If we trace back to its origins, the food in Huai'an has emerged since the pre-Qin Dynasty.

"Shang Shu.

The "Huaiyi sea beads and fish" in "Yu Gong" refers to the fact that during the time of Xia Yu, the tribal residents in the lower reaches of the Huaihe River had already used clam beads and fish as tribute.

Since fish is used as a tribute, it is probably related to the Huaiyi people's understanding of the delicacy of fish and their ability to make delicious fish.

During the Western Han Dynasty, Mei Cheng, a native of Huai'an, wrote a famous poem "Qi Fa", in which a guest from Wu persuaded the prince of Chu to taste the world's delicacies. The delicacies involved include bamboo shoots and cattails with calf belly, and stone ear and dog meat soup.

, stewed bear paws, five-flavor blended sauce, roasted animal backbone thin slices, carp wont, cooked pheasant, cooked leopard fetus, cooked autumn vegetables, etc.

Through the Tang and Song Dynasties, "Huai Baiyu" became more and more famous and was frequently praised by poets.

For example, Mei Yaochen's "Yang Gongyi received Ying Renhui's dross and left it to Yang Shutian" said: "Zeng Mi enjoyed it all alone. But he knew that he would not forget his righteousness and shared his legacy with our party." Because of the payment to his friend, the water shield soup

, and can be made with Chu Zao Zao, both of which are delicious and refreshing.

Mei Yaochen also had a poem that said: "Why eat fish, why eat river bream? There is a poet who is better than Xingchang. The frost scales of Huaipu are more plump and beautiful, and whoever presses the scales on the wine will blister the sheep." The poet thinks that Zaohuaibai is very "voluptuous and beautiful"

, as a snack that can rival mutton dishes, it is a favorite.

Su Dongpo also had a similar meaning: "Three years ago, the capital was tired of Artemisia truncatula, and it was always envious of the Huai fish that overwhelmed the Chu grains." ("To Sun Xinlao"), he had a constant longing for the delicious taste of the Chu Huai white fish.

In addition to Mei and Su, Yang Wanli also has several poems about Huaibai fish. For example, "Eating Huaibai Fish for the First Time" says: "Huaibai must be boiled in Huai water, which is contrary to the boiling water in the south of the Yangtze River. Frost blows and all the willow leaves fall."

Fish eat snowflakes to relieve fat. It is not bad to lie drunk on a high hill. The taste of salt and soy sauce is completely gone. Don't offer goat cheese to people for dinner. Note: Huai people say that white fish eat snow to get fat.

"It is precisely because of the popularity of Huaibai fish that a variety of Huaibai fish dishes are sold in Lin'an City, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. "Huaibai fish cooked in wine" has become a famous dish in the palace of the Southern Song Dynasty.

》).

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the salt industry in the Lianghuai River (the two areas south of the Huai River and the area north of the Huai River) was quite developed and it was the largest salt area in the country.

In the process of operating the salt industry, salt merchants from all walks of life have invested huge amounts of money, making them "as rich as the country."

In order to communicate with the government and business entertainment, coupled with the need to show off their wealth and enjoy themselves in time, many salt merchants "clothes and houses are extremely luxurious; the food and drink utensils are equipped with craftsmanship; the actors and actresses perform music, dance and sing; banquets and games

, There is no time for it...arrogance and extravagance have become commonplace. This is true for salt merchants everywhere, especially in Huaiyang. "It is worth noting that due to the improvement of consumption levels, business competition, and the creation of chefs, Qing Dynasty has become a common practice.

The famous "whole sheep mat" and "whole eel mat" appeared in Huaian.

It can be seen that the level of Huai'an chefs in the late Qing Dynasty was indeed very high. They were not only good at using a variety of cooking methods, but also flexible in seasoning, which made Huai'an eel banquet and Qingjiang whole lamb banquet the most important in the history of food.

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The development of Huai'an banquets reached a climax.

"Huai'an Prefecture Chronicles" during the Wanli Period of the Ming Dynasty records: "Huai'an's food is luxurious, the system is exquisite, and the shops have hundreds of products, boasting Jiangbiao." This "system" includes banquet specifications and rules.

It is recorded in "Huai'an Prefecture Chronicles" during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty: "North of the Shejiang River, banquets are very popular, and Huai'an is the most popular. Folks invite distinguished guests, furnish the abbot, play music, and Zhenshi's hundreds of delicacies. A banquet costs

Count gold." During the Qianlong and Jiaqing years, there are more records about Huaiyang banquets.

Huaian's pickled crabs and drunken crabs were also famous in the Qing Dynasty.

According to the "Suiyuan Food List Supplement": "The pickled crabs are best in the Huaihe River, so they are called Huai crabs. Those who are drunk with good wine and pepper are called drunken crabs. They turn yellow to purple, have a light and fresh oil taste, and are far away from the Huaihe River.

"On top of crabs." The crabs produced in the Huaihe River were famous as late as the Song Dynasty and were sold to Yangzhou and Lin'an.

However, the records of using Huai crabs to make pickled crabs and drunken crabs are relatively late.

Although it is later, it is very precious.

In the Qing Dynasty, there were some non-vegetarian dishes and non-vegetarian food that were also famous in the Huai'an area.

Such as "Qin Gong Meatballs", "Gaogou Tied Hoof", "raw smoked white fish", "wind white fish", "radish shredded crucian carp soup", "snowy winter pheasant", "fork roasted recipe", "Hongze

"Roasted Goose", "Huangji Stewed Lamb", "Dockside Mutton", "Crispy Grilled Crucian Carp", "Wenlou Egg", "Stewed Horseshoe Turtle", "Boiled Huaihe Catfish", "Crystal Shrimp Cake"... Qing

There are also famous vegetables in Huaian dishes.

For example, "Kai Yang Braised Pu Cai" and "Stewed Pu Cai with Chicken Oil" made with Pu Cai as raw materials are famous for their fresh fragrance.

There were also many famous Huai'an pastries in the Qing Dynasty.

According to "Yangzhou Painted Boat Records", "Huai Dumplings" had become a famous product in the Yangzhou market as early as the Qianlong period.

In addition, Huai'an tea dumplings and Huai'an Wenlou soup dumplings are also exquisitely made and have excellent flavor.

To sum up, ancient Huai'an cuisine indeed has a long history, rich ingredients, exquisite preparation, diverse flavors and many famous products.

Therefore, by the end of the Qing Dynasty, "Qing Ye Lei Chao" wrote: "The dishes with distinctive characteristics are those in the capital, Shandong, Sichuan, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangning, Suzhou, Zhenjiang, Yangzhou, and Huai'an." Huai'an has become a mature city.

It became one of the important cuisine schools in China at that time.

As for the future exchange and integration of Huai'an and Yangzhou cuisines to form flavor schools, that is another matter.