Zhejiang cuisine

Zhejiang cuisine also called (浙菜 Zhecai) is one of the Chinese eight major cuisines. Zhejiang is a beautiful place with rich products. It is saying: “there is a paradise in the sky; there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on the ground”. Zhejiang Province is located on the East coast of China Sea, known as 鱼米之乡 Yúmǐzhīxiāng (the land of fish and rice). The southwest of Zhejiang are hills with rich mountain delicacies. The eastern coastal fisheries are with abundant aquatic resources. There are more than 500 kinds of economic fish and shellfish products, with the total output value ranking first in the country. The products are rich in resources and unique in their characteristics.

Zhejiang cuisine system is represented by the four local genres:  Hangzhou, Ningbo, Shaoxing, and Wenzhou.

Zhejiang cuisine is well-known for its rich cultural characteristics at home and abroad. Since the Song Dynasty, most of the diet books are written by Jiangsu and Zhejiang scholar, whose representative dishes are mostly related to cultural celebrities and scenic spots.

History of Zhejiang Cuisine

Zhejiang cooking has thousands of years of history. Chinese archaeologists unearthed a Neolithic cultural site from Hemudu, Yuyao, Zhejiang Province in 1973. There are a large amount of rice, chaff, water chestnuts, pigs, deer, tigers, Fish, turtles and more than 40 species of animal wreckages. At the same time, Chinese archaeologists also unearthed ancient pottery stove and many pots, plates, and other pottery. According to scientists research, these artifacts dating back about 7000 years ago.

During the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476BC), the ancient Zhejiang province contains two countries: Wu and Yue. The king of Yue-Gou Jian (勾践 gōujiàn) wanted to revitalize his kingdom, which had been defeated by Wu. He stepped up the military in today’s Shaoxing 绍兴, used to be called “Jishan”, and also set up a large chicken farm for the battle later. Therefore, the oldest dish of Zhejiang cuisine specialty is the famous 清汤越鸡Qīngtāng yuè jī (Stewed Chicken in Clear Soup). From the ancient ruins of Liangzhu良渚 in the outskirts of Hangzhou and Hemudu in eastern Zhejiang, two ancient sites of human activity were found. From the bones of pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, and ducks, it has been proved that the cooking materials of Zhejiang cuisine in four or five thousand years ago were very rich.

After the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-589), Zhejiang and Jiangsu were exempt from war for hundreds of years. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was opened during the Sui and Tang dynasties, and frequent contacts were made between foreign trade and economy. In particular, during the Five Dynasties (907-960), Wuyue吴越 built its capital in Hangzhou (the capital city of Zhejiang province). The development of the economy and the exchange of trade have all created a tremendous impetus for the development and rise of the culinary cause, which made the culinary skills of the court cuisine and folk food at that time develop rapidly.

Hangzhou as the capital city of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)played an important role in further promoting the innovation and development of the Zhejiang cuisine. In this great relocation, a large number of celebrities, dignitaries and working people in the north moved southward and brought the northern culinary culture and techniques to Zhejiang. This made extensive exchanges between North and South culinary skills, greatly boomed food and beverage industry, and continuously improved cooking techniques of Zhejiang cuisine. According to records, there were more than 280 dishes in Hangzhou at that time, with more than 15 kinds of cooking techniques. Luxury restaurants were everywhere, ordinary food shops all over the streets. At that time, cooking flavor in Zhejiang was both north and south. Since the Southern Song Dynasty, hundreds of years ago, although the political center moved back to the north of China later, Zhejiang cuisine developed from the bud state into developed form. Because Zhejiang is always wealthy and full of developed culture, a large number of northern chefs gathered in Hangzhou in order to serve dignitaries and rich businessmen.

After the Republic of China (1912-1949), Zhejiang cuisine first introduced 龙井虾仁lóngjǐng xiārén (shrimp meat with Longjing tea) and other dishes. However, Zhejiang cuisine which based in Hangzhou cuisine, divided into three major genres. One was cooking north flavor, which is, cooking high-end raw materials, such as shark’s fin, sea cucumber, bear’s paw and baked suckling pig, Peking duck. This genre is mainly distributed in Hangzhou. Another was Anhui genre which was very good at braised dishes. This genre mainly distributed in Hangzhou, Huzhou, Ningbo and other places. It has characteristics of salty taste, heavy oil, dark color, and economic prices. Another was 本帮菜 běnbāngcài (the real native Zhejiang cuisine).

