Steamed Yellow Croaker

“No yellow croaker, no feast”. Wenzhou people believe that yellow croaker is an indispensable dish at any feast. Fresh large yellow croaker is steamed, and then added with soy sauce, white sugar, and cooking wine, garnished with chopped green onions and ginger shreds, and hot oil is poured over it. This dish features tender and fragrant fish with a mild and elegant seasoning, highlighting its freshness and flavor.

Steamed Youmou with Eggs

Yáomóu” is the Wenzhou dialect term for green crabs. Using fresh live green crabs as the main ingredient and eggs as a secondary ingredient, the dish is prepared with a seasoning broth made from chicken stock, yellow wine, refined salt, MSG, and rendered lard. The dish features intact green crab shells with a glossy red hue, while the crab meat is white, tender, and fresh. Accompanied by yellow-colored eggs, the presentation creates a harmonious interplay of colors and flavors, resulting in a delightful combination.

Pounded Fish with Three Shreds

Pounded Fish with Three Shreds is a traditional and renowned dish in Wenzhou’s folk cuisine, with a history of over a hundred years. Fresh fish meat is cut into small pieces, coated with starch, and gently pounded with a wooden mallet to create a thin sheet. After blanching in boiling water, it’s sliced into strips and combined with “three shreds” (chicken breast, ham and shiitake mushroom), then cooked in a rich broth. This dish represents one of the famous dishes in Ou cuisine. The broth of the dish is clear and flavorful, and the fish is tender and smooth. The colors are harmonious, and the delicate, translucent slices of pounded fish resemble cicada wings. The chewy texture upon tasting leaves a lasting impression that lingers on the palate.

Stewed River Eel with Wine

Wine-stewed Freshwater Eel is a well-known healthful dish among Wenzhou locals and is often seen on dining tables. Using wild freshwater eel and simmering it with local yellow wine and rock sugar, this dish boasts a strong aroma of wine. The freshwater eel is rich in collagen, making it nourishing and beneficial for health.

Stir-Fried Rice Cake with Crab

Stir-Fried Rice Cake with Crab is a distinctive dish from the Cangnan county,  Wenzhou, where “Jiangxie” specifically refers to the swimming crab in Wenzhou dialect. This dish involves stir-frying rice cake along with crab. The crab meat is fresh and sweet, while the rice cake is soft and chewy. The rice cake absorbs the savory flavor of the crab, and in turn, the crab complements the fragrance of the rice cake.

Bowen Braised Pork Trotters

Bowen Braised Pork Trotters is a distinctive dish from Wencheng county, Wenzhou. The pork trotters have a tender and chewy texture, delicious flavor, and are rich in nutrients. They are not only a culinary delight but also a nourishing delicacy, known for their benefits in providing calcium, and enhancing skin health.

Yongjia Rice Field Fish

The practice of cultivating fish in rice field in Yongjia county has a history of 1700 years. The fish boasts a delicate and delicious flesh, rich in nutrients, without any earthy or muddy taste. The unique feature of preparing the fish includes retaining the fish scales.

Stewed Old Duck with Dendrobium

The unique geographical environment of Yandang Mountain in Yueqing city is highly conducive to the growth of Dendrobium, which has a cold nature and a sweet taste, with effects such as aiding digestion, generating bodily fluids, nourishing Yin, and clearing heat. While duck meat possesses cooling properties and rich nutrients, making it suitable for “cooling replenishment”. Combining the benefits of both ingredients, the dish serves as a therapeutic delicacy. The resulting soup is clear yet flavorful, nourishing but not dry. This dish has the effects of tonifying Qi and blood, nourishing yin and clearing heat, regulating body function and enhancing immune system.