All About Tangshan Snacks_Tangshan Special Local Foods Introduction
Hebei Jiyue cuisine has officially been recognized as the ninth major Chinese culinary tradition.,sea cucumber, braised pork knuckle, soy sauce braised tilefish, braised shrimp skirt, pearl dragon, jade belt shrimp jade belt kidney, dragon's embrace, golden hook and jade pillar, imperial delicacy, crispy flaky bass white jade chicken breast,, golden soup blood swallow fish mawsoup, Jinluo incense braised meat, gemstone bamboo shoots, jade melon treasure, abalone and jade yolk gold brick, Jinluo specialty stewed fish slices, Jinluo special preparation,vinegar, intestines, meat braising winter bamboo shoot, braised pork knuckle, soy sauce braised eggplant, eight-bag fish (octopus,）meat stew,eggs panning,noodles, fish, (compete with crab, prawn meat),dumplings,,big cabbage, fried soybean cake, oil-flavored fish (sea laver), stewed with milk tofu, stewed sea laver with cabbage.
gelatine
description
soybean cake, the same as gelatine, a food made from soy flour shape cut into pieces and eaten in various ways such as stir-fried or deep-fried, one of the famous local snacks in Tangshan. There is even an saying locally that "one cannot say they have been to Tangshan if they haven't had gelatine feast."In the area, it is said, "Gelatine feast is not considered a meal unless you didn't eat gelatine," in Tangshan.
Soybean cake is now widely distributed in Tangshan region and can be found in places such as Yutian, Qian'an, Luanchuan, Luannan, Lieting, Zunhua, and Qinglong Man Autonomous County of Qinhuangdao. The preparation methods differ slightly.green bean, but nowadays less pure green beans are used due to lower costs and inferior taste. If you want the original flavor, it has to be specially ordered at a higher price. Note: soybean cake is divided into two types. Large soybean cake, thin but not transparent;small soybean cake, slightly thicker with a semi-transparent texture.
Now, soybean cake dishes have become unique delicacies loved by the people of Tangshan. Dishes such as vinegar stir-fried soybean cake, stewed soybean cake, deep-fried soybean cake, caramelized soybean cake, glassy soybean cake, stir-fried soybean cake, skewered soybean cake, and sweet and sour soybean cake can be prepared in over one hundred ways.
Historical Culture
"Soybean cake" is derived from the pronunciation of Manchu or Mongolian words, meaning thin pancake.In Tangshan's folk culture, there is an interesting story about the origin of "soybean cake". It is said that after the Qing Dynasty established Eastern Qing Tombs in Zunhua, guards who sought to please the imperial family started sending this specialty into the palace. Empress Dowager Cixi had a habit of only taking two bites from a dish before having it removed. One time, she was served vinegar-stir-fried soybean cake and asked "What is this dish?"The eunuch quickly replied, "It has no name yet; please the Empress Dowager give it a name."After taking two bites, Cixi said, "Leave it be." The eunuch thought she had given it a name and immediately passed on: "The Empress Dowager named this dish 'Gelatine'.""Gelatine" sounds similar to the Chinese word for "leave it," thus its name was established in the folk culture, significantly raising its status. Hao FamilyBurnt PastryIntroductionThe Hao family burnt pastry was founded in 1921 (Republic of China Year 10). Known for its meticulous work and precise ingredients, it is a visually appealing, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside delicacy. It's known as "Tuan County's Unique Hao Family Burnt Pastry."Historical Culture
The Hao family burnt pastry was founded in 1921 by Hao Honglai. Due to its high-quality ingredients and meticulous preparation, it became a local specialty at the top of the list in Luanzhou, known as "Honey-Drunk Frog.""Hao Family Burnt Pastry with Hao Family Meat," renowned throughout Luanzhou and extending to Beijing and Qinhuangdao.
During the Anti-Japanese War period, when Ma Benzai's Muslim unit came to Luan County on official business, they specially tasted the Hao family burnt pastry and gave it high praise.