Among the large-scale restaurants of Zhejiang Cuisine in Hangzhou, there is 楼外楼（Louwailou） Restaurant in West Lake, opened during the reign of Emperor Daoguang 道光 (1821-1851) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). It is famous for West Lake Vinegar Fish and Shrimp Meat with Longjing Tea, and Wangrunxing in downtown Qinghefang is known for “imperial cuisine”, good at cooking Grass Carp’s Head and Bean Curd Soup, Jianer Meat, and Pickled Bamboo Shoots. In Shaoxing, the Lanxiang Restaurant has standard Shaoxing Cuisine such as Suoyi Shrimp Balls and Fish in Vinegar. There is 东福园 (Dongfuyuan) in Ningbo in eastern Zhejiang Province, with authentic local traditional dishes such as Yellow Fish Soup with Pickled Vegetable, Soft-Shelled Turtle with Rock Candy and so on.

In modern times, Zhejiang cuisine and the other major cuisines are developing rapidly. Zhejiang Province has set up various types of schools and cooking research institutes that specialize in cultivating cooking talents and to further improve the equipment and conditions in the catering industry. On the basis of traditional dishes, bold innovation continues to develop. The majority of chefs carefully study and improve the nutritional value of dishes based on the emphasis on color, smell, taste, and shape of Zhejiang cuisine so as to achieve a balanced diet and be more beneficial to health requirements.

Categories of Zhejiang Cuisine

Zhejiang cuisine system is represented by the four local genres:  Hangzhou, Ningbo, Shaoxing, and Wenzhou.

Hangzhou cuisine:

Hangzhou cuisines mainly fry, stir-fry, braise, and stew. It does not focus on cooking methods like Shandong cuisine or sophisticated flavors like Sichuan cuisine but thinks highly of the freshness and shape of the dishes.

Ningbo cuisine:

Ningbo cuisine is fresh and salty. It doesn’t use sophisticated cooking methods but only steam, roast, stew, and stir-fry. It pays attention to tenderness and freshness very much. Because Ningbo produces a great amount of seafood, the dishes don’t need many seasonings to make them tasty.  The core of Ningbo cuisine is to maintain the original flavor of the ingredients with concentrated color.

Shaoxing cuisine:

Shaoxing cuisine is full of the folk flavor of the southeast of China. the ingredients are rich including fish, shrimp, seafood, poultry, beans, bamboo shoots, and so much more. It pays attention to the freshness of original soup. Shaoxing dishes are light, non-greasy without spicy. The Shaoxing rice wine is a specialty product that commonly used in the cooking. Raw materials are usually steamed or stewed with the Shaoxing rice wine. The Shaoxing dishes are salty, rich, and tender with special fragrant.

Wenzhou cuisine:

Wenzhou dishes are mainly seafood with a fresh taste. Wenzhou dishes have characteristics of light oil, clear soup, and delicate cutting.

The culture of Zhejiang cuisine

Zhejiang cuisine has a long history. It is China’s famous local cuisine. Zhejiang cuisine originated from the Neolithic Hemudu culture. After the pioneering accumulation of the ancestors of the country, the mature stereotypes in the Han and Tang dynasties, the prosperity in the Song and Yuan dynasties, and the development in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the basic style of Zhejiang cuisine have been formed.

Many dishes in Zhejiang cuisine are rich in beautiful legends. Zhejiang cuisine is well-known for its rich cultural characteristics.

西湖醋鱼Xīhú cù yú (Braised West Lake Fish with Vinegar) is a traditional Hangzhou famous dish. According to legend, there was a young man lived near the West Lake as a fishing man for a living. Once he was sick, his sister-in-law personally went to the lake to get a fish, cooked it with vinegar and sugar to serve him. After eating the fish, he was cured. Later, the name of the dish became “West Lake Vinegar Fish” or “Braised West Lake Fish with Vinegar”. In Hangzhou, all restaurants have supplied. When Emperor Kangxi 康熙 in Qing Dynasty made a southern tour, he asked to have a taste of this West Lake vinegar fish, which shows that this dish was already well known in the early Qing Dynasty.

