Henan Cuisine, or Yu Cuisine has different characteristics throughout the region. In the middle braised dishes, in the west, the water banquet, in the south stewed dishes and in the north wheat produce. The cooking methods of Henan Cuisine require the strict selection of raw materials, good soup making skills and fine cutting techniques to produce a flavoursome taste. There are over fifty kinds of cooking methods, such as braising, sautéing, frying, stewing, quick-frying, stir-frying and deep-frying, among which braised dishes are especially unique. An old saying goes that the braised dishes are thickened by cooking techniques instead of using starch. Meanwhile, quick-fried dishes are normally cooked over an intense fire using an extremely hot pan. The finished dish tastes tender and looks slightly milky in colour.
Henan Cuisine has developed due to its locally grown and rare produce. In the western mountainous regions of Henan, Hericium erinaceus, antlers, fern, morel and mushroom are very rich. In the north of Henan province, nationally famous Huaiqing yam, broad-back crucian, Baiquan eel and Qinghua bamboo shoots are quite diverse. In the south of Henan, shrimps, fish, poultry and eggs are abundant. Some historic sayings are widely known across the nation. For instance, “Carp from the Luohe River and gurnard from the Yihe River are as expensive as sheep or even cows”. “Carps from the Yellow River are very rich in nutrients, particularly in Kaifeng City.
In selecting raw materials for cooking Henan Cuisine, there are some old sayings. For instance, carp one chi (Chinese length unit, one chi=1/3 meter) in length and Crucian 8 inches in length are the best choice to make fish dishes. Chicken eaten at harvest time are the most delicious and fish served in October of the Chinese lunar calendar is the most delicious whereas eel and turtle are always served in March and April of each year. From the perspective of cutting skills, Henan Cuisine traditionally focuses on precision cutting, even slicing, fine chopping and engraving. The local cook traditionally uses the front end of a kitchen knife when cutting, the back of the blade when chopping, the middle for slicing, the shaft for smashing the garlic and the back side for grinding. Thus a single kitchen knife has multiple functions.
Meanwhile, Henan cuisine normally uses matching food for its dishes. Matching food contains yearly or seasonal produce and are complemented with either big or small pieces according to the size and shape, such as diced, sliced, grated and chopped, minced, mashed and puréed. Sometime they even say “make a dish according to the matching food”.
Main Dishes
Water Banquet (Shuixi, 水席)
The characteristics of Henan Water Banquet (Shuixi, 水席) are as follows. First, meat and vegetables are widely used as the raw materials including birds, land animals, fish and vegetables. Water banquets are accessible for most budgets but the content and complexity will govern the price of the meal. Second, the dishes with soup are flavoursome and tasty being either, sweet, salty, spicy or sour. Third, there is certain sequence in which the dishes are served.
The so-called Water Banquet has two meanings. First, all of the hot dishes contain soup. Second, only after one hot dish is eaten will another hot dish be served. The sequence is just like the water in a stream. The entire banquet comprises of twenty-four courses, namely eight cold courses, four meat dishes, eight vegetable dishes and another four served at the end of the meal. Therefore, hot and cold dishes, meat and vegetables, sweet and sour, spicy and hot are all considered. The sequence of serving the dishes is very refined. Eight cold dishes, among which each is assorted meat and vegetable dishes, are served to accompany wine drinking. There are sixteen types of patterns in terms of the mixing of meat and vegetables in total. After the guests have toasted for the third time, four hot meat dishes are served. During the intervals two vegetable dishes are brought to the table to accompany the meat dishes. This is nicknamed “A Father and His Two Sons Going to the Royal Court” (Daizi Shangchao, 带子上朝). Last of all, the four remaining meals which end the banquet are served among which is egg soup or farewell soup (Songke Tang, 送客汤) , meaning that all the dishes have been served. When hot dishes are served, there must be soup on the table. Dishes made with duck, chicken, red meat, fresh seafood, mushrooms and vegetables are all extremely delicious and delightful. The cooking and cutting techniques, slicing, shredding, striping, dicing, frying and sautéing are all truly unique.
