I remember that during the fight against the epidemic last year, when the 13 prefecture-level cities in Jiangsu supported Hubei, they were jokingly called "Jiangsu Thirteen Taibao", "Bulk Jiangsu", etc. by netizens. Although the word "bulk" may not sound good, it is actually netizens' affirmation of the hard power of Jiangsu cities. "Bulk is like a sky full of stars, and when gathered is like a ball of fire" is the most appropriate description, right? I recently traveled to Suzhou and went to a five-star hotel for a banquet with my friends. What we had was a canal banquet. Guess what? "Bulk Jiangsu" gathered at this banquet.

First, let me briefly introduce this hotel. It is the Tantai Lake Hotel located in Wuzhong District, Suzhou. It is a five-star hotel with a good local reputation. This canal banquet is a creative banquet created by their family and cannot be eaten anywhere else. As a matter of fact, during my travels in the past two years, I have had many special banquets in various places, but most of the special banquets are just piles of local dishes, and this canal banquet is located in the eight cities where the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal flows through Jiangsu. It represents famous dishes with richer tastes and characteristics.

You must know that the Grand Canal of China is a "World Heritage" and has given birth to a profound cultural heritage. Among them, the Grand Canal in Jiangsu has a total length of 690 kilometers. It is the province with the longest waterway, the most cultural heritage, the best preservation condition and the highest utilization rate of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. And the dishes on this table are part of the cultural elements. The eight cities through which the Grand Canal flows in Jiangsu are: Suzhou, Yangzhou, Changzhou, Wuxi, Huai'an, Suqian, Xuzhou, and Zhenjiang. It is worth mentioning that this Tantai Lake Hotel is located on the bank of the Suzhou Canal.

The dishes of this canal banquet include four appetizers, eight cold dishes, twelve hot dishes, and three snacks. It is a bit tedious to introduce them one by one, so I will take the ones that I think are the most distinctive. Let’s have a chat!

Because we are in Suzhou, let’s first take a look at Suzhou’s five pieces! Looking at the name, I don’t think you can guess what’s in it. It’s made from whole meat, whole duck, pigeon, hoof, and roasted meat, slowly simmered over low heat for 8 hours, and it must be stewed in a large casserole to make it fragrant! This dish’s excellent ingredients make it look like it’s prepared for the Chinese New Year, that’s right! It is an old tradition to eat five pieces of food during the Chinese New Year in Suzhou, because the five ingredients have the good fortune of "good luck, wealth, longevity, happiness and wealth". But now that living standards have improved, eating this dish is no longer just for Chinese New Year! The soup is milky white, delicious, and full of collagen, right?

In addition, the Suzhou famous dishes in the canal banquet include chrysanthemum hot pot, gold and silver Ruyi, colorful glutinous rice balls that are popular in the Taihu Lake Basin, etc., which also have very good meanings and are related to the five pieces. Different approaches but similar results.

As one of the birthplaces of Huaiyang cuisine, Yangzhou may be recognized as the most delicious city in Jiangsu, right? I live in Changzhou and I like to go to Yangzhou for morning tea whenever I have the chance. Among them, crab meat lion head and Wensi tofu are both well-known dishes in Yangzhou. As a state banquet, Huaiyang cuisine is called exquisite, which is vividly reflected in the Wensi tofu dish, because it requires the chef's knife skills to be particularly high. This soup The soup is light, white, and melts in your mouth. A bowl or two before a big meal will definitely whet your appetite.

I don’t think I need to say more about the reputation of Crab Meat Lion Head, it is extremely famous! The authentic crab meat lion head is large, round, tender and fresh, with a soft texture, fat but not greasy. More importantly, there must be no less crab meat in it. It is not a problem if it is fresh and makes your eyebrows fall off. Come, let me open the crab meat lion head at Tantai Lake Hotel for everyone to see! Isn’t it tempting to eat enough crab meat?

Please allow me to selfishly recommend the Changzhou cuisine where I live to everyone. There are two Changzhou dishes in this canal banquet, namely scallion oil winter bamboo shoots and Tianmu Lake fish head, both of which come from Changzhou. Liyang City is under the jurisdiction of the city. Liyang produces bamboo and has the Nanshan Bamboo Sea Scenic Area. Tianmu Lake is also a national 5A-level scenic spot with an excellent ecological environment. It is this natural environment that provides excellent ingredients for these two dishes. The winter bamboo shoots with scallion oil in the Canal Banquet is a cold dish. Not only is it delicious, but the photoshoot also restores the original appearance of the bamboo shoots, making it very beautiful.

The city of Xuzhou is somewhat different from the overall style of Jiangsu. Its geographical location is also more meaningful. If I take the high-speed rail from Nanjing, the provincial capital, to Xuzhou, I have to pass through Anhui Province and then enter Jiangsu to get to Xuzhou. . In terms of lifestyle and eating habits, it is more similar to neighboring Anhui and Shandong. But Xuzhou is also known as "Pengcheng" and is the hometown of Peng Zu. You must know that Peng Zu is the ancestor of chefs, so how can the food in Xuzhou not be delicious? This fruity beef rib looks very rough and solid, very much like the style of Xuzhou people. How can you not enjoy it?

Finally, let’s have another staple dish! Qianlong tribute cake should be mentioned. It can also be regarded as carrying an important part of the canal culture. It was named in 1757, when Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited Jiangnan for the second time. It is said that this kind of shortbread has entered the imperial dining room in the Tang Dynasty. The folk history is not sure of its accuracy, but this kind of shortbread is really delicious, especially when it is still steaming hot on the table! Fragrant, crispy, crispy and translucent, the aroma of sesame seeds when freshly cooked is irreplaceable, and it will break into pieces when it touches your lips. Please handle it with care when eating, and avoid scalding your mouth with the filling.

All in all, people’s living conditions are now better. It is no longer difficult to enjoy New Year celebrations and delicacies that were only available to dignitaries in the past. This canal banquet is the best proof. It is precisely because living conditions have improved that more and more people are eating delicious food not only for taste, but also for cultural heritage.

If you have traveled to the above-mentioned cities, you must not miss the local delicacies. If you happen to come to Suzhou, you can also come to Tantai Lake Hotel to "catch them all", haha!