Changzhou, located south of the Yangtze River and by the shore of Taihu Lake, is a cultural ancient city with over 3200 years of history.

Changzhou is one of the origins of Yangtze civilization and Wu culture, as well as an old homeland of the Southern Dynasties.

FeaturesSnacksMainly: Crab-Added XiaolongbaoSteamed Buns, Crab Shell Yellow, ShrimpPancakes, Ham Cream Puff, Sweet Rice Soup Yuanxiao, Three DelicaciesWontons, Silken Noodles.

Hemp SeedCake

Introduction

Changzhou Hemp Seed Cake is a specialty of the Han ethnicity in Jiangsu Province. It is an elliptical large baked bun with unique texture and flavor, also the most beloved home-style food for locals.

During preparation, choose finewheat flour, high-qualitysesameseeds, white sugar,saltand other ingredients. After mixing, kneading, shaping, wrapping with stuffing, forming and baking through multiple processes, it is carefully prepared.It comes in salty and sweet flavors for customers to choose from.Freshly made hemp seed cakes emit a strong fragrance, are golden yellow without burning, have moderate sweetness or saltiness that isn't greasy, and are soft and flaky but not crisp. The color, aroma, taste, and texture are all excellent.

In the past, Changzhou Hemp Seed Cake was mostly eaten asbreakfastby locals.History and CultureChangzhou Hemp Seed Cake originated in the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty. It was made by a master named Wang Changsheng from the Changle Tea House, and after being refined and improved through generations, it has become one of the well-known snacks in Changzhou.

Method

1. Place

flour (3.5 kg)

in a mixing bowl, add melted lard,rendered fat, mix evenly to form oil pastry (5.25 kg).Mixwheat flour (650 g)and yeast with 600 g warm water at 50°C (use 70°C in autumn or winter, 30°C in summer), then knead into dough.After fermentation, add a solution of 50 g warm water mixed with soda ash to the dough and mix well to form raised dough (1.75 kg).

2. Clean the pork fat, remove the membrane, cut it finely, put it in a bowl, add salt and stir.

3. Roll out the raised dough into short strips, divide into 50 small pieces (each weighs 35 g), press each piece flat into a round sheet, wrap with oil pastry (105 g), seal, flatten slightly, roll into a strip, fold inward from outside to inside (with seam facing up), flatten slightly again (sides thinner center thicker), then add filling.Sweet hemp seed cakes each contain 25 g white sugar, and salty ones 20 g pork fat stuffing with 10 g chopped green onion, seal and flatten a little more.Apply liquid from 100 g warm water to the surface of the cake, brush on sesame seeds, turn over so that the sesame side is down, then lightly wet both hands and apply water to the bottom of the cake.Place the cake in a heated oven (traditional method or use pan), bake for about 4 minutes per batch of 20 cakes until done. Then gently remove.Changzhou Sesame CakeIntroduction

Changzhou Sesame Cake is a traditional food from Jiangsu province, available in strip and flat forms, with a milky white color, shiny body, fragrant sweetness, crispy texture, pure taste, rich nutrition, and health benefits such as aiding digestion and cough relief. It has over 200 years of history.

Sesame cakes are crisp, made from grains like

wheat, glutinous rice,millet, sorghum, sesame through multi-stage fermentation and traditional handmade processes, giving it a long history and unique flavor.It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, locals began making a type of sesame cake resembling a round ball called Sesame Ball Cake using honey syrup and sesame seeds.In the Northern Song era, when the country was under attack by invaders, local people expressed their resistance against the invasions in another way.They changed the round ball-shaped sesame cakes into cylindrical shapes as gifts for King Gao of the Southern Song Dynasty to encourage him to fight back and reclaim lost territories.Whether or not King Gao took inspiration from this is unknown, but Changzhou Sesame Cakes are now in their current cylindrical shape, continuing to this day.

ProcessMain raw materials includecorn (or millet), barley, sesame seeds, and so on.Use a large pot, two small pots, a sieve, a basin, a ladle, a sugar board, etc.

First, grind 100 kg of corn into flour with a 220-type grinder. Mix the corn flour with 45 kg (summer: 40 kg) of water, mix well and stack for 5 hours, then pour it into the pot to

steam.After the vapor appears, release the pressure twice before adding water each time. Add 20 kg of water on the first release, 10 kg on the second, and 5 kg on the third.The purpose is to fully steam and cook the ingredients through multiple releases and additions of water.The common people were extremely angry about this."Beyond the mountains, beyond the buildings, Hangzhou is where the singing and dancing never cease!The warm breeze intoxicates the tourists; they only see Hangzhou as Bianzhou!"This was done to vent their dissatisfaction.In Changwu, the common people expressed their desire for the recovery of lost territories in a different form.They transformed round-shaped glutinous rice balls into cylindrical shapes resembling fire guns and presented them to the Wang, encouraging his courage to resist the Jin and reclaim the country.Whether or not King Zhao Gou was inspired by this or gained more resolve is unknown, but Changzhou sesame seed candy has since been made in a cylindrical shape, continuing until today.

