New vegetarian options growing on diners
SPRING brings forth new buds and shoots and the birth of many animals’ young, all growing in the warmer weather. And according to traditional Chinese medicine, all this springtime growth extends to qi...
View ArticleGetting to the root of some tasty lotus dishes
UNDULATING in the summer breeze, pink and white lotuses are blooming on Hangzhou’s West Lake, where the flowers have been cultivated for centuries. In early morning and late afternoon, when the light...
View ArticleSimple cold dishes can be prepared at home
LIGHT and healthy dishes are popular to beat the heat during the summer. Hangzhou cuisine has its fair share of cold dishes that, like Western cold hors d’oeuvre, are served as starters. They can be...
View ArticleDining in restaurants can be taste of home
PEOPLE running restaurants generally like cuisine and probably cook up innovations at home themselves, producing unique recipes. In China, this is called si fang cai, or “private home cuisine.” Once...
View ArticleListen up! Food also sounds wonderful
WHILE it’s safe to say almost everyone pays attention to the way food looks and tastes, the sound of different foods often goes unnoticed. It ranges from the squeaky sound green beans make while being...
View ArticleSmall eateries serving up big taste
THERE are some restaurant owners who eschew industry trends. They don’t splash cash on fancy decor, seek out the best locations or serve the latest dishes generating attention in the press. Call them...
View ArticleHomemade dishes worth clucking about
RESTAURANTS dishing out authentic traditional Hangzhou cuisine are mostly in scenic areas and usually target tourists — a stereotype shaped about a decade ago when contemporary Hangzhou cuisine...
View ArticleModern twists on classic Hangzhou dishes
MANY say globalization is a double-edged sword, and this also applies to the culinary world. Fusion cuisine has some fierce critics believe some chefs are ruining food traditions. Others keep an open...
View ArticleT’is the season to luxuriate in hairy crab cuisine
THE hairy crab, like the carp when it first spread to America, is regarded as an invasive species that threatens native Western fish populations, a designation that detracts from its allure to...
View ArticleShrimp that fits for an emperor
River prawns made with Longjing tea is a famous dish from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, and one that legend says was discovered during the Qing dynasty The lingering fragrance of tea and the divine...
View ArticleCluster of new restaurants bring diversity
RESTAURANT owners prefer to establish their stores on busy streets, with windows opening to views and doors facing bustling corners. But good locations can be hard to come by, so nestling in a building...
View ArticleOld town still excels at indigo-dyed fabrics
WUZHEN is a picturesque watertown in Zhejiang Province much like the others in the region except for one thing — it is famous for dyed textiles that resemble batiks. Known as lan yin hua bu (蓝印花布),...
View ArticleCrab the easy way and a menu full of goat
FROM the water to the land delicacies can be found all over this planet. In Hangzhou, ugly little hairy crabs are plucked from nearby lakes and eaten with a passion by locals. Meanwhile goat meat is...
View ArticleDifferent dining options for Christmas
FOR many, Christmas dinner means eating out. Restaurants tend to be busy on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so reservations are strongly recommended. The following new restaurants run by foreigners...
View ArticleFowl play leads to some scrumptious food
CHINA’S history of domesticating chickens may date back 7,000 years. “The Book of Rites” published in the Warring States Period (476-221 BC) recorded that Chinese people had already made chicken congee...
View ArticleJiangsu cuisine combines creativity and history
CUISINE from the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang are sometimes lumped together and referred to as Jiangzhe cuisine. Just don’t say that to people from either province as most are proud of their home...
View ArticleSoothe the soul with a delicious hotpot meal
CIRCLING around a fireplace symbolizes warmth and home in the West, and this feeling is best represented in China by hotpot meals. In a nation where eating is nearly a religion, having a meal with...
View ArticleSoup for Health Maintenance in Winter
Chinese medicine believes that health maintenance is closely related to the balance of yin and yang, dredging meridian, qi and blood. For weak and elder people with body dysfunction or weakened...
View ArticleHunt for Delicacies in Jinjiang Seafood Street
Jinjiang Seafood Street is located in Jinjiang Square, No. 288 Qiutao Road, Jianggan District of Hangzhou, has a size of 1000 square meters. As the largest sea food retail market in Hangzhou, all kinds...
View ArticleHunting for Delicacies — Dadou Road
The Grand Canal is the second biggest draw of Hangzhou after West Lake. Now that it has been successfully inscribed in the list of UNESCO Heritage Sites, the Grand Canal becomes even more popular among...
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