All About Langfang Snacks_Taotao Introduction to Langfang Special Snacks Foods
Liaozhou is the geographic center of the Jing-Jin-Ji city cluster, located between Beijing and Tianjin. It is known as "the corridor to Beijing-Tianjin" and "the golden area".
Sweet and savory Shahe meat pie flaky pancake; three rivers old Tang smoked chicken, Daxing donkey meat burnt bunare specialties of Liaozhou. These are the local delicacies.Snacks.
Shahe meat pie
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Shahe meat pie is a specialty from Xianghe County, Hebei Province. Its features: thin skin, thick meat, greasy but tender, soft and chewy texture, satisfying to northern people's taste.
Historical culture
The Shahe meat pie has a history of over two hundred years. However, its origins can be traced back to the Tujue pancake more than one thousand years ago. It is said that during their migration through northern China's vast grasslands and deserts,cattle mutton were abundant while wheat-based foods were scarce. Thus, serving them noodles was considered a great honor to guests.
Therefore, when hosting guests, the hosts would make thin-skinned meat pies to show their hospitality.Later, this method spread to other minority regions like Huigu and Hui areas. During the early Ming Dynasty, during Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di's relocation of his capital to Beijing, a Hā family moved to Xianghe in Hebei Province along with many other migrants.
With them came their traditional meat pie-making skills. Over generations, under Hā boss and his descendants, the unique flavor of Shahe meat pie was developed. However, it quickly spread across the country not only due to Hā's skill but also because of Emperor Qianlong's praise.
Emperor Qianlong, known for his covert visits, visited Xianghe one day in 1770 and tasted the Shahe meat pie.
The first bite revealed its exceptional flavor, prompting him to leave a poem.
"Xianghe has a strange pastry, with new old techniques. After this meal, forget all treasures."
Thus, because of Emperor Qianlong's endorsement, the already famous Shahe meat pie gained national recognition and fame.
Due to its location east of Beijing, it is also called Dongji meat pie by many Beijing residents. How to make
The meat pie tastes good due to having less dough but more meat. A large pie uses one catty of flour, two catties of meat, and one catty of green onions. Both the dough-making and filling preparation are extremely meticulous.
The dough should be neither too cold nor hot, neither soft nor hard. It must be smooth when kneaded, easy to roll out into thin but elastic skins.”
The meat mixture is either beef or mutton, minced with a knife and then mixed with spices like ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. Thus, the Shahe meat pie consists of three complete layers—two paper-thin dough skins sandwiching a cohesive meat filling that is fine and even.
The chef turns the flat pan, making the dough skin golden yellow, forming a ball.
There's not a single leak in this giant pie. Brushed with oil after cooking, the thin dough becomes semi-transparent, showing the meat inside. It comes out golden brown, crispy on the outside and soft and flavorful on the inside. Liaozhousmoked meatprofile Liaozhou smoked meat is a local delicacy known for its appealing appearance. It's golden with hints of red, fatty but not greasy, tender and fragrant, leaving one wanting more.The process involves boiling the meat first before placing it over a mixture of tea leaves and sugar in a dry pot to cook. How to makeSmoked meat is made by first boiling the meat. Then, place it on a screen or shallow pan with a mix of tea leaves and sugar, which are heated until melted. Cover and gently heat for 3-4 minutes. The result is golden-colored smoked meat that's fatty but not greasy, offering unique flavors. Xiyisaipastry
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Xiyisai, a well-known brand in Liaozhou, offers traditional pastries like red bean and almond fillings. Despite its modest prices, it remains popular among customers.
Unlike other companies that constantly innovate, Xiyisai maintains its traditional style. Liaozhou people prefer the brand's affordability."Eating mooncakes is about trying something new," a middle-aged woman who bought them said. This makes one wonder if plain, unpackaged mooncakes will regain their popularity.
Sweat Family Steamed Bun
profileThe Sweat family's steamed buns date back to the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty and were once a royal tribute. The unique steaming technique is still practiced in Xitang Town, Daxing County.
Western Region Vegetarian Cake Point
Brief Introduction
Western Region Vegetarian is an old brand of Qing Dynasty-style pastries in Langfang, found in supermarkets like Mingzhu and Wuwei Zhai.Mooncakes Despite its traditional offerings such as (self-dew red) and cream skin with fillings of common past years like dates paste, bean paste, etc., Western Region Vegetarian still has a steady customer base.Date Paste PasteIn comparison to many mooncake manufacturers who constantly seek innovation, Western Region Vegetarian seems determined to uphold its traditional charm. Of course, the low price of two or three yuan per piece is not necessarily what citizens prioritize; locals value Western Region Vegetarian for its cost-effectiveness. A middle-aged woman buying mooncakes stated: "Eating mooncakes is about trying something new."This makes one wonder if stripping mooncakes of their luxurious packaging will lead to a revival of (local, unbranded mooncakes).
