【HaiChuan: Going Home for the New Year】Those famous Shandong dishes
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Shandong has given birth to countless forms of life as well as a great variety of agricultural and sideline products; therefore, whenever the topic of food is discussed, it is essential to mention this region. It can be said that this place is also a feng shui treasure site. There are also many famous dishes here; there is a distinct Shandong cuisine style that is renowned throughout the world. Today, I’ll take you to learn about the famous dishes of Shandong, to experience the cultural heritage of this region, and to enjoy these authentic local delicacies.
The first specialty dish is pork belly. This meat is prepared through marinating, with various spices added, which is why the taste varies from one restaurant to another. This dish originated in the Jinan area; it is not clear exactly where, but it is said to be a genuine court dish as well. If any of you have been here, you might as well try the delicious cuisine of the palace as well.
The second dish is sweet and sour carp. Also originating from the Jinan area, and due to the abundance of lakes in this region as well as the developed aquaculture industry there, carp are very common there. This method is also rather unique: usually, a starch coating is applied before cooking, followed by frying to create a crisp crust, and then a syrup coating is applied. It’s easy to say, but not easy to do. Precise control of oil temperature and frying time is necessary to achieve a crisp exterior and tender interior, thereby highlighting the natural flavor of the carp.
The third dish is the spicy chicken from the Jining area. What is truly famous is not Jining’s spicy chicken, but Zaozhuang’s spicy chicken. Such restaurants can be found everywhere in Shandong, but their cooking methods are still quite different. The non-traditional methods of preparation involve stewing or frying, etc.; in fact, the authentic spicy chicken should be prepared by stir-frying. So, in terms of approach, we can tell whether it is authentic or not. If you want to try authentic spicy chicken, you can first ask whether it is cooked by stewing or stir-frying. Moreover, the true taste of spicy chicken is rich yet not greasy, with a hint of spiciness that makes it utterly delicious.
The fourth dish is the pancake, a dish that many people are familiar with; it can be said to be famous throughout the country as well. The outside is made of ordinary flatbreads, and various vegetables are added inside. They can be added according to personal preference; after including them all, other ingredients such as eggs can also be added. Put everything into the pancake and then bake it on an iron griddle – it’s ready in just a few minutes. The outside is quite crispy, like a turning point. But the taste is a bit different, and it’s more nutritious; various types of vegetables can be added to it.
Chefs in the Jinan area of Shandong use pig stomach tips and chicken gizzard slices as ingredients, handling them with skillful knife work before stir-frying them in boiling oil. Originally named “Bao Shuang Pian,” it was later renamed “You Bao Shuang Cui” after customers praised its crisp and tender texture.
Scallion-stir-fried sea cucumber is a distinctive Chinese delicacy and a classic dish of Shandong cuisine. Originating from Shandong, it uses water-soluble sea cucumbers and scallions as its main ingredients. The sea cucumbers are fresh, soft, and smooth in texture, while the scallion segments have a strong flavor; there is no residual liquid left after eating it. It is one of the \"Eight Precious Foods of Ancient and Modern Times\"; it has a rich onion-like flavor, is nutritious, and helps to nourish the lungs and kidneys.
Jiuzhuan Dachang, originally named Braised Large Intestine, is a traditional famous dish from Jinan City, Shandong Province. It was first created in the early years of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty by the owner of a restaurant in Jiuhualin, Jinan. Pig colon is blanched in water and then fried, after which it is filled with over a dozen types of seasonings and cooked over low heat. Once cooked, it possesses all five flavors – sour, sweet, fragrant, spicy, and salty – has a bright red color, and a tender texture.
Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin is one of the classic Chinese dishes. This dish is found in Zhejiang cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Shandong cuisine, and Muslim cuisine. It has a bright red color, a sweet-and-tangy flavor, and what’s most appealing about it is its texture – crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The first bite reveals a sweet-and-tart sauce with a rich honey flavor surrounding the crisp, fragrant exterior; once you reach the inside, you find that the tender meat is already subtly hidden between your lips and teeth. The flavor and texture blend perfectly together in a harmonious combination.