Anhui cuisine (Chinese: 徽菜 or 安徽菜) is one of the Eight Culinary Traditions of China. It is derived from the native cooking styles of the Huangshan Mountains region in China and is similar to Jiangsu cuisine.[citation needed]
[edit] Methods and Ingredients
Anhui cuisine is known for its use of wild herbs, both land and sea, and simple methods of preparation. Braising and stewing are common techniques. Frying and stir-frying are used much less frequently in Anhui cuisine than in other Chinese culinary traditions.[citation needed] Anhui cuisine consists of three styles: 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.
Representative dishes | English | Chinese | Description |
| Li Hongzhang Hodge-Podge | Chinese: 李鸿章杂烩; pinyin: Lǐ Hóngzhāng Zá Huì | a popular dish named after Anhui's Li Hongzhang, who was a top official of the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).[3] The dish, a complex soup, is somewhat salty with a hint of sweetness. Many types of ingredients can be used in the dish but the most common include sea cucumber, fish, squid, bamboo, dry bean curd, chicken, ham, and assorted vegetables.[4] |
| Luzhou Roast Duck | Chinese: 庐州烤鸭; pinyin: lú zhōu kǎo yā | A popular dish from the the provincial capital Hefei, which first gained renown when it was given in tribute to the Imperial Court. While not nearly approaching the world wide fame of Peking Duck, Luzhou Roast Duck has won awards and distinction within China.[5] |
| Sanhe Shrimp Paste | Chinese: 三河虾糊; pinyin: sǎn hé xiā hú | A regional dish that originated in the ancient city of Sanhe, but can currently be found in neighboring 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, meanwhile the rice flour is soaked in water and later added to the shrimp. The dish must be eaten with a spoon, is pleasantly salty, and is brown in color.[6] |
| Egg Dumplings | Chinese: 农家蛋饺; pinyin: nóng jiā dàn jiǎo | 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 egg mixture forms into a dumpling wrapper. The pork filling is then spooned into the egg wrapping and finally it is steamed. Often served with soy sauce.[7] |
| Wushan Imperial Duck | Chinese: 吴山贡鹅; pinyin: wú shān gòng é | The history of Wushan Imperial Duck dates back more than 1,000 years to the to the Tang Dynasty.[8] The dish is light in color while it is fragrant and salty in taste.[9] |
| Ba Gong Shan Stinky Tofu | Chinese: 八公山豆腐; pinyin: bā gōng shān chòu dòu fu | |