Whenever Yang Sishis went to Luan County to lodge a complaint at the county hall in Dong Street, she would head to Nan Street for Hao Family Burnt Pastry because of its affordability and taste.
Ancient Luancheng had countless local delicacies such as Old Liu's oven-baked cake, Ma Guazi
buns, Niu Jia noodles, Liu Baoshuang fruit sugar, Liu Xiaosi's roasted wheat kernels. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, when Ma Benzai's Political Commissar came to Luanzhou on official business and specially tried Hao Family Burnt Cake, he gave it high praise. Back then, Yang Sanjie came to Luan County for a complaint, and the county hall was located in Dong Street. Every time she came, she would go to Nangu Street to buy Hao Family Burnt Cake, as it was both cheap and delicious. At that time, there were countless famous foods in ancient Luanzhou Town, such as Old Liu's Porridge Oven Burnt Pancake and Ma Guazi's Baozi (dumplings/buns) Noodles, Liu Baoxiang's Candy Hawthorn, and Liu Xiazi's Roasted Sugar Hazelnuts none of them are as famous as Hao Family Burnt Cake, and they have all been lost over time. Hao Family Burnt Cake has been passed down through generations for a century. During the period of public-private partnerships in the Cultural Revolution, it was merged into a state-owned hotel and was out of sight for some time. In 1984, at the age of 80, Hao Honglai restarted his old business with support from his three sons, marking a new chapter for Hao Family Burnt Cake!
Hao Honglai had four sons; the second son, due to disability, did not inherit the family business, while the other three continued to make Hao Family Burnt Cake and have passed it down to the third generation. With the development of the times, Hao Family Burnt Cake has also seen significant growth. Today, there are six shops in Xincheng and Laocheng of Lanxian City, but demand still outstrips supply.
Mandarin Almond Candy
Introduction
A sweet treat, thin and crisp, suitable for all ages.
Cultural Background
Mandarin Almond Candy has a history of over 400 years, originating from the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era. It first came from Qiaoxue Qin's hometown — Jidong Tangshan Fengrun, known as Qisuzhuang.
Mandarin Almond Candy resembles a flower, thin like a cicada's wing, white or yellow, soft and crisp with a sweet flavor. The "Guangsheng Shop" initially just fried puffs (ma ye) but later developed into honey-covered puffs before inventing Mandarin Almond Candy.honey Sugar-coated Puff
Mandarin Almond Candy evolved from puffs in Jidong region. In the past, people enjoyed frying dough with sugar and sesame oil during festivals.sesame These fried puffs were then sold as a festive treat. Approximately 100 years ago,cake shops"Guangsheng Shop" began selling this popular snack to the public.pastry The market had two types of puffs: one fried with sugar and sesame oil, and another first fried then coated in honey syrup. Both types had their advantages; one was hard and crispy, while the other was soft but flaky."Guangsheng Shop" blended both methods, perfected it, and incorporated techniques from Beijing's "Migong," eventually creating today's famous specialty —honeyMandarin Almond Candy.The origins of "Guangsheng Shop" are unknown, with the earliest record dating back to the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era. The family moved from Xinhé (now Heping County) in Jizhong to Fengrun County in Tangshan due to disasters and continued operating "Guangsheng Shop."
Today, although many brands have emerged, the most authentic is still "Guangsheng Shop" of Fengrun County."Guangsheng Shop" has been passed down through generations, preserving this time-honored brand. Currently, the inheritor is Mr. Zhang Guorong from Qisuzhuang Town in Fengrun District, Tangshan City."Guangsheng Shop" was listed as a second batch of intangible cultural heritage in Hebei Province in 2009. Through generations, "Guangsheng Shop" has continued to innovate and refine its unique production techniques. Dong Shuyuan, an expert at Xinxin Department Store who learned the trade in 1963, has mastered these skills and surpassed his teacher.
