First, river shrimp. As a traditional signature dish, shrimp is absolutely indispensable on the banquet table and is a very important dish. Shrimp can be boiled in salt water or fried in oil. If there is a dish on the first course, shrimp is the second course. If there is no soup, shrimp deserves to be the first course.
Second, fish. As in other places, the fish in Changzhou banquet is essential. In the past, mandarin fish were mostly mandarin fish, such as sweet and sour mandarin fish, sweet and sour mandarin fish, steamed mandarin fish and so on. A little more grand, a turtle can be fried and steamed. Now the products are rich and the logistics is fast. Fish has developed from river fish to sea fish, and there are many treasures, groupers and so on.
Third, Sam sun soup. Sanxian soup is mainly broth and chicken soup, which contains winter bamboo shoots, fish balls, meatballs, shrimp balls, fish belly (skin) and so on, and finally put a handful of green garlic or coriander. This is a traditional dish.
Fourth, sugar hooves. Stew the trotters first, and at the same time, boil lard and rock sugar into juice and pour it on the trotters. This dish is usually served before fish, which is sweeter and is the most popular packaged dish in rural banquets.
Fifth, mother and son meet. This dish is to stew the whole old hen with shelled boiled eggs (now quail eggs and pigeon eggs are also commonly used instead), which means more children and more happiness.
Six, fragrant rice, that is, eight-treasure rice. Traditionally, it is made of glutinous rice, jujube paste, lotus plums, candied dates, red silk and green silk, lard, rock sugar and brown sugar, which means sweet with sweet. This is a dessert, because it is too sweet and greasy, and now many people use sweet soup instead.
There are many specialties of Changzhou banquet, such as sea cucumber, tendon, eel tube, braised pork, etc., so I won't list them one by one.