| |
|
| Suzhou
Local Flavors and Snacks |
Suzhou
Cuisine
Suzhou cuisine excels in every branch of culinary art--stewing, braising,
quick-frying, stir-frying, steaming, roasting and deep-frying. The
dishes tend to be sweet. The soups are clear, but not thin; the gravy
is rich, but not heavy. Suzhou cooks are especially good at preparing
dishes using freshwater products.
A great place to go is the most famous restaurant in Suzhou--Songhelou,
located on Guanqian Jie Street. Their clientele included Qing emperor
Qianlong. Also worth a look are the numerous restaurants in the alley
at the back of Songhelou.
Suzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years in pastry making. Glutinous
rice flour is the main ingredient. A good example of a traditional
Suzhou pastry is the New Year cake. Made of glutinous flour, sugar,
and fat, the cake comes in several varieties - rose, and peppermint.
As the fat is raw, the cake is cut into small pieces and rolled in
cornstarch before being deep-fried.
Another specialty is the Suzhou mooncake. Most people are familiar
with the Cantonese version, but the Suzhou mooncake is more popular
in east central China. There are many varieties, such as pine nut,
ham, sugar and meat, and five-kernels and jujube paste. The mooncake
is sweet and crisp, and it can be stored for a long time.
A must-try is Suzhou cherry pork. This traditional dish is usually
consumed in late spring and summer. The salty-sweet fried pork was
Empress Dowager Cixi's favorite dish.
A pot of tea is the correct thing to drink with your meal. Suzhou
has two locally produced teas--Biluochun (Snail Spring Tea) and Jasmine.
|
| |
|
 |
Squirrel-shaped
Mandarin Fish
Tradition has it that once stopping at the Crane House during his
south Yangtze tour, Emperor Qian Long saw a carp frisking on the holy
table and ordered it cooked for him. The chef, knowing it was the
emperor’s order, spared no effort in flavoring and seasoning.
In order to be exempted from the sin of killing the “holy fish”,
he made the carp into the shape of a squirrel with its head and tail
soaring high. The dark reddish brown fish, crisp outside and tender
amid, was sour and sweet enough to the taste of emperor, whose appreciation
raised the name of Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish to the world.
Being the raw material, the mandarin fish is characterized by its
tenderness of the flesh and sparseness of the bones as well. After
scaling and frying, the head of the fish looks big with its mouth
wide open, the tail bends upwards, and the flesh imitates the erecting
hair of a squirrel. It will be squeaking like a squirrel if it is
sprinkled with shrimp meat, dried bamboo shoots and tomato ketchup.
Thus the Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish is complete in color, smell,
flavor and sound, and it is to arouse the appetite of whoever sees
it. |
 |
 |
 |
Squirrel-shaped
Mandarin Fish
Tradition has it that once stopping at the Crane House during his
south Yangtze tour, Emperor Qian Long saw a carp frisking on the holy
table and ordered it cooked for him. The chef, knowing it was the
emperor’s order, spared no effort in flavoring and seasoning.
In order to be exempted from the sin of killing the “holy fish”,
he made the carp into the shape of a squirrel with its head and tail
soaring high. The dark reddish brown fish, crisp outside and tender
amid, was sour and sweet enough to the taste of emperor, whose appreciation
raised the name of Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish to the world.
Being the raw material, the mandarin fish is characterized by its
tenderness of the flesh and sparseness of the bones as well. After
scaling and frying, the head of the fish looks big with its mouth
wide open, the tail bends upwards, and the flesh imitates the erecting
hair of a squirrel. It will be squeaking like a squirrel if it is
sprinkled with shrimp meat, dried bamboo shoots and tomato ketchup.
Thus the Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish is complete in color, smell,
flavor and sound, and it is to arouse the appetite of whoever sees
it. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Biluo
Shelled Shrimps
Among the Suzhou cuisine there are quite a few made mainly with
shrimps, such as fried shrimp, brine shrimp and biluo shelled shrimp,
etc., of which Biluo Shelled Shrimp is a famous traditional dish
of Suzhou.
Biluo refers to Biluochun Tea produced in the east & west hills
of Dongting Lake. Seasoned with fresh Biluochun tea, the famous
dish is made with shelled shrimps. Thus it possesses not only the
freshness of shrimps but also the fragrance of the famous tea. If
embellished with tealeaves around the dish, it would be a wonderful
combination of color, smell and taste, exhibiting a typical characteristic
of Suzhou cuisine.
|
 |
| |
Watermelon
Chicken
Watermelon chicken is a famous traditional seasonal dish, which is
made with chicken and watermelon, a good kind of summer-heat clearing
fruit. It is delicious, fragrant and nutritious.
The main material of the dish is chicken. The making of it includes
the jointing and heading of the chicken, the removing of its viscera,
and the seasoning of water, ham and bamboo slices. It is to be braised
with intense heat until the flesh is tender enough. Then to make a
hole in the watermelon from where the pulp is to be emptied. Engraved
with characters or designs on the rind, the watermelon is to be briefly
scalded before cooling it in water. Then the chicken together with
the soup, ham, bamboo slices and mushroom is to be put into the watermelon.
Covered close, the dish is ready for service after several minutes’
steaming. |
Cabbage
Heart in Chicken Fat
The fact that there are green vegetables all the year round in Suzhou
brings quite a lot of popular dishes into existence, of which the
most famous are the Cabbage Heart in Chicken Fat. Its main materials
are the hearts of green fleshy cabbage and ham. First of all, the
root of the cabbage is to be cut into a cross shape and the leaves
are cut even and seasoned with other flavorings. Then sprinkle it
with chicken fat and soup and add some ham slices. The dish is elegant
with its green leaves and scarlet hams. Its tenderness, fragrance
and deliciousness would be even more prominent if served after meat
dishes. It has become an indispensable dish in banquets. |
|
|
