Jiangxi cuisine is deeply rooted in the red earth where it was born and raised, cherished by over 40 million people of Jiangxi. Therefore, it maintains its youthful vitality and enjoys long-lasting prosperity in its own market. So, what are the representative dishes of Jiangxi cuisine?
Three-Cup Chicken
I. Three-Cup Chicken
It is named so because a small cup each of sweet rice wine, lard, and soy sauce are added when cooking the chicken, without adding any broth. The chicken is then stewed over a charcoal fire. According to legend, the origin of "Three-Cup Chicken" is that a chef discovered it elsewhere and, upon returning to Nanchang, improved the cooking method by adding seasonings like scallions and ginger. It is then slowly stewed in a small clay pot over a charcoal stove. When served, the aroma fills the room. The chicken in the pot is reddish in color, the meat is delicious and fresh, and the broth is mellow and flavorful, retaining its original taste, making it very popular.
II. Loach钻豆腐 (Loach钻Tofu)
This is a famous dish long popular among the people of Nanchang. To prepare it, first take a basin of cold water, put small loaches in it, and add egg white. After a day, the loaches will expel their internal organs and can then be washed clean. Use a clay pot over a low flame, add good broth, and put a whole block of firm tofu and live loaches into the pot together. Once the broth is hot, the loaches will钻into the tofu. After stewing for 30 minutes, add ingredients like ginger, winter bamboo shoots, and carrots. Shortly after, remove the pot from the heat and serve. At this point, you will see the broth in the pot is as clear as a mirror, with the tofu and loaches intertwined. It is fresh and delicious, making one's mouth water.
III. Beef Fried Rice Noodles
Many places have shredded pork fried rice noodles or "three fresh" fried rice noodles, but Nanchang is unique with its beef fried rice noodles. It is said that Nanchang's beef fried rice noodles has a history of at least several hundred years. The meat is tender, the noodles are soft, and the flavor is fresh. The cooking process is also quite elaborate.
IV. Ox Tongue
Also known as "Ox Caishen" (Ox Brings Wealth), it is a traditional pastry made by the people. It is made by mixing white and red glutinous rice flour, with a filling of white and brown sugar mixed with the flour. The center is white, and it is edged with red flour (i.e., flour mixed with some brown sugar). The rice flour must contain sugar. After it is made, it is fried in 70-degree oil to become a pastry with a red edge and a white center, which is sweet, fragrant, and refreshing.
V. Nanchang One-Pot Freshness
Legend has it that during the busy farming season in the countryside, farm women, following their husbands to the fields, did not have enough time to cook regular meals. They would take the salted fish, cured meat, shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots, pig's trotters, and local chicken from their home, wash and cut them, and stew them all together in one pot over a low flame. Because the broth was fresh and mellow with a rich flavor, it became widely popular.
Three chickens