Braised Beef, Nanyang Style (Nanyang Huangniu Rou 南阳黄牛肉)
As a cold dish, it tastes more delicious than other beef dishes since the selection of raw materials and cooking skills are more refined. The meat is bright red and rich in colour. It is extremely tender, savoury and flavoursome.
Braised Carp in Sweet and Sour Sauce with Noodles (Tangcu Liu Huanghe Liyu Beimian, 糖醋熘黄河鲤鱼焙面)
The selection of raw materials for this dish is very strict and the cooking techniques applied are refined. It is recommended that a carp weighing about 0.5 kilograms, living in the Yellow River stretching from Heigangkou, Kaifeng City to east Lankao is used where such carp tastes fresh and tender. After the fish is cleaned and gutted, the carp is carved into a cross-shaped pattern and deep-fried in hot oil until cooked. White sugar, vinegar, grated ginger and cooking wine and salt are put into the saucepan, together with water, until it’s fully mixed. Then the fish is added and thickened with starch.
Deep Fried Noodles (Bei Mian, 焙面) or Dragon Beard Noodles (Longxu Mian, 龙须面) was originally boiled but gradually it evolved and became deep fried noodles. It tastes crispy and can be served with sweet and sour sauce and other assorted ingredients. As a consequence it is now commonly called Deep Fried Noodles (Bei Mian, 焙面).
Steamed Shredded Daikon (Mudan Yancai, 牡丹燕菜)
As a unique Luoyang local dish, this dish was originally called “Fake Bird’s Nest Dish” (Jia Yan Cai, 假燕菜). It comprises of shredded daikon and resembles that of a bird’s nest.
Stir-fried Yellow Yolk with Sugar and Starch (Chao Sanbuzhan, 炒三不粘)
This dish, also known as Guihua Dan (桂花蛋), is a famous traditional Anyang dish and is legendary amongst the dishes in Henan since it has always been the winner of national cooking competitions. Egg yolk is stir-fried along with sweet-scented osmanthus, sugar, starch and fine pigs fat. The finished dish doesn’t stick to the pan, tray or chop sticks, thus, nicknamed Stir-fried Three “Non-stick” (Chao San Bu Zhan, 炒三不沾). The dish has a vibrant colour, the smell is appetizing and the taste is delicious, flavoursome and sweet.
Braised Pork Skin with Egg Yolk (Guihua Pisi, 桂花皮丝)
There are various cooking methods to make this dish, such as braising, sautéing, stewing and Stir-frying. There are also numerous raw materials that can produce more than twenty or more kinds of dishes. This dish in particular comprises of shredded skin of pork and egg yolk resembling that of sweet-scented osmanthus which is bright and orange. This dish is uniquely appealing and has a savoury feel.
Stewed Four Birds Soup (Tao Sibao, 套四宝)
This is a traditional dish in the city of Kaifeng. Duck, chicken, pigeon and partridge are utilised to make this complicated but marvellously prestigious Henan dish. After the bones are removed, the four types of fowl are placed layer upon layer using blue and white porcelain soup trays, thus, enjoying the four delicacies one after the other. The entire duck floats in the soup, leaving a lingering taste that is bright and tasty, light and fresh and highly impressive.
Deep Fried Streaky Pork (Zha Zi Surou, 炸紫酥肉)
This is a famous dish in the city of Kaifeng, with a history of more than one hundred years its name originates from the cooking method and colour of the finished dish. The finished dish looks brown and yellow, bright and red, crispy outside and tender inside, a little bit fat but not at all greasy. Streaky pork as the main raw material is boiled, marinated, steamed and repeatedly deep-fried enhancing the flavours for a more delicious experience.
Snacks
Drinks
Xinyang Maojian Tea (信阳毛尖)
Su Shi, one of the most influential poets who lived in ancient China’s Song dynasty, once vowed: “Xinyang Maojian, the best green tea around.” What makes Xinyang Maojian so special is that the way its tea leaves are collected. Because it grows on the mountains of Xinyang city, Henan province, manufacturers often have to climb up to 500-800 metres above sea-level to collect the finest Maojian tea. After winning innumerable prizes domestically from the past, Xinyang Maojian has been exported to many foreign countries.
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