I remember that during the anti-epidemic period last year, thirteen prefecture-level cities in Jiangsu were nicknamed "Jiangsu Thirteen Pacific Insurance" and "Bulk Jiangsu" by netizens when they supported Hubei. Although the word "bulk" doesn't sound very good, it is actually a netizen's affirmation of the hard power of Jiangsu cities. "Scattering is all over the sky, gathering is a fire" is the most appropriate description, right? I recently traveled to Suzhou and went to a five-star hotel with my friends for a banquet. I ate a canal banquet. Guess what? "Bulk Jiangsu" was gathered at this banquet.

First of all, briefly introduce this hotel, which is the Dan Tai Lake Hotel in Wuzhong District, Suzhou, and it is a five-star hotel with a good local reputation. This canal banquet is a creative banquet created by their family and can't be eaten anywhere else. There is a saying that in the last two years, there have been many special banquets in various places, but most of the special banquets are just a pile of local dishes, and this canal banquet is a representative dish of the eight cities where the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal flows in Jiangsu, with richer tastes and characteristics.

You should know that the Grand Canal in China is a "world heritage" and has given birth to a profound cultural heritage. Among them, the Grand Canal in Jiangsu is 691 kilometers long, which is the province with the longest waterway, the most cultural heritage, the best preservation and the highest utilization rate on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. And this table of dishes is one 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 Dan Tai Lake Hotel is located on the bank of Suzhou Canal.

The dishes of this Canal Banquet include four appetizers, eight cold dishes, twelve hot dishes and three snacks. It's a little tedious to introduce them one by one, so I'll talk about some dishes that I think are the most distinctive!

because in Suzhou, let's first look at the five pieces of Suzhou! I don't think you can guess what's in it by looking at the name. It's made of whole muscle, whole duck, pigeon, hoof, and fire for 8 hours, and it must be stewed in a big casserole! The excellent ingredients of this dish are prepared for the Chinese New Year at first glance, yes! It's an old tradition to eat five pieces in Suzhou for the New Year, because the five ingredients also have the good color of "Fu Lu Shou Xi Cai". It's just that the living standard has improved now, and eating this dish is no longer just a Spring Festival! The soup is milky white and delicious. Is it full of collagen?

In addition, Suzhou famous dishes in the Canal Banquet, such as Chrysanthemum Warm Pot, Gold and Silver Ruyi, and colorful glutinous rice balls that Taihu Lake basin loves, all have very good meanings, which are similar to the five pieces.

Yangzhou, as one of the cradles of Huaiyang cuisine, may be recognized as the best city in Jiangsu, right? I live in Changzhou, and I like to go to Yangzhou for a morning tea whenever I have the chance. Among them, the lion's head with crab powder and shredded tofu are well-known dishes in Yangzhou. As a state banquet, Huaiyang dish is a delicate dish, which is vividly reflected in the dish of shredded tofu, because it requires a chef's knife work. This soup is light and white, and it melts in the mouth. Before eating a big meal, one or two bowls can definitely be appetizing.

I don't think I need to say more about the fame of the lion's head with crab powder. It's very famous! Authentic crab powder lion's head is big, round, tender and fresh, with soft, fat but not greasy taste. More importantly, there must be no less crab powder inside, and fresh eyebrows are not negotiable. Come on, I'll open the crab powder lion head of Dan Tai Lake Hotel for everyone to see! Is enough crab powder very appetizing?

Please allow me to selfishly recommend my Changzhou cuisine to you. There are two Changzhou dishes in this table of canal banquet, namely, winter bamboo shoots with scallion oil and fish head in Tianmu Lake. They are both from liyang city, which is hosted by Changzhou. Liyang produces bamboo and has Nanshan Bamboo Sea Scenic Area. Tianmu Lake is also a national 5A-level scenic spot with 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 are cold dishes.

The overall style of Xuzhou is somewhat different from that of Jiangsu, and its geographical location is more meaningful. If I take the high-speed train from Nanjing, the provincial capital, to Xuzhou, I have to go through Anhui Province and then enter Jiangsu before I can get to Xuzhou. In terms of lifestyle and eating habits, it is more similar to the surrounding Anhui and Shandong. But Xuzhou, nicknamed "Pengcheng", is the hometown of Peng Zu. You know, Peng Zu is the ancestor of the chef, so how can the food in Xuzhou not be delicious? This fruity beef rib looks very rough and realistic, much like the style of Xuzhou people. How can it not make people feast?

let's have another staple food at last! Ganlong tribute cake should be taken out to say that it also bears an important part of the canal culture, and it was named in 1757, when Emperor Qianlong visited Jiangnan in the Qing Dynasty. It is said that this kind of pastry has entered the imperial kitchen in the Tang Dynasty, and the folk history is uncertain and rigorous, but this kind of tribute pastry is really delicious, especially when it is still steaming! Fragrant, crisp, crisp and transparent, the fragrance of sesame is irreplaceable when it is just out of the pot, and it will break when it touches the lips. When eating, you should handle it with care and prevent the stuffing from burning your mouth.

In a word, people's living conditions are better now, and it's no longer difficult to enjoy the Chinese New Year holidays and the delicious food that only dignitaries can eat. This table of canal banquet is the best proof. It is precisely because of the good living conditions that more people eat delicious food not only for the taste, but also for the cultural heritage. If you have traveled to the above cities, the local food must not be missed, but when you happen to come to Suzhou, you can also come to Dan Tai Lake Hotel to catch them all, haha!