龙井虾仁lóngjǐng xiārén (shrimp meat with Longjing tea) is famous for taking Hangzhou’s best Longjing tea for cooking. Longjing tea produced in Hangzhou. Longjing tea has a reputation for mellow taste, beautiful shape, green color, and richly fragrant. It is said that the Longjing tea originated in the Tang and Song dynasties, carefully cultivated by the local people and gradually formed a unique quality and became a tribute to the palace since Qing Dynasty. Hangzhou cooks fried fresh river shrimp with Longjing tea, hence the name “shrimp meat with Longjing tea “. It has become the most famous specialty dish of Zhejiang cuisine.

Features of Zhejiang cuisine

The choice of materials asks for “fine, special, fresh and tender”.

Fine, means choose the best part of the materials so that dishes are delicate and elegant. Special, means the selection of raw materials pays attention to the local specialty products in order to keep the local characteristics of Zhejiang dishes. Fresh, means always use the freshest and lively ingredients so that dishes to maintain the taste and nutrition. Tender means the dishes should be easy to chew and digest.

Good at cooking aquatic products and seafood.

Zhejiang cuisine uses unique cooking methods to keep fish and other aquatic products tender and fresh. About 2/3 of Zhejiang dishes only boil the raw materials with a little seasoning in order to highlight the original flavor of the ingredients.

Pay attention to freshness; maintain the true nature of the ingredients.

Zhejiang cuisine usually uses bamboo shoots, ham, mushrooms and green leafy vegetables as a supplement, in order to keep the dishes fresh and light. It also likes to use Shaoxing rice wine, green onions, ginger, vinegar, and sugar to make the dishes tasty and fragrant.

The small amount, delicate form, and elegant appearance.

This style can be traced back to the Southern Song Dynasty. It is said that: “Hangzhou custom, where all the people selling food, mostly use delicate small dish utensils, in order to show off wealthy”. Many Zhejiang dishes have names containing the names of local scenic with very beautiful shapes.

Representative dishes

清汤越鸡（Qīngtāng yuè jī）Stewed Chicken in Clear Soup

It is the most ancient among Zhejiang dishes, with a history of more than 2,000 years. It is cooked with the special Shaoxing local product Yue chicken which has white and tender meat and loose and crisp bones. It is stewed in the light soup, fresh and tasty, and was once a tribute to the imperial palace. Currently, the chefs of Shaoxing add ham, mushroom and bamboo shoots as auxiliary ingredients, making it tastier.

宋嫂鱼羹（Sòng sǎo yú gēng）Lady Song’s Thick Fish Soup

It has a history of more than 800 years. The mandarin fish is stewed and then the skin and bone are removed; it is then boiled with ham, mushrooms and bamboo shoots in chicken soup. The cooked dish has a pleasant color and is fresh and tender, tasting like crab soup; so, it is also called “Surpassing Crab Soup”.

西湖醋鱼（Xīhú cù yú）Braised West Lake Fish with Vinegar

A medium-sized grass carp is soaked in clear water to get rid of the earthy flavor then divided into two pieces, cleaned, and boiled in water for a limited time. When served, sugar and vinegar juice are poured over it. The cooked dish is bright red and the meat fresh, tender, moderately sweet and sour, with a slight crab flavor. The most prominent features of this dish are no oil added and very tender.

荷叶粉蒸肉 (héyè fěnzhēngròu) pork steamed with rice flour in lotus leaves

This is a dish of high reputation. In the late Qing Dynasty, according to legend, its name related to the famous attraction of Hangzhou-曲院风荷(qū yuàn fēng hé). It uses fresh lotus leaves as a wrap with seasoned rice flour and pork and steams them all together. It has a fresh flavor and fragrance of lotus leaves, the pork inside is juicy, tender but not greasy.

东坡肉 (dōngpō ròu) Braised Dongpo Pork

Dongpo pork is braised pork belly. Generally use a piece of pork belly which is half fat, and half lean. It cooked with a lot of Shaoxing rice wine so it contains a rich rice wine flavor and very delicious.

According to legend, during the Northern Song Dynasty (about 1090 AD), the Hangzhou governor Su Dongpo launched dredging the West Lake campaign. He ordered the family members to treat the people with pork and Shaoxing rice wine when the dredging was done. His family members mistakenly braised the Shaoxing rice wine and meat together, the result is particularly mellow and delicious. People then call this unique flavor of braised Braised Dongpo Pork.