Preparation

Ingredients and tools

Main ingredients includemillet(or sorghum), barley, sesame seeds, etc.

A large pot, two small pots, baskets, buckets, ladles, sugar boards, etc.

Production process

First, corn is ground into flour using a 220-type grinder. For every 100 kilograms of corn flour,millet flour, 45 kilograms of water are mixed (40 kilograms in summer), and the mixture is left to stand for 5 hours before being poured into the pot.Steam.When steam rises, let off gas twice. Add water after each release: first add 20 kilograms, then 10 kilograms, and finally 5 kilograms of water.The purpose of adding water is to ensure that the ingredients are thoroughly steamed and cooked through.Wash and dry them, cut into pouches and fill with meat stuffing, coat withCornmeal should be steamed until it is as hard as frozen meat.

In the steamed ingredients, mix 35% barley malt by weight.(Barley soaked in warm water for an hour, then germinated indoors and ground into a paste using a mill or stone ).Place in a pot and steam for about half an hour before removing to a container for fermentation.

After fermentation, sprinkle 50 kilograms of steaming water over the ingredients. After three hours, pour the sugar syrup into another container while transferring the raw material back into the pot to continue cooking. Add water twice more: first, 200 kilograms of boiling water and cook for two hours; then add 100 kilograms of sugar syrup again before adding cold water and straining through a cloth.Two hours later, stir with a ladle repeatedly until the syrup forms sheets.Continue cooking over low heat until you can pick up a small amount that crisps when exposed to wind.Pour the cooked syrup into small pots and cover them.(To prevent cooling and hardening which would make it difficult to pull). Then spread out on boards, rolling each 1 kilogram portion first by one person before another quickly stretches it into threads. Hang on poles forming cylindrical strands about 1.5 cm in diameter, cut into 15 cm segments with a heated knife, steam briefly and coat with deseeded sesame.

Generally, 48 to 50 kilograms of sugar can be extracted from 100 kilograms of corn.To remove the skin from sesame seeds, soak them in cool water for 12 hours, then fry until half-dry, shell by sieving, and roast again until plump before coating with sugar syrup.Shaoxing glutinous balls

Introduction

Shaoxing glutinous balls are a traditional Han Chinese delicacy from the Jiangsu province of Changzhou. During the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival, there is a custom to eat round rice dumplings.

Over 100 years ago, Pei Yugaog created Shaoxing glutinous balls by adding fermented wine to the traditional rice dumpling recipe.

The key features are that they are as white as jade grains, fragrant with alcohol, have a unique flavor and are clear, sweet and refreshing.Duck-filled pouchesIntroduction

Duck-filled pouches are a traditional dish from the Jiangsu province of Changzhou. It is part of the Su cuisine style and uses pork, shrimp, mushrooms, egg yolks as main ingredients.

Ingredients include minced pork, seasonings, shrimp pieces, dried shiitake mushroom pieces, water, and egg yolks.

Wash and dry gluten balls, cut them open, fill with meat mixture, coat with egg yolk batter, deep-fry until golden brown, then stir-fry in a pot with minced ginger and scallions. Add pork broth and shrimp, simmer for one minute, thicken the sauce, and serve.Braised white mushroomsIntroductionBraised white mushrooms is a traditional Changzhou dish that is savory and aromatic, with a lingering flavor.Wash fresh white mushrooms, cook in broth to infuse flavor, add seasonings and thicken the sauce before serving.Silver-thread noodlesIntroduction

Silver-thread noodles are a century-old traditional snack from Changzhou, Jiangsu province. Created by the Wxiang Zhai Noodle Shop in 1912, it is renowned for its fine texture and delicate taste.

