707 Culinary Emblems of China
One Signature Dish from Each City: A Living Atlas of Taste, Tradition, and Terroir
Cullinary Emblem 3: Wànzhōu Kǎoyú (万州烤鱼 • Wanzhou Fire-Grilled Fish)
Wanzhou (Chongqing)
The Wanzhou Grilled Fish | @汪昌隆
The Dish: A whole river fish (usually grass carp or catfish), butterflied and splayed on a wire grill until its skin blisters black under live flames. Served swimming in a volcanic málà broth, bubbling with Chongqing chili-bean paste, numbing Sichuan peppercorns, and a riot of tofu skin, lotus root, and魔芋 (konjac).
Watch Tasty China’s take on the Wanzhou’s Grilled Fish.
The magic? The fish is twice-cooked, charred over open fire, then stewed in broth at your table, absorbing smoke and spice in layers.
Why Wanzhou Owns the Title China’s Grilled Fish Hometown (中国烤鱼之乡):
A grilled Fish shop in the Wanzhou Grilled Fish Town | Yveji
Industrial Mastery: Since being crowned by the China Cuisine Association (2018), Wanzhou has built a closed-loop ecosystem:
From River to Grill: Local aquaculture bases (like Ganning Reservoir) raise fish on custom feed for firmer flesh.
Spice Syndicate: Chili farms in Tiancheng Township supply the málà blend, while workshops age the iconic doubanjiang.
Standard-Bearer: Wanzhou drafted China’s first grilled fish industry standards, dictating everything from coal-fire temps to optimal fish weight (1.2–1.5 kg).
Economic Hook: Over 500 grilled fish shops operate county-wide, many run by former fishermen retrained as "fish sommeliers." The dish fuels 10% of Wanzhou’s agro-economy, proof that rural revitalization can taste deliciously spicy.
Wanzhou Grilled Fish | iChongqing
A New Tradition: Every November, the Wanzhou Grilled Fish Festival draws chefs competing to balance smoke, spice, and sweetnessjudged by both Michelin-trained foodies and grizzled Yangtze boatmen.
Pro Tip: Order “má là zhōng là” (medium spice) unless you’re ready to meet your ancestors. True locals demand extra dòubànjiàng (fermented broad bean paste) stirred in at the table.
A 700-Year Legacy, Now a Global Phenomenon
From Imperial Kitchens to the World:
Archaeological evidence traces Wanzhou’s grilled fish techniques to Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279) fishermen, who cooked their catch over driftwood fires along the Yangtze. Today, this rustic tradition has exploded into a 12-billion-yuan empire (2020 figures), with outposts from Paris to Singapore adapting the málà roar to local palates.
By the Numbers:
5 billion yuan from aquaculture & spice farms (like Tiancheng’s chili fields).
7 billion yuan from sauce factories and 8,000+ global restaurants, each adhering to Wanzhou’s strict industry standards.
How Wanzhou Built a Grilled Fish Empire
Wanzhou Grilled Fish Town | iChongqing
The city didn’t just perfect the dish, it engineered an entire ecosystem. In 2018, the government designated a "Grilled Fish Town" industrial zone near the Yangtze, with:
Standardized Training: A vocational school certifying "grill masters" in coal-fire control and spice balancing.
Supply Chain Control: Local farms raising carp fed on citrus peels (for cleaner fat) and chili co-ops growing exclusive málà blends.
Tourism Spin-Off: A Grilled Fish Museum with Song-era recipes and a annual festival where chefs compete for "Crispiest Skin" honors.
Result? A 12-billion-yuan industry that turned peasant food into a global export, without losing its street-food soul.
Behind the Flames:
Every November, the city’s Grilled Fish King Competition turns culinary tradition into high-stakes theater. Hundreds of chefs battle over:
Coal Fire Precision: Contestants grill identical carp over open pits, judged on the "30% char, 70% tender" golden ratio.
Spice Sleuthing: A blindfolded round where winners identify rival málà blends by scent alone.
The People’s Vote: Locals swarm long tables to taste-test, voting with chili-shaped tokens.
Reigning champ Chen Dawei (2023) credits his win to pine-needle smoke, a trick learned from his grandfather’s riverside stall.
For travelers: The Wanzhou Grilled Fish Cultural Museum displays Song-era grilling tools, proof that the best flavors endure.
Next Stop: Quanzhou
From Wanzhou's fiery fish, we head southeast to Quanzhou, Fujian; where the Maritime Silk Road's spice trade simmers in every bowl of Houzhou rou geng.