Xue Family Steamed Dumplings
Brief Introduction
The Xue family steamed dumplings have a history of 150 years. In the Qing Dynasty's Daoguang era, they were presented to the imperial court as tribute. The Xues in Ditan Town, large county of Hebei province, inherited a unique steaming technique for making steamed dumplings. Xiajia steamed buns, golden yellow in color, are pure and delicious, fragrant and tasty, rich in nutrition, and highly regarded locally.
Historical and cultural background
A century-old tradition and imperial tribute -- Li Tan Xiajia steamed buns. In the Daqing County of Hebei Province during the reign of Emperor Dorgon of the Qing Dynasty, the Xu family pioneered a unique method to make steamed buns. With their exquisite craftsmanship and unique ingredient formulas, the steamed buns made by the Xu family were widely renowned for their fresh fragrance and sweet taste. During the late Guangxu era, Li Lianying, the director of eunuchs from Daqing County, presented Xiajia steamed buns as an imperial tribute to Empress Dowager Cixi. She was delighted and named them "Gold Pagoda," personally inscribing a plaque for the Xu family. This event is widely recorded in Daqing County's history.
Methods
The ingredients used for Xiajia steamed buns are yellow beans and millet. First, remove the hulls from these raw materials. Mix them according to a certain ratio and then grind into flour. Grinding should be done using stone mills. Once ground, the flour must not sit for too long; during summer, it should be steamed immediately after grinding; in winter, no more than three days. If left longer, the taste of the buns will deteriorate. Not only are raw material handling and preparation precise, but so is the steaming technique. The process from mixing to steaming must be perfectly controlled. Even a slight deviation can spoil the result.
Little Roast Chicken
Introduction
Little roast chicken is a traditional delicacy in Sanhe, often enjoyed with drinks or as part of a meal. It has a golden red color and tender meat, fragrant and refreshing. Renowned throughout Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, it makes an excellent gift for family gatherings.
As a culinary powerhouse, China offers many varieties of roast chicken. However, the Sanhe small roast chicken stands out due to its unique "roasting" ingredients: sugar instead of sawdust or other materials. The choice of sugar is also important and varies with the season and personal preference, using white sugar, brown sugar, and rock sugar.
Authentic Sanhe small roast chickens today include Old Tang Roast Chicken and Xie's Roast Chicken. Located on Dingsheng Street in Sanhe, they are famous for their tender meat, using only three-month-old roosters, making them perfect gifts for out-of-town relatives and friends.
Historical background
The origin of the little roast chicken is unclear, but it has been sold in the market since the late Qing Dynasty, with a history spanning over a hundred years. It can be traced back to a Hong family that operated this trade in Sanhe City during the late Qing Dynasty. Later, the business was taken over by Liu.
Methods
The first step in making little roast chicken is selecting the chicken. This is crucial. Choose plump chickens with strict control of their age: one and a half to two years for larger chickens, about one year for younger ones. These requirements are based on traditional free-range chickens. Next, slaughter the chicken without making an overly large cut; otherwise, the head may fall off during cooking. Too small a cut will result in incomplete blood drainage.
After slaughtering and plucking, soak the chicken in cool water for 40 minutes in summer or one hour in winter. This process helps remove any residual blood from inside the bird's body. Rinse the soaked chicken with clean water and allow it to dry before proceeding. The next step is boiling. This requires first making a broth base.The old broth is made by slowly cooking multiple ingredients for over eight hours, then placing the chicken in this broth until cooked thoroughly. After that, comes the roasting process. Place sugar on a dry pan and heat it to smoke. Hang the fully cooked chicken above the smoking sugar, tightly sealed to infuse with the fragrance for six to eight minutes before removing. The final step is brushing oil onto the chicken after roasting to enhance its flavor.