Ingredients include flour, egg whites, baking soda, rice flour, green onion flakes, white pepper, chicken broth, salted pork ribs, shrimp, and spinach.In a mixing bowl, add flour and make a well. Dissolve baking soda in 500 grams of water and pour it into the flour well. Add egg whites, mix thoroughly to form snowflake-like dough. After 15 minutes, knead again until smooth. Pass through the machine twice (double-layer) three times (single-layer), dust with dry rice flour during single-layer rolling.Use a fine-toothed noodle roller (30 teeth in 33 cm) to roll out 50 cm long silver threads.Prepare seasonings by placing MSG, cooked lard and green onion flakes in 50 bowls. Boil 15 kg of water in a large pot and cook the noodles twice in batches of 150 grams each into boiling chicken broth (150 grams). Drain the noodles evenly into the bowl with soup and sprinkle white pepper before serving.Crab-filled dumplingsIntroductionCrab-filled dumplings are a traditional snack from Changzhou, Jiangsu province. First created by the Wan Hua Tea House on the southern side of the Little River area during the Daoguang era in Qing Dynasty, it is especially served around Mid-Autumn when osmanthus flowers bloom.egg yolkpaste, fry until golden in a hot oil pot.Chopped ginger, spring onion segments stir-fry the pork ribs and add chicken stock. Add the dumplings,shrimpand spinach for 1 minute, thicken with sauce, and serve.Steamed White MushroomIntroductionSteamed White Mushrooms are a traditional dish in Changzhou, known for their delicious taste. The fresh aroma of the mushrooms leaves a lingering flavor.Wash the fresh white mushrooms, let them soak instockto infuse flavors. Season with additional seasonings and coat with a thin sauce before serving.

Silver Threads Noodles

Introduction

Silver Threads Noodles is a traditional snack from Jiangsu (Changzhou, Wuxi) and Shanghai. It was created by the century-old Changzhou flavor-rich restaurant in 1912, with over a hundred years of history.Ingredients are carefully selected, and strict procedures are followed to achieve the characteristic of thin strands like silver, soft yet resilient, when cooked.The dough is made from flour mixed directly with egg whites, then rolled into noodles using a fine-toothed noodle roller. The name comes from its white color and silk-like texture.Preparation

5 kilograms of refined wheat flour

750 grams of egg whites

40 grams of baking soda500 grams (about 75 grams used) of dry rice powder75 grams of chopped green onions75 grams of white pepper50 grams of monosodium glutamate7.5 kilograms of salted chicken broth375 grams of lard

1. Place flour in a large mixing bowl, make a well in the center. Dissolve baking soda in 500 grams of water and pour into the flour mixture, then add egg whites to mix until a fluffy dough forms. Knead for 15 minutes, then continue kneading repeatedly.

Roll the dough through the machine twice on each layer, then roll it up while sprinkling dry rice powder to prevent sticking.

Cut with a fine-toothed knife (33 cm with 30 teeth) into 50 cm long silver threads of raw noodles.

Divide monosodium glutamate and lard evenly among 50 bowls. Heat a large pot with 15 kilograms of water to boiling, cook the noodles in two batches, place each bowl with 150 grams of salted chicken broth, then add the noodles evenly and sprinkle

white pepper.

Add Crab Stuffed DumplingsIntroduction

Crab Stuffed Dumplings are a traditional snack from Changzhou region in Jiangsu. They were first created by Wanhua Tea House on Riverside Street during the reign of Emperor Daoguang, and they become available around the Mid-Autumn Festival when osmanthus flowers bloom.They have a crispy lean meat with tender fat that is not greasy, making them irresistibly delicious. Enjoyed with ginger strips and vinegar from Zhenjiang, they are especially flavorful.

Historical LegendIn Jining, there's an enchanting legend: Zhang Guolao received an invitation from the Queen Mother for a peach banquet at Penglai Island. On his way, he smelled an alluring fragrance coming from crystal meat. After investigating, he found it and indulged himself.

Approaching Penglai, Zhang Guolao lost interest in the peach feast, thinking that crystal meat was so delicious that he did not want to attend any banquet again. Thus, he changed his mind and returned home with his donkey.

Preparation

Remove claws from 100 pig's trotters (totaling about 15 kilograms), cut into segments of 250 grams, add ginger pieces and green onion slices, mix in nitrate water, coarse salt, cooking wine, Sichuan pepper, and star anise.Place the ingredients in a bag and put them in a large pot. Add water, salt, alum, and bring to a boil over high heat. Place the pig's trotters into the pot and simmer for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, turning occasionally until tender (about 3 hours).

Remove the pork from the pot and place it flat on a plate with skin side down, stack in layers of five plates, cover with an empty plate. After 20 minutes, pour the original broth over the plate to wash away excess oil.Reheat the broth until boiling, remove surface foam, add alum, and add water again to boil off foam before pouring into the pig's trotter plate to immerse the meat.Let it cool in a cool place to solidify. Slice it when serving with ginger strips and vinegar from Zhenjiang.

