What Are the Local Delicacies in Putian?

Chicken rolls are a traditional folk snack in Putian and also regularly served at banquets. Minced lean pork is mixed with shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimps, water chestnuts, wax gourd strips, five-spice powder and pepper. The mixture is wrapped in pork caul fat, cut into round pieces about half an inch long, and deep-fried until golden brown. Served hot with vinegar sauce, they are crispy, sweet and savory with a full blend of flavors. This ready-to-eat snack is easy to carry. It boasts a golden color, crisp texture, rich aroma, and a pleasant sweet-salty taste.

Sweet potato starch and tofu are blended with green onions, coriander, five-spice powder, pepper and monosodium glutamate. The batter is poured into a special small ladle, stuffed with fresh oysters, then deep-fried. The fritters are crispy and sweet. Dipped in garlic vinegar sauce, they taste extra refreshing.

Lean pork is pounded into a fine paste, seasoned with water chestnuts, borax, pepper and ginger juice. The mixture is shaped into small beads and blanched in hot water. Served in clear bone broth, it is a well-known soup dish.

Originating in Fengting Town of Xianyou County, this cake is made of pure glutinous rice flour mixed with powdered white sugar, peanuts and sesame seeds. After being steamed dry, it is cut into square chunks. Sweet and palatable, it is widely popular across Fujian and in Southeast Asia, and especially suitable for the elderly, children and convalescents.

Xianyou County has a long history of producing smartweed puffs and sesame tubes. Glutinous rice, cane sugar, soda and maltose are made into wax-gourd-shaped strips and deep-fried into raw puffs. Coated with popped rice grains, they become smartweed puffs; coated with roasted sesame seeds, they turn into sesame tubes. Both treats are nutritious, crisp and tasty.

Locally called xiandong. Wild mesona herb is boiled into herbal liquid, mixed with starch, and chilled to form black jelly. It has a cooling nature that reduces internal heat. Cut into small cubes and mixed with cold boiled water and white sugar, it is an ideal summer dessert for beating the heat.

Xinghua rice noodles are a famous specialty of Putian. Export trade of these noodles began as early as the Ming Dynasty. The main production bases are Xihong and Qingjiang Villages in Huangshi Town, with secondary production in Xiadi, Xili, Huishang, Huixia and Zhanglin and Yangcheng of Quqiao Township. Premium yellow-tipped rice yields the finest noodles, which go through nine production procedures. The noodles are thin, even, snow-white and translucent. They cook quickly whether boiled or stir-fried, and taste wonderful in soup or dry dishes.

This dish evolved from plain tofu meatballs. Folks in Xianyou call boiled tofu dishes "water dragons", a staple for local feasts. In Putian, minced meat is wrapped inside mashed tofu. The balls are rolled in starch and boiled thoroughly. For this reason, they are also known as Putian’s folk "water dragons".

The quality of Putian braised noodles hinges on three key elements: chewy noodles, rich stock and fresh toppings. The dough must be kneaded well so the noodles stay firm and do not turn mushy during cooking. Premium pork bones are simmered slowly to create thick, creamy, fragrant broth. Indispensable toppings include lean pork, shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimps, scallops, oysters, razor clams and chives. The dish gets its name from the slow simmering over low heat, which allows the broth and toppings to fully infuse flavor into every strand of noodle