What Delicious Food Can You Taste in Yichun?

As an old saying goes, those living near mountains live off the mountains. As the Forest Capital, Yichun relies on its vast forests, so its local food consists of all organic green produce from the woods — tasty and healthy at the same time. Yichun cuisine follows the general style of Northeast Chinese dishes. Though not as exquisitely prepared as southern Chinese cuisine, it boasts its own unique charm. Signature local dishes include casserole silver carp head, stir-fried tender pork slices, pheasant stewed with hazel mushrooms, and river fish braised with tofu. You must try the dumplings here; varieties such as fresh pork and golden elm mushroom dumplings, fresh pork and wild celery dumplings, and black fungus & egg dumplings feature authentic local flavors.

This dish is made with Korean pine nuts and fresh green corn, supplemented by other seasonings. Sweet, crisp and fragrant, it is a popular table delicacy favored by tourists from home and abroad.

Pig slaughter feast dishes are a hallmark of Yichun’s forest region cuisine, among which Meixi Sanguliu blood sausage is famous far and wide. Clean the casings from newly slaughtered pigs, then fill them with fresh pig’s blood seasoned with minced ginger, soy sauce, garlic, monosodium glutamate, Sichuan pepper and other spices, and boil thoroughly before serving. Family and friends gather around the table, chatting over bowls of blood sausage. The strong hometown atmosphere lets you feel the hospitality of northerners and the warm sincerity of forest dwellers.

The pig slaughter feast is a classic rural Northeast Chinese tradition. Legend has it that when families slaughter a pig for festivals, every edible part of the pig — blood and internal organs included — is cooked into dishes to form a full, lavish banquet. It is not a single dish but a whole feast with distinctive flavors, though not suited to every palate. It features authentic, rich tastes and appealing colors, suitable for people of all ages.

Bracken, commonly known as monkey fern, grows in damp low-lying mountain areas, with early spring being the best picking season. Light, tasty, aromatic and vibrantly colored, this fully natural wild vegetable offers great health benefits and is extremely popular among Japanese and South Korean visitors.

Stews are a core component of Northeast cuisine, and pheasant stewed with wild mushrooms ranks among the Eight Great Northeast Stews, standing out as the most rustic wild-flavored one. It simmers wild grass mushrooms, hazel mushrooms and golden elm mushrooms together with pheasant meat. The dish delivers a strong wild forest aroma, tender meat and smooth mushrooms with an unforgettable unique taste.

Ingredients for this dish include streaky pork, bracken, black fungus, hazel mushrooms, aralia sprouts, tremella, fresh mushrooms, carrots, plus seasonings of Sichuan pepper, star anise, green onions, salt, monosodium glutamate and soy sauce. Boil the streaky pork and slice it thin; wash all wild vegetables and cut into segments for later use. Sauté green onions, ginger, Sichuan pepper and star anise until fragrant, pour in stock, add all main ingredients, bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then simmer slowly on low heat until fully flavored