Hui Dishes and Snacks (2)
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 Hui Cuisine As one of the eight most famous cuisines in China, Hui cuisine has more
than 1000 years glorious history. It was originated from She County, but gained its fame
through the trip of Hui merchants to main cities in China in Ming and Qing Dynasty.The highly distinctive characteristic of Hui cuisine lies not only in the elaborate choosing of cooking materials but also in the strict control of cooking process. Most ingredients in Hui cuisine, such as pangolin, leopard cat, mushroom, bamboo shoot, etc., come from mountain area. It has a high demand for taking control of fire to make dishes tasty and fresh. Hui chefs also pay attention to the combination of appealing to the eye as well as to the palate. Some of dishes are listed as follows: Stir-fried Mountain Fern. Boiled Bamboo Shoots and Pea Seedlings. Braised Chinese Angelica and River Deer. Deep-fried and Steamed Mandarin Fish. Braised Ham and Chicken. Quick Fried Sweet Pork. Braised Dried Shellfish and Radish. Deep-fried Wrapped Pork Steamed Chicken Wrapped in Lotus Leaves Stewed Leopard Cat Stewed Mandarin Fish Boiled Bean Curd Sauted Hairy Bean Curd Steamed Mushroom and Stone Frog Braised Pigeon. Stewed Pork Tongue in Chinese Wine. Deep-fried Meat-ball. Steamed Chestnuts with Chicken. Braised Duck with Dumplings. Roasted Mandarin Fish. Quick-fried Fish Head and Tail. Braised Turtle with Ham. Deep-fried Maofeng Tea and Egg. Braised Pork Leg and Chicken with Ham. Steamed Bamboo Shoots with Chrysanthemum. Hotpot with Chrysanthemum. Dafu Stone Frog: The frog grows in the mountain streams and feed on insects. As the frog inhabits in shady places, the local people sometimes use it to relieve childrenĄ¯s internal heat. It is especially effective to pricky heat in summer. The dish is refreshing, beneficial for eyesight besides the extremely delicious taste. Chun An Flowering Quince: A herb used to prevent soreness of joints, muscles and limbs. Fudai Bayberry: There are two kinds, red and white. The first is as red as blood, while the second as white as marble. The ripe season is during May and June. It is favored by tourists all over the country. Gantsao Fish: A 3-inch long fish, a bit like grouper. The taste of the fish is extremely delicious and tender, as they grow in a special section of a river flanked by licorice-covered hills. The water of the river drained from the hills carries the taste of licorice root, a well-known herb, from which the fish gets its name as gantsao fish, licorice-root-flavored fish. Huangshan Brake: A special wild plant grows on hills. In spring when patches of the brake shoot out, the locals pick them as early as mid March. Even as late as the end of May, you still have chance to enjoy the fresh, delicious dish. Huangshan brake is highly evaluated by the tourists both from home and abroad. Dried brake is available all the year round. Huangshan Rice Wine: A sweet liquor from fermented glutinous rice, it is highly enjoyed by the tourists as the liquor has a special taste. Indocalamus Leaves: A special kind of bamboo leave used for roof covering and bamboo hat. Another major usage of the leave is to wrap Zongzi, a pyramid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice, usually eaten during Dragon Festival. A large amount is exported to the coastal areas and ASIAN countries. Huangshan Kiwit Fruit: A small, sweet and sour oval fruit with thin brownish-green fuzzy skin. The fruit may be eaten raw or cooked. It is abundant in vitamins. Stone Fungus: Typical in Huangshan area, and often used in Huizhou cuisine. This fungus usually grows on shady cliff or crevices. Its growth period often lasts 6-7 years, which is the reason why the fungus has been treated as one of the treasured components in the local cuisine. In summer, herb collectors go to mountainous area to pick the fungus. They usually work together and co-operate closely. First of all, the fungus location must be spotted, and then the collectors decide where to go down the gully. Often they tie one end of a long and thick rope around the downer's waist, and another end on a large tree on top of the cliff. It is really a dangerous and painstaking job. It is usually stewed with chicken or crucian carp. Huizhou Chrysanthemum: A herbal plant often drunk with green tea. The function of the plant is antipyretic, refreshing, and relieving internal heat. The remedy was so effective that the dried flower was granted the title as Tribute Tea for the royal families. Huizhou Hickory Nuts: Also called little nuts. Its harvest time is in late September. To process the nuts, first shed the cover, then boil the nut until it turns brown in order to remove the puckery. The processed ones are usually roasted with salt and other spices. People in southern parts of China enjoy this little nuts very much. Green Sugarcane: A typical breed of sugarcane, with a cultivating history of more than 1500 years. The special features of the sugarcane are good harvest, tasty, watery and crisp with the sugar content above 12%. If kept properly, the green sugarcane is available next May. Huizhou White Pear: A speciality in Shexian County. During the early period of the pear, farmers have the small pear enveloped with a processed paper bag. Five months later, the pears are ripe, and are picked with the envelope. So the pear is as white as snow because of lacking sunshine. This kind of pear, a bit sour, crisp and watery, tastes sweet. The pear enjoys a great reputation among the tourists as they are on sale from September till next May. Santan Loquats: A well known breed of loquats in China. Santan refers to three ponds in Shexian County, where the environment is good with green hills divided by many clear mountain streams. And the fruit trees grow in mist most of the year besides the abundant rainfall. The feature of the fruit is thin skin, thick flesh, watery juice and very sweet. The harvest season is May and June. If your journey is in season, just have a try. Wenzheng Bamboo Shoot: A typical Mao bamboo shoot, in Shexian County, used to be a tribute to the royal families, and now are enjoyed by the tourists. The shoots are so tender and delicate that it will break into pieces if it happens to slip from hand. The major usage of the shoot is to be stewed with salted pork, and the preserved ones are available through out the whole year. Chinese Toprreya Nuts From Yixian County: A very typical nut in this area with its leaves like the fir, the branches like pines, and the trunk as hard as that of cypress. Usually 20 years will have passed before the tree can bear fruits. The growth period of the tree often lasts more than 1000 years. In addition, the tree has such a long life that it will still grow prosperously even if her trunk has been hollowed by borers. The hard nuts of the tree are processed with salt and other spices and are favored by many people. Please remember its Chinese name: Xiang Fei. Yixian Mushroom: Yixian is one of the twelve mushroom bases in China. Typical in China, the mushroom contains more than 17 amino acids, and is often used in different cuisines. Whenever you come to Huangshan, you will be served with this dish: Green Vegetable with Mushroom. 
Water Chestnuts: A kind of root fruit, concentrated in Shexian County, is harvested during
winter. Both the processed and umprocessed are edible. It is sweet, watery and crisp. This
water chestnut is a major ingredient in Huizhou cuisine. If you come to Huangshan off the
season, don't worry, the canned fruit is available everywhere. Want a try?
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