Common Talk Weeklyshuang yu zhou kan

Taste-bud frenzy
Edited by Enid & Lily
Photos by Yao Fan

Steamed glutinous meat and rice dumpling
(Shao Rou Zong) 烧肉粽

With an attractive reddish or yellowish shiny cover, Shao Rou Zong will sure allure your tongue and teeth with its smooth redolent fillings wrapped in bamboo leaves. Fragrant but not greasy, the snack is broiled and steamed in a triangle shape. The main ingredients are champignons, chestnuts, glutinous rice, pork, and dried small shrimps. Matching with Shacha jam (peanut butter), minced garlic, sweet chili sauce and parsley. You'd better have it while it's hot.

Recommendation
2 Huang Cuo Xiang, Wei Zhong Xiang Shop, opposite to Zhonghua Cinema, 中华电影院对面黄厝巷2号 味中香店;
Jia Wei Zai Tian (originally called Wu Zai Tian), 佳味再添店 (原吴再添)

Xiamen spring roll (Bo Bing) 薄饼

Xiamen spring roll is a traditional food which has more than one hundred years history. The fillings, which contain fresh vegetables, shrimps, oysters, meat, radish and many other things, are wrapped in very thin pancakes with smashed peanut brittle and some local dressings. The most famous and mouth-watering Xiamen spring rolls can be found on Gulangyu Island.

Recommendation
Gulangyu鼓浪屿;
A Ma Bo Bing, Lian Hua Er Cun 莲花二村 阿嬷薄饼


Jellied sandworm (Tu Sun Dong) 土笋冻

It's said better quality Tu Sun Dong will possess a cohesive quality and retain its shape after being poured from its container while a poorly made one will dissolve after being poured. Prepared in a dome shape after being boiled and cooled, this translucent snack is comprised of gelatin and rich nutrients. Tasting tender and refreshing, it goes extremely well together with fine soybean sauce, vinegar, ginger, peanut jam, sweet pepper jam, mustard, minced garlic and sliced pepper, tomato, turnip and parsley.

Recommendation
Xi Men Tu Sun Dong Stall, nearby West Gate of Zhongshan Park,中山公园西门旁 西门土笋冻店

Peanut soup (Hua Sheng Tang) 花生汤

Huang Ze He Sweet Peanut Shop (Huang Ze He Hua Sheng Tang Dian) located on Zhongshan Road, is one of the most famous restaurants for quick eats. It's the sweet peanut soup that's on the minds of most customers here. Peanut soup is by no means easy to make despite the fact that it is made of only one ingredient -peanuts. It's best to have this soup with youtiao - deep-fried dough sticks, fried dates, fried leek dumplings or buns.

Recommendation
Huang Ze He Sweet Peanut Shop, 22-24 Zhongshan Rd 中山路22-24黄则和花生汤店


Shrimp noodles (Xia Mian) 虾面

Though elected as one of China's famous snacks in 1998, Xia Mian is not well-known by people outside Xiamen. The essence of this dish is its soup: shrimp shells, chopped shrimp heads with pork bones. Stew it over a small fire for hours, then strain the residue with gauze. Add some lean meat and small boiled shrimps and remember to scatter some leek and minced garlic on before you gulp it down.

Recommendation
2 Huang Cuo Xiang, Wei Zhong Xiang Shop,opposite to Zhonghua Cinema, 中华电影院对面黄厝巷2号 味中香店;
Jia Wei Zai Tian (originally called Wu Zai Tian), 佳味再添店 (原吴再添)

Noodles in peanut sauce (Sha Cha Mian) 沙茶面

This delicacy has become an indispensable part of Xiamenese life, and locals have been eating it from an early age. Slightly spicy in flavor, guts, lean pork meat and dried bean curd (dried tofu) are some of the most commonly chosen condiments for Sha Cha Mian.

Recommendation
78 Zhenbang Rd, Yuehua Sha Cha Mian Shop, 镇邦路78号 月华沙茶面店(文化宫附近)


Five-spice meat rolls (Zha Wu Xiang) 炸五香

The main ingredients of this snack include pork, spring onions, flatfish, waternuts, eggs, sugar, soybean sauce and five-spice powder. Roll the stirred-up ingredients with pie crusts and then deep fry the rolls. Slice the rolls before eating. It goes better with some local dressings (Shacha jam or sweet jam), parsley and seasoned radish.

Recommendation
Zhongshan Rd, Huang Ze He Sweet Peanut Shop 中山路22-24黄则和花生汤店;
Jia Wei Zai Tian (originally called Wu Zai Tian) 佳味再添 (原吴再添)

Upper thread (Mian Xian Hu) 面线糊

Upper thread is a dish, which contains shrimps, mussels, other fresh seafood and Xiamen's thread noodles. Heat control is very important in cooking this dish and adding some duck blood or pork blood to this dish will make it more tasty.

Recommendation
22-24 Zhongshan Rd, Huang Ze He Sweet Peanut Shop 中山路22-24黄则和花生汤店;
47-49 Zhongshan Rd, Da Zhong Sha Cha Mian Shop 中山路47-49号 大钟沙茶面店

 

Vocabulary
condiment 佐料
cohesive 凝聚的
translucent 半透明的
gelatin 凝胶
mustard 芥末
minced garlic 蒜蓉
parsley 芫荽
gauze 薄纱
leek 韭菜
allure 吸引
redolent 芬芳的
champignon 食用伞菌
mussel 淡菜
waternut 荸荠