After mixing ingredients such as flour, sugar, honey, sesame oil, maltose, ginger flowers, and so on, the finished candy is golden yellow, paper-thin, flower-shaped, with a light fragrance and sweetness. It is rich in nutrients and considered an excellent local specialty. In 1981, it won the title of commercial quality product at the national food competition. ProcedureRoughly: (For 50 kg finished product) Special flour 21.5 kg White sugar 15.25 kg Top-quality honey 4 kg
peanuts
Sesame oil 9.5 kg Sesame oil 9.5 kg Maltose 3 kg ginger flowers 250 grams flour 1. Dough Preparation: First, dissolve white sugar in water, then add it to the flour and mix into a firm dough. Repeatedly moisten with water and knead until soft yet sturdy. divide the dough into about 500-gram portions, wrap them in cooked flour, and let rest for 1 hour.
2. Rolling: Roll each rested dough to form a circular sheet about 0.5 meters in diameter. Fold it after every third roll, forming a tube. Use an oil roller to flatten, shake off the excess flour, then repeat on the other side until you have five layers of dough that are two and a half meters long and two meters wide.This process must be completed within 3-4 minutes; otherwise, the sheet may dry out. Roll up the sheet tightly around an oil roller. Unroll it quickly to allow air inside while shaking off excess flour on both sides to maintain its integrity. Trim off 30 centimeters from each end and spread them onto a larger sheet. Roll this large sheet around the "flower stick."
3. Flower Pattern Formation: Break down the rolled dough into strips, about 1 cm wide, with 15-17 layers. Chop these strips diagonally to form pieces of about 3 cm wide, cutting a notch in the middle and rolling one end into a flower shape. These are your raw pieces.4. Frying: Fry these pieces in heated peanut oil until golden brown, turning them once during frying for about 7 minutes before draining and cooling.5. Honey Syrup Preparation: Dissolve sugar with water, then add ginger flowers and honey, stirring well. Boil twice to complete the process. Then spread out the dough sheet, cut off 0.3 meters from both sides, lay it over the large piece, and then roll the large piece on the "flower pole".
3. Net flower shaping: break the dough strip wound on the flower pole into noodles, each 1 cm wide, with 15-17 layers, then cut each strip diagonally into 35 pieces of 3 cm width, make a slit in the middle and flip one end to form a net flower, thus completing the raw dough.
4. Frying: first, heat peanut oil and add sesame oil, then put in the raw dough and fry for about 7 minutes, stir occasionally, until golden yellow, remove from heat and drain excess oil.
5. Making syrup: dissolve granulated sugar with an appropriate amount of water to make a syrup, after boiling, add osmanthus flowers, honey, and maltose, mix well, then boil twice, the finished product is ready.
Ganglu Burnt Pastry
Introduction
Ganglu burnt pastry is made using a clay pot heated by fire, hence it is called Ganglu burnt pastry. Using a jar to prepare food is a unique method; it takes advantage of the smoothness and heat resistance of the jar. The baked pastries are not scorched, have a smooth surface, and taste fragrant, flaky, and crispy when eaten. This type of pastry requires precise control over the temperature as the jar has an uneven shape. Cold or hot pastries will slide down. The Ganglu burnt pastry is round with a flower edge, similar in size to sesame seed biscuits.
Characteristics of the Region Local Snack Among them. It mainly circulates in Hebei Province, and it is intangible cultural heritage of Tangshan City. Currently, you can find this pastry in places like Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, and Leitai County.
Historical Background
According to historical records, during the late Qing Dynasty, a chef named Shi Hualiao opened a food shop called "Goods Distribution Store" in Beiguan of Leitai County. They mainly sold steamed meat buns and baked flatbreads using a suspension oven.BraisedMutton Buns, and baked hanging oven pastries as their primary business. In order to better utilize the leftover ingredients from making buns—such as fatty meat and cabbage scraps, they mixed them into dough and sold them in the suspension oven.