Three RiverTofu SheetsIntroductionSanhe tofu sheets are a special and delicious dish in Langfang. Not eating "Sanhe Tofu Sheets" is like not trying Beijing's "Peking Duck." They have a fresh and mild taste, seasoned with five spices, making them an excellent choice for food enthusiasts. Due to the clear and cold water from Sanhe, which has no impurities, it makes high-quality tofu. Walking through the streets of Sanhe, you can find numerous shops selling Sanhe five-spice tofu sheets, similar to how one finds many places serving Peking Duck in Beijing. Why are not all Sanhe tofu sheets as good as "Old Three River"? Because the craftsmanship and cleanliness differ among them. The authentic and best Sanhe tofu sheets stand out with their fresh appearance, ample quantity, and delicious taste. Ingredients for preparation:
2 kilograms of rice 750 grams of glutinous rice 1 kilogram of green beans
400 grams of pork
75 grams of roast pork100 grams of pig tongue100 grams of pig's heart100 grams of pig's stomach5 eggs 100 grams of shrimp 100 grams of water-soaked yam slices50 grams of water-soaked winter bamboo shoots
5 grams of nitrate solution
50 grams of cornstarch 35 grams of salt 50 grams of chopped green onions 15 grams of cooking wine 15 grams of soy sauce Green Bean Per kilogram Pork 400 grams Char Siu (Barbecued Pork) 75 grams of pig's tongue, 100 grams of pig's heart, 100 grams of pig's stomach, 100 grams each of eggs and shrimp Shrimp Cook 100 grams of raw fish.Pig's Stomach Son, 100 grams each Egg 5 pieces Shrimp Roe 100 grams of water-softened Chinese yam slices and bamboo mushroom slices, 50 grams of nitre, 50 grams of egg powder, 35 grams of coarse salt, 50 grams of scallion whites, 15 grams of cooking wine, 15 grams of soy sauce South Sea Crisp Made with sugar, green and red thread candy, sunflower seeds, walnuts, rose petals, etc., using high-quality flour as the main ingredient.South Sea Crisp uses "water pastry" technique. Flour mixed with eggs, white sugar water, and lard forms the "water pastry," while mixing lard forms the "flaky pastry." This method allows for many thin layers that do not stick together. After wrapping various fillings inside, it is rolled into a sweet cake shape and fried evenly in a pan. Fifty grams Lard Two hundred grams MSG A little.
Preparation Method:
1. Making Filling:
(1) Cut the pork into pieces: Place the pig's tongue, heart, and stomach in a pot, add enough water (about 0.5 kilograms), salt, soy sauce, nitrate water, rice wine, MSG, and cook over high heat until tender. Remove from heat to cool.
Then, cut the meat into small cubes and repeat the process with preserved meat, shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo shoots, respectively. Pour the pork pieces back in the pot and sauté the bamboo shoot pieces for a few minutes before adding the reserved cooking liquid. Add the shiitake mushroom pieces and continue to cook for about 15 minutes until fully cooked, reducing the sauce significantly before removing from heat to form the meat filling.(2) Clean and dry the shrimp: Season with a little salt (in winter), mix with salt and a small amount of wheat starch and egg white, then quickly fry in hot lard. Prepare the sticky rice: Rinse and soak it in water for 7-8 hours. Steam until cooked and sauté briefly in oil to form the glutinous rice filling.2. Making Tofu Skin:
Mix mung beans with rice in a ratio of 2:4. Grind them into a thin batter, spread it on a pan, and cook over high heat. Arrange salt, sticky rice, meat, shrimp, and chopped green onion evenly on the tofu skin.
Fold the edges to seal, cut into small pieces, fry in lard, and serve.
Product Characteristics: Vibrant colors, thin and soft with a fresh taste, not greasy. Nansha PuffIntroductionThe Nansha Puff is also known as Eight Gorges Sugar Cake. It was handed down by court chef Liu Decai, now over 100 years old. It is handmade using high-quality ingredients and strict craftsmanship. There are four varieties: Nansha, Orange Sand, Sesame, and Hawthorn. A fragrant but not greasy taste with a lasting aftertaste.
Fillings made from sugar, green and red threads, sunflower seeds, walnut, rose petals, etc., mixed with refined flour and wheat flour. Formed into shapes and baked until crispy and sweet. Historical Culture
The Nansha Puff has a long history, originally known as imperial court cake exclusively for the royal family.
During late Qing Dynasty, many people struggled to survive while the royal family lived luxuriously. It is said that the emperor's banquet could have up to 108 dishes, with high-quality and elaborate main courses among which the Nansha Puff was included.
Royal Chef Liu Decai, forced out of the court due to old age, opened a small restaurant in today's Pingquan Town. He brought his culinary skills here over 170 years ago.
A food that started as royal exclusive has now become accessible to everyone, which is a great thing for the development of cuisine.Preparation Nansha Puff uses sugar, green and red threads, sunflower seeds, walnut, rose petals, etc., with refined flour as the main ingredient."Water Dough" and "Oil Crust" technique is used. Mix eggs, white sugar water, and lard to form the water dough and oil crust. This method allows for many thin layers that do not stick together. Wrap various fillings in it, shape into a cake, and fry evenly to cook.
