Fujian cuisine is one of the native Chinese cuisines derived from the native cooking style of Fujian province, China. Fujian-style cuisine is known to be light but flavourful, soft, and tender, with particular emphasis on umami taste, known in Chinese cooking as "xianwei", as well as retaining the original flavour of the main ingredients instead of masking them.
Introduction
| | Many diverse seafoods and woodland delicacies are used, including a myriad of fish, shellfish and turtles, or such edible mushrooms and bamboo shoots, provided by the coastal and mountainous regions of Fujian.The most commonly employed cooking techniques in the region's cuisine include braising, stewing, steaming and boiling. Particular attention is paid on the finesse of knife skills and cooking technique of the chefs, which is used to enhance the flavour, aroma and texture of seafood and other foods. Strong emphasis is put on the making and utilising of broth and soups.There are sayings in the region's cuisine: "One broth can be changed into numerous (ten) forms" and "It is unacceptable for a meal to not have soup". |
Fermented fish sauce, known locally as "shrimp oil", is also commonly used in the cuisine, along with oysters, crab, and prawns. Peanuts (utilised for both savoury dishes and desserts) are also prevalent, and can be boiled, fried, roasted, crushed, ground or even turned into a paste. Peanuts can be used as a garnish, feature in soups and even be added to braised or stir-fried dishes.
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Features
| Fujian cuisine has four distinctive features, that is, fine cutting techniques, alternative soups, unique seasonings, and exquisite cooking. Chefs can always cut the thin jellyfish into three pieces and into very thin thread. And thanks to the abundant resources of marine products, the soup of this cuisine genre has its freshness and keeps its own savor with ease. The seasonings add sweet and sour flavors to the dishes. To add to its appeal the food is served in or on elegant bowls or plates. Unique seasoning from Fujian include fish sauce, shrimp paste, sugar, Shacha sauce, and preserved apricot. | |
As well, wine lees from the production of rice wine is commonly used in all aspects of the region's cuisine. Red yeast rice is also commonly used in Fujian cuisine, imparting a rosy-red hue to the foods, pleasant aroma, and slightly sweet taste.
Fujian is also well known for its "drunken" (wine marinated) dishes and is famous for the quality of the soup stocks and bases used to flavour their dishes, soups, and stews.
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Styles
- Fuzhou: the taste is light compared to other styles, often with a mixed sweet and sour taste. Fuzhou is famous for its soups.
- Western Fujian: there are often slight spicy tastes from mustard and pepper and the cooking methods are often steaming, frying and stir-frying.
- Southern Fujian: spicy and sweet tastes are often found and the selection of sauces used is elaborate.
- Quanzhou: the least oily but with the strongest taste/flavour of Fujian cuisine. Great emphasis is placed on the shape of the material for each dish.
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Foods
One of the most famous dishes in Fujian cuisine is "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall", a complex dish making use of many ingredients, including shark's fin, sea cucumber, abalone, and Shaoxing wine.
Fujian is also notable for yanpi, a thin wrapper made with large proportions of lean pork. This wrapper has a unique texture due to the incorporation of meat and has a "bite" similar to things made with surimi. Yanpi is used to make rouyan, a type of wonton.
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| Buddha Jumps Over the Wall | Eastern Wall Dragon Pearls | Yanpi wonton | Five Colours Shrimp |
Written by Nicolas Yang