Method
Ancient people praised with a poem: "A city complex, four-sided and square, sesame seeds counting thousands in the mind. Yet it is burned in an earthenware stove, flavor lingering even at the lips."Mostly produced in Hebei Province, nowadays, the earthenware stove has mostly been replaced by ovens, changing the taste but becoming more environmentally friendly. Still, some traditional stalls can be found.
Almond Slice Pastry
Introduction
Almond slice pastries are a specialty of Tangshan in Hebei Province, named after their shape resembling small drums and chess pieces. Using lard and sesame oil for the dough, with fillings such as meat, sugar, assorted ingredients,sausage,ham. Golden yellow in color, fully baked inside and out, the filling is fresh and savory, crispy yet not greasy, making it easy to store. It is one of Tangshan's specialties along with Tangshan sesame candy.
Historical Culture
These pastries originated from Xidajie in Fengrun County. Fengrun is located on the Grand Imperial Road (the road for emperor’s procession) and is a key junction between regions outside Beijing and those to the southeast. With many travelers passing through, merchants were abundant. Especially for long-distance travelers or people going to Beijing, most would rest in Fengrun. Thus, hotels and restaurants were clustered here, doing brisk business. Legend has it that during the Guangxu era, there was a hotel called Shengsheng Hall on the south side of Xidajie, adjacent to a restaurant named Yusheng. Most travelers staying at Shengsheng Hall usually dined nearby at Yusheng.
Due to the long distance between townships, travelers would carry dry provisions before setting off for their journey. Initially, Yusheng prepared primarily steamed buns, flatbreads, and earthenware stove baked pastries as dry provisions. These provisions became drier and harder over time, making them tasteless when eaten on the road. One day, a scholar heading to Beijing for an exam stayed at Shengsheng Hall. Before leaving, he bought some earthenware stove pastries from Yusheng. Facing the chess game in progress, the owner said helplessly, "If your pastries had some red bean paste and were as small as these chess pieces, they would be much better to carry and eat."The owner asked curiously, "What are the benefits of doing this?""Adding red bean paste makes them more flavorful," replied the scholar. "And making them smaller, they are easier to carry on a long journey!"Inspired by the suggestion, the owner decided to try it. He had his chef make these pastries as suggested and found that using chicken fat for the dough made them crispy on the outside and tender inside.”
These earthenware stove pastries became popular among travelers due to their unique taste and texture. Making MethodGround meat into a paste, mix with scallions, soybean paste, sesame oil, etc., to make filling.
Prepare the stuffing.
Forming: Roll remaining flour dough into round sheets, place stuffing in center, fold edges over and seal, then roll out into long rectangles. Cut off both sides, cut horizontally into two pieces, then shape into small rolls, divide each roll into smaller portions. Make a depression with thumb on the seam of one portion. Place meat filling, seal by pinching edges together, shape into a chess piece, coat surface with sesame seeds before placing on baking tray. Bake until golden brown. Characteristics:Golden yellow in color, like chess pieces, crispy outside and tender inside. Yishengyong Roast Chicken Introduction Yishengyong roast chicken is a traditional specialty of Tangshan City in Hebei Province with a long history.
It is renowned as the "Chicken King" in Tangshan.
This local snack involves whole chickens that are first shaped, then arranged in a pot. Mixture of old chicken stock and water covers the chickens completely.
Seasonings such asChinese pepper
, star anise, cinnamon, white peony root, fennel seeds (in cloth bags), green onions, ginger, garlic, salt are added according to season and availability of the old stock. Boil at high heat until it comes to a boil. Then switch to medium heat for some time before reducing to low heat and simmering until tender, then remove from pot.Making Method 1. Select ingredients: Use healthy chickens over 500 grams as the main ingredient; young chickens need to be over 500 grams, while older chickens should be plump.2. Butchering: Slaughter live chicken, drain blood, scald in hot water until feathers are removed, remove innards and wash thoroughly before draining and setting aside for later use. 3. Braising: Arrange the whole chickens after shaping them into a pot, add old chicken stock, cover with appropriate amount of water to fully submerge the chickens. Add
cinnamon
, star anise, cinnamon bark, white peony root, fennel seeds (in cloth bags), green onions, ginger, garlic, and salt. Adjust quantity based on season and old stock availability.Boil at high heat until it boils, then switch to medium heat for some time before simmering low heat until tender, then remove from pot. 4. Smoking: Heat the smoking pot, add
sugar
, place smoked chickens on a rack inside the pot and smoke until color turns red and lustrous. Remove and coat with sesame oil before serving. Product Characteristics: Aesthetically pleasing appearance, rich aroma, fresh and delicious.