Yongqing Huji Roast Chicken Introduction Founded during the late Qing Dynasty, Yongqing Huji roast chicken has been operating before Beijing for over 100 years, passed down through four generations with a unique traditional herbal recipe. It is famous in Beijing and surrounding areas."Hujiji" is a well-known brand in Yongqing.Preparation Select locally raised roosters (over 2 pounds), clean, remove internal organs, soak to remove blood clots, season with honey, let cool, then fry until golden brown. Cook in seasoned broth for about 3-4 hours over low heat. The chicken is tender and falls off the bone with a rich flavor.Wen'an Steamed Fish IntroductionLocated in the middle of Hebei Province, Wen'an is known for its abundant freshwater fish, especially those from Dejui (ancient name for Dega). The silver carp, black fish, iron spine, and snow lotus are particularly praised.
Scientific analysis shows that these fish have high protein and low fat content, rich in various trace elements beneficial to human health such as iron, zinc, selenium, and calcium.
Edible benefits include blood circulation improvement, skin care, brain function enhancement, etc. Historical CultureDuring the Song Dynasty, Su Xun, a prominent scholar, recorded in his work that Wen'an was renowned for its fish. In 1065, local farmers offered silver carp to Su Xun, who highly praised it. In 1127, Song Jiang and his band of heroes passed through Dega after returning from a campaign against the Liao dynasty. They were treated with various types of fish by local fishermen.
The taste was so good that they couldn't stop praising it, comparing it to the delicacies on Mount Liangshan.
Yongqing Hu FamilyRoast Chicken Brief Introduction Yongqing Hu Family roast chicken dates back to the late Qing dynasty, predating Beijing's operations by years. It has been handed down through four generations with its own unique traditional secret recipe for roasting.Preserved flavor, tender and delicate taste are its characteristics, making it popular in Beijing, Langfang, and surrounding areas. Hu Family roast chicken is a well-known brand. Preparation
Select locally-raised healthy small native chickens (over 2 catties in weight), slaughter, pluck feathers, remove internal organs, clean blood, marinate with honey, cool for a while, deep-fry until golden brown, then simmer in old broth mixed with traditional spices like white, star anise, etc., for 3-4 hours. The final product is golden and delicious, tender meat falling off the bone.Wenzhou Fish
Brief Introduction
Wenzhou fish is renowned in Wen'an county of Hebei province's central plain. With its abundant waterways and diverse freshwater fish, especially silver carp, loach, thorny bream, snow lotus, etc., these fish are thick-fleshed, juicy, and delicious. Scientific analysis shows that Wenzhou fish is high in protein and low in fat, rich in iron, zinc, selenium, calcium, and other beneficial trace elements for the human body.
After consumption, it can promote blood circulation, beautify skin, clarify vision, and has high medicinal value and nutritional benefits.
Former scholar Su Xun served as Wen'an's magistrate when he visited Dede (ancient name of Ditan). Locals prepared silver carp for him.Su Xun praised the dish with a poem "Aroma reaches ten miles, heaven-sent taste". During the Northern Song dynasty, anti-Liao rebel leader Song Jiang stopped by Dede after his campaign. Local fisherman Chen caught over thirty species of fish to prepare a feast for the rebels.After dining, leaders were still delighted, praising "This fish's flavor is better than that on Mount Liangshan." with cilantro, star anise and other eighteen traditional seasonings, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer on low for 3-4 hours, resulting in a lustrous golden color upon serving.Butter. It is tender, flavorful, and boneless, with unique taste.
Wen'an Stewed Fish
Introduction
Wen'an stewed fish originates from Wen'an's vast wetlands in the central Hebei region, characterized by its abundant rivers and lakes, renowned for producing various freshwater fish, particularly distinguished in Degeru town. According to "Wen'an County Annals: Products Section"."The pond is rich with fish of diverse kinds, numbering over a hundred; among them, Dederu (ancient name for Degeru) is the foremost."Degeru produces silver carp,black pike，hedgehog spine, iron thorn, snow lotus, etc., which are thick and juicy, fresh and delicious.
Scientific analysis shows that fish from Degeru town are high in protein,low in fat, and rich in iron, zinc, selenium, calcium, and other beneficial trace elements for the human body. Eating them enhances blood circulation, beautifies the complexion, clears the mind, and eyesight, possessing significant medicinal value and nutritional benefits.
Historical Culture
When Su Xun, a renowned scholar from the Song Dynasty, served as the magistrate of Wen'an, he sampled silver carp there. He was so delighted that he penned "A fragrance wafts for ten miles; heaven sends down a saint," in jest. During the early Northern Song period, when Liangshan bandit leader Song Jiang led his troops back from resisting Liao invaders and passed through Degeru, local fishermen caught over thirty types of fish to entertain them with a feast. After the banquet, leaders of the troop still craved more, praising "The taste of these fish is unparalleled, surpassing that of Liangshan."”
