Shitong (Chinese: 王世統) popularized yanpi in the first decades of the 20th century by drying it, allowing it to be stored for long periods rather than used on the day it was made.

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Side, Snack, Appetizer

Changting dried bean curd

Bean curd is seasoned with spices and herbs, then dried

Ciba

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Ciba

Ciba , also known as nianba ("nian" means New Year), is a traditional Chinese snack made of glutinous rice pounded into paste. It is often molded into shapes of balls or cuboids. Ciba is often fried or steamed before being served. Ciba is mostly popular in southern China areas including Chongqing municipality, Guangdong province, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Guizhou province, Sichuan province, Hunan province and Hubei province. There is also similar food in Vietnam, Japan, Korea and other countries, but preparation and eating methods are slightly different.

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Side, Snack, Appetizer

Dongshan Bai Lu Sun

Dongshan white asparagus, canned asparagus that is grown in Zhangzhou, Fujian, China

Dumpling sauce

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Dumpling sauce

Sauce made for dumplings, many different dipping sauces exist

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Side, Snack, Appetizer

Guanxi Mi You

Guanxi honey pomelo, grown in Pinghe County, Fujian, China

Hujiao bing

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Hujiao bing

Hújiāo bǐng or pepper bun is a type of baked bun that originated in city of Fuzhou, the capital of China's Fujian province. It is a street food that has become popular in Taiwan and can be found in night markets or mini food stalls throughout Taiwan. The common ingredients are flour, water, and a leavening agent for the outer dough shell, and a meat protein (usually pork or beef) marinated with sugar, soy sauce, white pepper or black pepper, and scallion for the inside filling. It is not known who invented the hújiāobǐng. The dish can be found in Fujian and in Taiwan. Taiwanese vendors list the item as "Fuzhou Pepper Bun" (福州胡椒餅) and credit the creation of the bun to Fuzhounese immigrants. Many of the oldest pepper bun vendors were established by those of Fuzhounese ancestry. The outer dough shell is prepared with flour, water, and a leavening agent such as yeast or baking powder. Lard, butter or oil is sometime added to the dough to make the bun extra crunchy and flaky like a croissant when cooked. The outer shell dough is then individually rolled to a thin circular shape, similar to a dumpling wrapping.

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Side, Snack, Appetizer

Lamp cake

Small fried cakes made with soybean paste, scallions and salt

Misua noodles

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Misua noodles

Misua , also known as wheat vermicelli, is a very thin variety of salted noodles made from wheat flour. It originated in Fujian, China. The noodles differ from mifen (rice vermicelli) and cellophane noodles in that those varieties are made from rice and mung beans, respectively. Misua is made from wheat flour. Cooking misua usually takes less than two minutes in boiling water, and sometimes significantly less.[citation needed] Misua is cooked during important festivities, and eaten in China as well in Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, Thailand, Myanmar, and particularly in both Taiwan and the Philippines.[citation needed]

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Side, Snack, Appetizer

Nguri

Nguri is a buffalo's milk cheese of Fujian province, China. It is in a ball-shape approximately the size of a table tennis ball and has a soft, leathery texture. It is made by shaping with a cheese cloth the mixture of milk and vinegar that has been marinated in a salty brine.[citation needed] It is served as a condiment to plain rice congee. A small bite of this condiment could complement a large mouthful of plain congee, as it is very salty. It is also sometimes referred to as Giam-ngu-ring (simplified Chinese: 咸牛奶; traditional Chinese: 鹹牛奶; pinyin: xiánniúnǎi; lit. "salty milk"), and is said to originate from Jiaomei in Zhangzhou, Fujian.

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Side, Snack, Appetizer

Red yeast rice

Rice that is fermented with Monascus pupureus bacteria, which makes both red rice wine and lees, a thick, fermented rice paste that is used to flavor many dishes

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Side, Snack, Appetizer

Rouzong

A type of zongzi filled with pork, shrimp, egg, serve with satay sauce and coriander

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Side, Snack, Appetizer

Shuqu cake

Cake made with the shuqu herb, common during Tomb Sweeping Day

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Side, Snack, Appetizer

Tu sun dong

Jellied sea worms, serve with satay sauce and coriander