Gu Pu Liang Shi (Quzhou delicacies)
Many people's impression of Quzhou cuisine is spicy, super spicy.
A Quzhou native reckons the city has more to offer in terms of culinary art. Zhang Yufei is the owner of the restaurant in Hangzhou that brought more than 40 types of Quzhou traditional snacks in 2016.
But it was not just food that he brought but also experienced chefs.
The wonton of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) is made by a chef whose family has been making it for five generations. The wrappers are handmade and it takes two hours to roll out a wrapper as thin as a piece of paper.
A lot of food here is associated with local folk customs and lost traditions. Tangyuan in Longyou County for example is only served on Kitchen God's Day or when a very important guest comes to visit.
And on Chinese Ghost Festival (15th night of the seventh month on lunar calendar), people in Kaihua County eat a special kind of steamed rice cake — qigao (汽糕) — to pray for the deceased and keep away from evil spirits.
The cake is made from fermented rice flour and added with toppings like dried tofu, dried bamboo shoots, shredded daikon radish. Some locals believe it is the precursor of pizza in the east. Another impressive dish is "sea snail stuffed with pork." They take out the body of the snail and mingle it with minced pork marinated in cooking wine, ginger and local chili. Don't forget to take a sip of the remaining soup inside the snail when you finish the meat.
It is a little bit too spicy for a Hangzhou native but you just can't help yourself trying it.
Address: 48-5 Xueshi Rd
Li Yu and His Liangtouwu(Lanxi County delicacies)
The restaurant's name comes from two calling cards of Lanxi, a county-level city near Jinhua. One is Li Yu (1611-80), a Chinese playwright, novelist and gastronome native of Lanxi. Another is Liangtouwu pig, a local breed known for its quality taste and long breeding cycle.
The restaurant serves Lanxi local specialties with Liangtouwu pork, such as dumplings and rice dumplings stuffed with the pork.
A must-try is Ji Zi Guo (鸡子), a local snack that is now listed in the city's intangible culture heritage.
Spring onions and minced pork are wrapped in dough made with 38 pleats. Seasoned beaten egg is added to the bun when it is pan-fried. The bun is then flattened and fried from both sides.
The flatbread is served hot. The steamed eggs mixed with the refreshing scent of spring onions balances the greasiness of the crispy skin.
It is a great breakfast companion for congee.
There are also a range of tofu stuffed staple food. The tofu tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) looks like a thin fluffy onion head with fillings of firm tofu, minced pork and red peppers.
Other recommended dishes are Lanxi beef noodles and a special kind of Chinese jelly made of sweet potato starch.
It is served with freshly sliced dragon fruit, kiwi fruit and iced milk that acts as a digestive aid if you order too much spicy food from the menu.
Address: 416 Fengqi Rd