Grandma's Water Dumplings

Introduction

Grandma's Water Dumplings is a popular fast food brand in Changzhou, founded in 1996.Osmanthus flowersare supplied when in full bloom.Crab-filled Xiao Long Bao, originally called Crab-filled Xiao Long Mantou.The skin is thin and transparent, the broth rich, the crab aroma overwhelming, fatty but not greasy, the juice thick, the meat filling tender, paired with vinegar, young ginger, making it taste even better; it's considered an absolute in Changzhou.History and Culture

When mantou first appeared, there was no distinction between baozi.

This term only came into use after the Song Dynasty when northern people started calling stuffed mantou "baozi", while southern people continued to call them simply "mantou".Nowadays, with the promotion of Putonghua (Mandarin), southerners also began using the term "baozi" as well.When Xiao Long Mantou first appeared in Changzhou, there was no term for baozi, so it was called Xiao Long Mantou;Due to changes in language environment, nowadays people generally call them Xiao Long BaoThere are three types of Xiao Long Bao: "Sui Hao" (no crab oil added), "Dui Xiang" (six with and six without crab oil), and "Jia Crab" (all with crab oil).Each small steamed buns is called a "ke", so old Changzhou residents often order in different ways, like: "Two ke Dui Xiang".Or: "Ten ke Jia Crab, I want to take it to Shanghai."

Experienced diners usually only order "Dui Xiang" because they believe that eating Jia Crab mantou with one Sui Hao and one Jia Crab mantou together allows for a full appreciation of the crab's freshness; always eating only Jia Crab mantou can make your taste buds less sensitive to the flavor.This is why "Dui Xiang" has become an established name.Preparation

(For 50 small steamed buns, with 12 in each): 4.6 kg of flour, 1.5 kg of fresh pork skin, 25 g of yeast starter, 175 ml of cooking wine, 75 g of baking soda, 50 g of salt, 350 g of crab meat powder, 75 g of salt, 350 g of crab roe, 375 g of soy sauce, 4.5 kg of net pork, 100 g of sugar, 40 g of monosodium glutamate (MSG), 75 g of chopped green onion, 100 g of chopped ginger, 1.5 kg of cooked lard, and 75 g of vegetable oil.2. Place a pot on medium heat with the cooking wine and pour in the crab roe using an iron spoon to stir until fragrant; then add the crab meat powder and cook for another 15 minutes before removing from heat and placing it in two large bowls to set into crab oil (2.1 kg).3. Add water (3.5 kg) to a pot, clean fresh pork skin well, and boil until half done; remove and wash.Skim the surface foam off the pot, return the meat skin and cook until seven-tenths done, cut into rice-sized pieces again, then add salt, green onion ties (25 g), ginger blocks (50 g), cooking wine (75 ml), sugar (50 g), soy sauce (125 ml), boil for 30 minutes to create the skin broth. Remove the green onions and ginger, then pour into a bowl and set to cool.

4. Clean pork and cut it into rice-sized pieces, mix with sugar (50 g) and cooking wine (100 ml), salt, MSG, and chopped green onion and ginger (each 50 g).

Add the skin broth cut into rice-sized pieces, mix to form the filling.5. Place flour in a container and make a well, add yeast starter and stir until combined, use 400 ml of warm water at 60°C to knead into a dough, slice open and let cool before mixing again, cover with cloth and ferment for about 4 hours.Mix another 3.3 kg of flour with warm water (1.3 kg) to form a soft dough, divide the fermented dough and fresh dough and brush them with alkaline solution (called "brushing with alkali method"), knead well until smooth.

6. Roll out into long strands, cut into 600 small portions (10 g each), dust with flour, flatten to make round wrappers (5 cm in diameter, thin edges and thick center), stuff with filling (15 g) and add crab oil (3.5 g), fold into 16-18 pleated buns.

Use a brush to coat the bottom of each small steamed bun with vegetable oil (50 buns total, 12 in each), steam for about 8 minutes until done.Serve with vinegar and ginger slices as garnish.Eating Method:The Changzhou Crab-filled Xiao Long Bao is thin-skinned with large fillings and abundant broth; the saying goes that "Better to wait for the buns than have the buns wait for you."

That's when it has the best texture. You should dip each bun in vinegar, then nibble through one side to enjoy the succulent broth.Afterward, immerse the opened buns in the vinegar before eating them whole.