Smoking: Heat the smoking pot,add sugar. Place the cooked chicken on a wire grate and put it into the smoking pot for smoking until the chicken turns red and glossy. Remove from the pot after coating with sesame oil to serve.
Product Features: Beautiful color, rich aroma, fresh and delicious taste.
Shrimp paste
Introduction
Tangshan shrimp sauce is one of the famous snacks in Hebei, mainly made with shrimp sauce and supplemented with dried chili peppers.small onions (minced), egg whites, and seasonings. Shrimp sauce, a common condiment used in Korea, China's coastal areas, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia, is made by fermenting small shrimp mixed with salt into a thick paste.
It is very salty, usually packaged as a condiment for sale on the market. Some are dried into block form, called shrimp paste or shrimp cake, which has a richer flavor than the sauce. Good quality shrimp sauce should be purple-red in color, viscous in texture, fragrant with no fishy smell, smooth and without foreign matter, and have an appropriate level of saltiness.
During storage, proteins break down into amino acids, giving it a unique fragrance, making the taste fresh and lingering.
Shrimp sauce is also rich in protein, calcium, and fatty acids after the decomposition of proteins into amino acids and fat conversion into fatty acids.The preparation methods for shrimp sauce are numerous; it can be used as a seasoning for various cooking and hotpot dishes, or to make unique small dishes such as shrimp sauce omelet, shrimp sauce stewed tofu, chili steamed shrimp sauce, etc. One of the easiest ways is to make shrimp sauce pancake. Heat oil in a pan, add shrimp sauce, chopped onions, garlic, dried red chili segments, a little cooking wine and vinegar, stir-fry until cooked, then pour beaten eggs and fry into a pancake. In spring, adding a bit of
capers would make it taste even better. ProcessThe raw materials are mainly small shrimp such as white shrimp, eye shrimp, oyster shrimp, and rice straw shrimp. Select fresh and sturdy shrimp, sieve out small fish and impurities, wash and drain.Salt-curing fermentation: Add 30-35% of the weight of salt to the shrimp, mix evenly and put in a container. The amount of salt can be adjusted based on temperature and the freshness of the ingredients. Stir twice daily for 20 minutes with a wooden rod.
Stirring must be thorough from top to bottom, then press tightly and level the surface to promote decomposition and fermentation evenly.
Continue for about 15-30 days until fermentation is basically complete. Place the container in an outdoor environment to accelerate maturation under sunlight while covering the mouth of the jar to prevent direct exposure to sunlight and dust from entering. Shrimp sauce can be sold once it turns a light red color after fermentation. For long-term storage, keep at temperatures below 10℃.
The yield rate is between 70-75%. If caught but cannot be processed promptly, add 25-30% salt as preservative. This semi-finished product called brined shrimp can be taken out and drained of the brine before adding more salt for fermentation at the factory. Add aromatic spices such as fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon, etc. while salting to enhance flavor. To make shrimp sauce bricks, clean and remove impurities from small shrimp, add 10-15% of the weight of salt, salt for 12 hours then press out brine. Grind after one day of sun exposure, mix with 0.2% alcohol and a mixture of aromatic spices (0.5%), level surface and sprinkle another layer of alcohol to promote fermentation. When a 1 cm thick hard film forms on the surface at night, cover lightly. After fermentation is mature, drill a small hole in the lid to collect the fermented shrimp brine, remove the soft sauce and place it in a wooden mold to form a rectangular brick shape, scrape off the bottom membrane, then air-dry for 12-24 hours before packaging and selling. Tangshan lazy tofuIntroductionThere are two types of Tangshan lazy tofu: one is raw lazy tofu; the other is cooked lazy tofu. Raw lazy tofu is made by soaking soybeans in water, grinding them with a small stone mill, and cooking them in a large pot. Add salted cabbage leaves, salt, and chili pepper water. After the cabbage is soft and fully cooked, add garlic andchili oilto eat with corn pancake.
