Jiangxi Cuisine is also called Gan Cuisine as Gan (赣) in Chinese stands for Jiangxi Province. Jiangxi cuisine has a long history and inherits the dishes of past centuries developing into the unique native dishes (these were previously the favourite dishes of famous ancient poets and celebrities) with strong provincial characteristics. Jiangxi Cuisine consists of local dishes of Ganzhou, Poyanghu, Nanchang, Jiujiang, Jindezhen and the mountainous regions of Jinggangshan. Xunyang Fish Banquet (Xunyang Yuxi, 浔阳鱼席) is a typical Jiujiang local dish, which is rich in colour, strong, spicy but tastes slightly greasy whereas Nanchang dishes are characterised by the colour and shape. Dishes of mountainous regions focus on the duration of cooking and maintaining the original taste. In particular, special local products are widely popular. There are various kinds of Jiangxi local snacks and pastries cooked by different methods, all of which have their own characteristics. Most Jiangxi dishes use similar cooking techniques.
Local specialities are used as the main raw materials and the selection is extremely refined and strict. The cutting skills are also very refined as well as the blending of colour to emphasise the finished dishes. Cooking duration is of major importance and the cuisine is adept at braising, sautéing, stewing, simmering and steaming. Among these, steaming with glutinous rice is a unique characteristic. For instance, Steamed Pork with Glutinous Rice Flour (Fen Zheng Rou, 粉蒸肉), Steamed Intestines with Glutinous Rice Flour (Fen Zheng, Dachang, 粉蒸大肠) are very typical. Soy sauce, chopped chilli, white sugar, cooking wine, chopped shallots, grated ginger, monosodium glutamate, pepper and other flavourings are used to retain the original flavours so that they taste uniquely aromatic. Jiangxi dishes focus on the original flavours and tend to be soft, tender, crispy, savoury but not at all greasy.
Due to the spiciness, the dishes are close to Hunan and Sichuan dishes. However, Jiangxi dishes focus mainly on the cooking processes. In terms of cutting skills, there are eighteen varieties and three categories in total. The sliced materials should be equal in length and thickness and the raw materials blended to enhance the nutritional value and medicinal herbs included where possible. High protein and low fat are major considerations for ingredient selection and flour or starch is used when thickening. Seasoning and cooking timing are also of vital importance. After the dishes are cooked, fine cutleries are selected to improve the overall shape of the finished dishes. Meanwhile, trays of irregular shapes might be utilized to emphasize the theme so as to stimulate the guests’ appetite. There are the detailed sequences with which to serve the dishes all containing corresponding scientific theories. For instance, hot dishes are normally served after cold ones, strong tasting dishes after light and sweet after salty.
Famous Jiangxi dishes are Stewed Chicken with Three Cups of Sauce (Sanbei Zaiji, 三杯仔鸡), Steamed Streaky Pork with Soy Sauce and Cooking Wine (Xiang Zhi Rou, 香质肉) , Braised Pork with Bamboo Shoots (Dongsun Ganshao Rou, 冬笋干烧肉), Sautéed Preserved Pork with Artemisia Selengensis Turcz (Lihao Chao Larou, 藜蒿炒腊肉), Steamed Streaky Pork and Spare Ribs with Glutinous Rice Flour (Yuanlong Chuanban Rou, 原笼船板肉), Braised Shredded Herring (Xunyang Yupian, 浔阳鱼片) , Deep Fried Frog (Zha Shi Ji, 炸石鸡) , Steamed Deep Fried Tofu with Meat Fillings (Xingguo Doufu, 兴国豆腐) , Steamed Beef with Rice Flour (Mifen Niurou, 米粉牛肉) , Boiled Wonton and Noodles (Jinxian Diao Hulu, 金线吊葫芦), Steamed Daikon Dumplings with Pork and Fish (Xinfeng Luobo Jiao, 信丰萝卜饺), Zhangshu Wonton (Zhangshu Baomian, 樟树包面) , Huangyuan Glutinous Rice Cake (Huangyuan Miguo, 黄元米果).