If you don't drink up the juice first, biting straight into it can either scald your mouth or make a mess.Lvyang DuckBrief Introduction

Lvyang Duck is a famous traditional Chinese delicacy from Lvyang City in Jiangsu Province. It originates from the area around Daxi Lake in Tianmu Mountain, produced using local grass ducks.Legend has it that it was created by Wu Zixu, a Warring States period advisor of the State of Wu, who hid in Mount Five Yuan in Lvyang during his struggles and developed this dish; its history dates back over 3000 years. It is claimed to have been improved upon by the legendary Chinese culinary master Yi Yin from the Shang Dynasty and is now a staple at local households.Crystal Glazed Ham

Brief Introduction

Crystal Glazed Ham, also known as Crystal Glazed Meat, is a traditional delicacy from the Jiangsu-Zhenjiang region. It belongs to the Su cuisine system and has a history of over 300 years.The finished dish features red meat and white skin, smooth and crystal clear, with a transparent gelatine. This gives it its "crystal" name.When eaten, it offers delicate lean meat that's crispy yet tender, combined with fatty parts that are neither greasy nor dry. Accompanied by ginger slices and Zhenjiang vinegar, the flavor is uniquely delightful.There is a poem praising it: "The scenery of today is breathtaking, especially the roast meat from Jingkou, not greasy, slightly crispy, fragrance filling the air, rosy red and tender, crystal clear, like crystals."Cultural HistoryIn Zhenjiang, there's an enchanting legend about Zhang Guolao: On his way to heaven for a peach banquet hosted by Queen Mother of the West, he smelled the aroma from a Crystal Glazed Ham. He transformed into an old man and bought some to savor before continuing.

Approaching the Heavenly Court, he lost interest in attending the banquet; instead, he decided to return home because the Crystal Glazed Ham was too delicious.Preparation

Ingredients: 100 duck legs (each weighing 1.5 kg), green onion segments (250 g), ginger slices (125 g), nitrate solution (1:166 ratio, 3 kg), alum (30 g), coarse salt (13.5 kg), cooking wine (250 ml), Sichuan pepper (75 g), fennel seeds (75 g).

Method:1. Clean and thoroughly wash the duck legs, remove bones from the back part of each leg, poke small holes in the meat with a metal skewer, rub with nitrate solution and coarse salt evenly until well covered; place them flat into a container to marinate.

2. Put seasonings in a cloth bag and put it together with water, salt, alum in a large pot on high heat for boiling.

3. Remove the duck legs from the marinade after cooking half done, cut each leg into rice-sized pieces.

4. Boil the broth to remove foam, add more water if needed and boil again until clear; then pour it over the ducks in their containers, cover with a lid and let them cool and set (freeze) until solid.5. Serve sliced and garnished with ginger slices and vinegar.When eaten, they havelean meat that is crispy and fragrant,fatty parts that are not greasy,a crisp and tender texture with rich flavors.”

There is a poem praising it: "The scenery of today's day is endless, especially the Jingshou roast pork, neither greasy nor too dry, filled with fragrance."

Cultural historyIn Jingjiang, there is a beautiful legend:Once Zhang Guolao received an invitation from the Queen Mother,asking him to attend the peony feast at Penglai.On his way, Zhang Guolao suddenly smelled a strange fragrance.

Upon closer inspection, he found that it was the aroma of crystal roasted meat.

The thought of the deliciousness made him hungry,so he transformed himself into an old man and bought some to enjoy.He then continued his journey.When nearing Penglai, he suddenly lost interest in attending the peony feast.Thinking that crystal roasted meat was so good,why should he attend the peony feast?So he turned his donkey and returned home.Preparation methodIngredients: remove claws from

pig's front legs 100 pieces (each weighing 1500 grams), 250 grams of scallion segments, 125 grams of ginger slices,

nitrate water (1:166 mixed) 3000 grams, alum 30 grams,

coarse salt13.5 kilograms, Shaoxing wine 250 grams,Sichuan pepper

75 grams,

star anise75 grams.

Preparation:

1. Wash and clean the pig's front legs thoroughly, remove bones (remove tendons from the hind leg), poke small holes on the lean meat, sprinkle nitrate water and coarse salt evenly, marinate in a container overnight, then rinse with cold water to remove bitterness, wash.2. Put seasonings into a cloth bag, along with clear water, salt, alum, and use strong fire

to boil, add pig's front legs, simmer for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, turn the meat over periodically until tender (about 3 hours), then remove from pot.

3. Place cooked pig's front legs in a flat dish with skin down, stack five pieces together, cover with an empty dish on top, let stand for 20 minutes, pour original broth into the dish to wash away fat and drain back into the pot.