The first dish is Jishui Stewed Duck. It is made in a unique way, using ducks from Taihu Lake, each of which should be washed and soaked in water, and then marinated for more than 30 minutes by adding ginger, green onion, cooking wine and other seasonings that can remove fishy smell. The marinated duck is put into the hot pot pot, and then a variety of Chinese herbs such as star anise, grass fruits, cinnamon, peppercorns, etc. are added, and simmered for about 1 hour until it becomes flavorful. The duck meat is tender and the soup is rich and very flavorful, making it a representative dish of Jishui.
The second dish is Jishui Spare Ribs with Bamboo Shoots. This dish combines the freshness of local bamboo shoots and the tenderness of pork ribs, with a delicate flavor and rich nutrition. To make it, blanch the ribs and then fish them out, start the pot with onion, ginger, red dates, star anise and other seasonings, and simmer until the ribs are flavorful. Then cut the tops of the bamboo shoots into julienne or flower shape, and simmer with the ribs and soup, so that the bamboo shoots and ribs are fully intermingled, and the flavor is more intense.
The final dish is Jishui's deep-fried stinky tofu. Jishui's stinky tofu has a very refreshing taste, with a golden color and a crispy, tender interior. This stinky tofu is made by soaking soybeans in lime and sand for 48 hours, then drying them in the sun and grinding them into powder, sieving them with water, salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and flour, and then deep-frying them in small pieces. This stinky tofu crispy texture, flavorful, mouth to die.