Fujian cuisine, also called Min Cai for short, holds an important position in China’s culinary art. Fujian’s economy and culture began flourishing after the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). During the middleQing Dynasty around 18th century, famous Fujian officials and literati promoted the Fujian cuisine so it gradually spread to other parts of China.
Fujian Cuisine has four distinctive features, that is, fine cutting techniques, various soups, unique seasonings, and exquisite cooking. Thanks to the abundant resources of marine products, the soup of this cuisine genre has its freshness and keeps its own savor with ease. The seasonings add sweet and sour flavors to the dishes. To add to its appeal the food is served in or on elegant bowls or plates.
Fujian cuisine comprises three branches — Fuzhou, South Fujian and West Fujian. There are slight differences among them. Fuzhou dishes, quite popular in eastern, central and northern Fujian Province, are more fresh, delicious, and less salty, sweet, and sour; South Fujian dishes, popular in Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou and the golden triangle of South Fujian, are sweet and hot and use hot sauces, custard, and orange juice as flavorings; West Fujian dishes are salty and hot, prevailing in Hakka region with strong local flavor. As Fujian people emigrate overseas, their cuisine become popular in Taiwan and abroad. Generally speaking, Fujian dishes are slightly sweet and sour, and less salty, and often use the red distiller’s grain for flavoring.
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