Main Dishes
Quick-fried Lushan Fish with Egg (Shiyu Chaodan, 石鱼炒蛋)
Lushan fish is a speciality of Lushan Mountain and lives in the streams and waterfalls. The fish is small, long and slightly flat. It tastes delicious, tender and full of flavour. This dish is very fresh, looking crispy and golden on the outside and soft tender on the inside.
Sautéed Preserved Pork with Artemisia Selengensis Turcz (Lihao Chao Larou, 藜蒿炒腊肉)
Artemisia Selengensis (Ligao, 藜蒿) is a type of green vegetable which has a special fragrance. Normally, its stalk is edible and has a crunchy bite. When cooked with meat, it is extremely delicious and delightful. This dish is a famous Jiangxi local dish.
Braised Frog, Lushan Style (Lushan Shiji, 庐山石鸡)
From the Chinese name, you might get the wrong impression that the dish uses a type of home-grown chicken. However, it is not chicken but a reddish frog that lives inside caves or beneath the rocks in Lushan Mountain. The frog is reddish brown, has small front legs and strong rear legs. It rests in the cave during the day and hunts for food at night. Its shape is similar to that of ordinary frogs but bigger and having more flesh. Such frogs weigh about three or four Liang (Chinese weight unit, one Liang = 50 gram) and some are even bigger weighing about 0.5 kilograms. It is as tender and delicious as chicken which is how the dish got its name.
Stewed Chicken with Fermented Rice Wine (Sanbei Zaiji, 三杯仔鸡)
The dish is dark reddish brown, fresh, aromatic and full of flavour and is a good accompaniment whilst drinking beer. Spring chicken is ideal for this dish because the flesh accounts for 60% of the total weight and it is rich in protein. Thus, the meat of spring chicken has high nutritional value and is easily digested. The meat also has the function of strengthening the body and enhancing the brain. It is an excellent cure for various diseases, such as malnutrition, weak resistance to the cold, weariness, menoxenia, anaemia and impotence. Chinese medicine believes that chicken meat has multiple functions, like invigorating the body, curing deficiencies, strengthening the spleen and stomach, promoting blood circulation and enhancing the bones and muscles.
Simmered Soup Casserole (Waguan Weitang, 瓦罐煨汤)
This soup is a typical dish of Jiangxi Cuisine, with a history of more than a thousand years. The casserole cooking pot is three metres in height. Inside the pot, there are several smaller jars placed layer upon layer, which respectively hold home-grown chicken, snake, turtle, gastrodia tuber, mushrooms and other raw materials. Beneath the exterior of the crockery pot, charcoal is burnt at a constant temperature to allow the soup to simmer for as long as seven hours. Because the jars are heated by the intense vapour drawn up through the clay walls, they simmer gently avoiding direct heating which creates a thick, aromatic and restorative soup. After all the soups are cooked and served, the tinfoil covers are removed from the jars revealing a fantastic aroma. The savoury fresh soup produced in this way is extremely thick and delicious. The secret of such great flavours lies in the pots ability to absorb water, permeate air and control the temperature. The raw materials are simmered in sealed jars at a low temperature for such a long time that the nutritional elements are fully dispersed. Thus, the soups are soft, tender, delicious and fragrant whilst maintaining the original taste.
Sautéed Preserved Pork with Huangyuan Glutinous Rice Cake (Huangyuan Miguo Chao Larou, 黄元米果(黄粄)炒腊肉)
This is a special food of the Hakka people who live in Ganzhou. Dahe glutinous rice uniquely grown in Jiangxi is the main raw material. The finished dish is golden, soft and tasty.
Braised Shredded Herring (Xunyang Yupian, 浔阳鱼片)
Many Jiujiang snacks, such as Stewed Fish Fillets in Brown Sauce, have close relation with fish. This dish uses herring as its main ingredient and has the functions of replenishing vital energy and dispelling the cold, nourishing the spleen and stomach and promoting digestion. People, who are deficient in vital energy and have problems associated with the spleen or stomach or who suffer from anorexia could benefit from this dish.
Snacks
Drinks
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