China’s Flavors: Where Fire, Fermentation, and Folklore Collide
An evergreen companion to the "China in 5" city deep dives
Peking Duck | Shef
A dumpling folds centuries of migration into its pleats; a bowl of soup simmers with the patience of monks. Chinese cuisine is more than sustenance, it is history served on a plate, geography distilled in broth, and innovation sizzling in a wok. Not every dish is famous. Some are hyper local secrets: the village bread baked in cave ovens, the tofu cured in mountain springs, the candy shaped like ancient armor.
In China, every city speaks through its flavors: the noodles that mirror Silk Road winds, the fish steamed with revolutionary fervor, the dessert that survived dynasties. Some are global icons; others are hidden heirlooms, passed down through alleyway kitchens, until now.
This series spotlights one defining dish per city, updated weekly. Together, these snapshots will map China’s culinary soul through 707 flavors: the iconic, the obscure, and the unforgettable.
No two cities taste alike. Follow along every Friday to trace China’s edible DNA, from Anhui’s amber braised meats to Yunnan’s wild mushroom symphonies.
What to Expect?
707 Cities. 707 Dishes. No repeats, no clichés, just the flavors that define a place.
Beyond the Plate: The why behind each dish, historical turning points, agricultural quirks, or family legends.
Bureaucratic Banquet: We begin with Hefei, proceed to Xiong’an, and won’t rest until all 707 cities have been served, strictly by the Party’s playbook.
Season 1 Sneak Peek:
Bayingolin (Xinjiang): Korla Pear Roast Lamb 🔹 Succulent racks rubbed with crushed pear blossoms, a Silk Road marriage of orchard sweetness and desert fire.
Nujiang (Yunnan): Lisu Bamboo Pit Rice 🔹 Sticky glutinous rice steamed in hollow bamboo with wild honey and sour leaf, a taste of the Nu River Gorge’s foraged pantry.
Lishui (Zhejiang): Minglong Green Tea Smoked Carp🔹 Fished from the Ou River, cold-smoked over Longquan tea leaves, served with a drizzle of kumquat glaze.
*(Each season covers 34 cities, one per provincial level region. Follow the full journey HERE.)
Cullinary Emblem 2: Lǘròu Huǒshāo (驴肉火烧 • Donkey Fire-Bread)
Xiong’an (Hebei)
The Iconic Emblem of Xiong’an | LingoAce
The Dish: A palm-sized, flaky shaobing (flatbread) split open and stuffed with tender braised donkey meat, gelatinized broth, and a whisper of green chili. The meat, marinated in soy, star anise, and aged brine is chopped fine, piled high, and drizzled with its own cooking jus until the bread glistens.
The Donkey Burger | Anny Lee, Steemit
I found this Discover China Video with a good take of the Donkey Burgers from Hebei
Best eaten standing up, with a side of pickled garlic to cut the richness.
Why Xiong’an Owns It:
Donkey Dynasty: Hebei raises 70% of China’s donkeys, their lean, sweet meat (lower in fat than beef) has fueled farmers here for centuries. Xiong’an’s version is extra succulent, thanks to a slow-cooked shoulder cut and a broth fortified with donkey bone collagen.
The Bread Rules: Unlike Baoding’s thicker huoshao, Xiong’an’s are paper-crisp, baked in tandoor like drums until they shatter at first bite. Locals say the secret is brushing the dough with donkey fat before baking.
A New Boomtown Staple: As Xiong’an transforms into China’s “city of the future,” these humble wraps remain the anti-skyline, a food of migrant workers and tech billionaires alike.
Pro Tip: Ask for “dàròu” (extra fatty meat) if you dare, the melt-in-mouth belly cut is a rarity outside Hebei.
All images sourced from Wikipedia
.jpg){kind=link}
Cullinary Emblem 1: Luji Bao (徽州土鸡汤 • Huangshan Clay Pot Chicken)
Hefei (Anhui)
The Dish: Free-range chicken slow braised for 6 hours in a sealed clay pot with Anhui rock sugar, dried shiitake, and huangjiu (yellow wine), until the broth turns amber and the meat falls from the bone. Served with hand-torn flatbread to soak up the collagen rich glaze.
Why It Defines Hefei:
Terroir: Uses Huangshan poultry (small-boned, lean birds bred in mountain villages) and local volcanic clay pots that retain heat like a steamer.
History: A Ming Dynasty peasant dish elevated by Huizhou merchants, who traded tea and salt along the Yangtze. The rock sugar (a luxury item) signaled newfound wealth.
Technique: "Men Bao" (闷煲) sealing the pot with dough to trap steam is a Huizhou culinary signature.
Pro Tip: Authentic versions garnish with caoguo (black cardamom) for a piney depth, but Hefei’s home cooks often skip it for a purer sweetness.