Raw lazy tofu is refreshing and not greasy, very appetizing.
Cooked lazy tofu is made by frying soybeans in a pan, adding peanuts, grinding them into a paste. The preparation method is the same as raw lazy tofu; it tastes particularly fragrant and satisfying when eaten. In some restaurants in Tangshan, you can find this farmhouse lazy tofu, which is very popular. Those who have never tasted it feel fresh and delicious. Those who have had it before think it lacks flavor and authenticity. Despite adding more small ingredients and making finer preparations, the missing part is dried vegetables. Without them, the tofu becomes less genuine. Only by using dried vegetables to simmer can one truly enjoy the original color and taste of the lazy tofu. The longer you simmer, the better it tastes, but make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot frequently; if burned, it will not be good. Clear steamed cabbage rollIntroduction
Cabbage rolls are a very delicious local specialty in Qian'an. They can be eaten after the meal when you want something light and refreshing.
The origin of this dish is unknown. The preparation method involves mixing finely chopped meat with seasonings as filling, then marinating it with salt, sesame oil, and shrimp powder.
Gently blanch tender cabbage leaves in boiling water, stuff them with the filling, roll up and cut into 2-inch segments. Arrange them upright in a bowl filled with dried shrimps, steam until cooked. This dish is particularly suitable when your appetite for other flavors has been sated.
Sour Bean Curd is made by soaking watered soybeans and grinding them in a small stone mill. Add soaked dried Chinese cabbage leaves, salt, and pepper water. Once the cabbage has softened and cooked through, add garlic paste,and chili oil can be added to season it.Corn Pancake is served after finishing. This sour bean curd is light and not greasy, particularly appetizing. Cooked Bean Curd is made by roasting soybeans in a pan with peanuts, then grinding them in a small mill.
The method for this dish is the same as for the raw bean curd. It tastes especially delicious and satisfying to eat. Historical Background
In some large restaurants in Tangshan, there are home-style lazy bean curds that are particularly popular.
People who try it for the first time feel fresh and enjoy it. Those who have tried before think the taste is not authentic anymore. Although more small ingredients are used now with finer processing, one thing missing is the dried vegetables. They don't have dried vegetables, so they just use cabbage as a substitute. Such bean curd lacks its original color and true flavor. True lazy bean curd must be made with dried vegetables; without them, it's not genuine.
The longer you simmer the dish, the better it tastes, but make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot frequently, or it will burn and become inedible. Stir-fried Cabbage Rolls Introduction Cabbage rolls are a popular local delicacy created by residents of Jingan County.
Especially when you get tired of strong flavors during meals, this dish brings a fresh taste and lightness to your palate.
It is unknown exactly when stir-fried cabbage rolls were first made.
The method involves finely chopping the meat and mixing it with seasonings; then add salt and sesame oil, as well as shrimp skins for flavoring;place tender cabbage leaves in boiling water, wrap them around the filling, roll up, cut into two-inch segments, stand upright on a bowl of minced sea cucumber, steam until cooked.
The cabbage rolls are served after being steamed. Chop the meat finely, mix with seasonings, then add salt, sesame oil, and shrimp powder to make the filling;Blanch tender cabbage leaves in boiling water, wrap them around the filling, roll into rolls, cut into two-inch segments, stand upright in a bowl with shredded seaweed, and steam until cooked.
