Anhui cuisine first originated in the Huizhou area during the Southern Song Dynasty.

After the precipitation of time and the evolution of history, Hui cuisine was finally formed, which is a general term for Southern Anhui cuisine, Wanjiang cuisine, Hefei cuisine, Huainan cuisine, and Northern Anhui cuisine, represented by Huizhou cuisine, which brings together delicious food from all over Anhui.

In 2018, the China Cuisine Association released regional classic dishes in Chinese cuisine to the world for the first time, including 10 traditional dishes from Anhui, and they were promoted to the world stage.

Next, Lanmiao will tell you, what are these 10 famous Anhui dishes?

How many have you eaten?

Bagong Mountain, located in Huainan City, Anhui Province, was the main activity place of Liu An, King of Huainan during the Han Dynasty.

According to legend, Huainan King Liu An tried to make the elixir of life at the foot of Bagong Mountain in Anhui Province using spring water, tofu and salt brine from Bagong Mountain.

As a result, the elixir was not made, but tofu was accidentally invented.

Therefore, Bagong Mountain is also known as the birthplace of Chinese tofu.

Since it is a famous Anhui dish, this tofu dish is naturally indispensable.

Different from ordinary tofu, the production process of Bagongshan tofu is very particular. It must use mountain spring water and soybeans in the Bagongshan area. It is made through a series of processes such as material selection, soaking, grinding and separation, boiling and coagulation.

.

The finished Bagongshan tofu is as white as jade, has a tender texture, and tastes much better than ordinary tofu.

When it comes to the most poetic cuisine in the world, I think Chinese food must rank first.

Not to mention the composition of the ingredients and the presentation of the dishes, just the names of the dishes can make people feel an oncoming cultural atmosphere.

Lao Ben Huaizhu is a very classic Anhui dish.

The ingredients of this dish are also ever-changing, including a combination of river clams and shrimps, a combination of soft-shell turtle and quail eggs, and a combination of soft-shell turtle, mandarin fish balls and pigeon eggs.

In addition to the main ingredients, 7 to 8 auxiliary ingredients are also used. From soup making, to ingredient preparation, to cooking, plating, and presentation, every step is very particular.

Just making the soup takes 5 hours.

The finished dish that is finally served on the table looks like a work of art at first glance, and it tastes extremely delicious.

The great writer Hu Shi was a native of Shangzhuang, Jixi, Anhui. When entertaining guests, he often served Shangzhuang's Yipinguo as a must-have dish, and the guests were full of praise after tasting it.

Over time, this dish slowly spread and was given a name with a special meaning, Hu Shi Yipin Hotpot.

Hu Shi's Yipin Hot Pot is a combination dish that requires several steps of cutting, adding soup and stewing, with the ingredients layered on top of each other.

For example, the higher-end Yipin hot pot can add up to 6 layers of ingredients.

It is said that Liang Shiqiu, the son-in-law of Jixi, made this comment after tasting Hu Shi's first-class hot pot, "A large iron pot with a diameter of about two feet, one layer of chicken, one layer of duck, one layer of meat and one layer of oiled tofu, dotted with a layer of eggs."

The roll is made of skin with radish and green vegetables at the bottom, and it tastes great."

Honey-glazed red taro is a traditional dish originating from the Huaibei region of Anhui Province. It is also a famous beet that often appears in local banquets in Anhui.

The "red taro" in the name of the dish refers to the red sweet potato.

During the cooking process, you need to wash and peel the sweet potatoes first, cut them into olive shapes with both ends, then put them into rock sugar water and boil them with honey.

After simmering over low heat, the red taro is covered with thick soup. Place them one by one on the plate to form a flower shape, and then pour the original pot of soup over them.

When cooked, the honey-glazed red taro has an attractive color and is translucent. It is sweet and fresh when you take a bite, and it also has the implication that life will become sweeter as time goes by.

For food with the word "stinky" in its name, the first thing I think of is Hunan's stinky tofu.

In fact, in the Huizhou region of Anhui Province, there is also a famous traditional dish with the word "stinky" in its name - Huizhou stinky mandarin fish.

At first glance, the name of this dish makes people want to blacklist it.

But if you take a closer look, you will see that it is actually a rare and delicious food.

The reason why it is called "stinky" mandarin fish is because the mandarin fish used in this dish is not fresh mandarin fish, but marinated mandarin fish.

Slightly fermented mandarin fish has a special smell, but this is also its characteristic.

After the mandarin fish has been marinated in salt or meat marinade and cooked in hot oil, the smell will disappear and be replaced by a delicious aroma.

Fire-baked fish originates from Wanjiang cuisine (along the Yangtze River cuisine) in Anhui cuisine. It uses the local smoking process of "fire-baking".

This dish mostly uses herring as the main ingredient. After cleaning the fish, marinate it for about an hour, and then smoke the surface until it turns yellow.

Add seasonings to the smoked fish and simmer in the pot.

During the cooking process of fire-baked fish, multiple processes such as pickling, smoking, braising, and stewing are used.

The fire-baked fish has a unique smoky flavor after being taken out of the oven, and the fish meat is full of fragrance. The skin is crispy and the meat is tender when you take a bite. It is even more delicious when paired with vinegar.

It is said that after tasting it, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty once praised it, "The surrounding scenery of Luoling Bay is beautiful, and the delicacies of Xian Weng's hometown are stewed. The fish is roasted with a pure fragrance and a unique fire, the first taste of Jiangnan cuisine."

Li Hongzhang's chowder is a famous dish originating from Hefei, Anhui Province. It was created during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty and is closely related to Li Hongzhang, a famous minister in the late Qing Dynasty.

It is said that when Li Hongzhang visited the United States, he invited guests to dine at the embassy.