What Childhood Delicacies Does the "Fujian Cuisine Store" Serve?
“Fujian dishes are known for a hundred dishes with a hundred unique flavors.” Chen Chongye is known as "the most down-to-earth master of Fujian cuisine" in the catering industry in Fuzhou, who has been the chef of Fuzhou rural banquets for more than 40 years. He is very serious and rigorous in the whole process from selecting ingredients to serving dishes, and is one of the only 15 Fujian cuisine masters in Fuzhou admitted into the "Famous Chefs Committee of China Hospitality Association." The "Chen Chongye Fujian Cuisine Studio" has been open for many years. It is the first choice for foodies in Fuzhou. Although it doesn't offer sit-down dining service, there is still an endless stream of diners who come to take away the food. Demand exceeding supply has been a common phenomenon here.
Recently, Chen Chongye Fujian Cuisine Studio (Beida Road Branch) opened. Although there is still no sit-down dining service, the regular customers finally have a "new stronghold." The store sells dozens of traditional Fujian dishes and snacks, almost every one of which is exquisite and delicious. It's a new store, but it quickly establishes itself firmly. What attractive delicacies does the "Fujian Cuisine Store" serve?
Dishes made with rice wine sauce
Fermented rice residue is the soul of Fujian cuisine. With its unique salty flavor and strong fragrance, it has brought about lots of unique dishes and techniques of Fujian cuisine. Master Chen Chongye is good at making dishes using rice wine sauce. His original fish cooking skills using rice wine sauce have been included in the List of the Seventh Batch of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Fuzhou.
The Chen Chongye Fujian Cuisine Studio produces a series of dishes using red rice wine, such as Sauteed Sliced Fish in Rice Wine Sauce, Sauteed Sliced Chicken in Rice Wine Sauce, Braised Pork in Rice Wine Sauce, and Braised Bamboo Shoots in Rice Wine Sauce. Each dish is made with fermented glutinous rice brewed in the Minhou Mountains with pure fragrance. Among them, Sauteed Sliced Fish in Rice Wine Sauce is made of big red carp of more than 5kg with firm fish flesh, which features a sweet fragrance of red glutinous rice wine; Sauteed Sliced Chicken in Rice Wine Sauce is made of raw chicken added with rice wine sauce, which retains the delicious flavor of Sanhuang chicken; both Braised Pork in Rice Wine Sauce and Braised Bamboo Shoots in Rice Wine Sauce go well with rice.
Braised dishes
The Chen Chongye Fujian Cuisine Studio produces authentic "Fuzhou-style braised dishes," with bright red color. Five spiced braised dishes are refreshing and tasty, without fishy smell, which are not very salty, sweet or spicy, and especially suitable for eating separately. The braised pork trotters, spiced beef, braised pork head, braised chitterlings and spiced corned eggs sold in the store are all cooked over proper heat, which will be the best among braised dishes if combined with classic Fuzhou garlic sauce.
Deep-fried Tenderloin with Ten Spices
As one of the most popular classic Fujian dishes, deep-fried tenderloin is served in many Fujian cuisine restaurants. With more than 40 years of experience in rural banquet cooking, Master Chen's deep-fried tenderloin boasts a unique delicious taste. It is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and combines sweet and sour flavors perfectly, which is worth tasting a hundred times.
Peanut paste
Peanut paste is not the peanut butter for noodles. It used to be eaten together with rice by Fuzhou natives and kids. Few stores sell it today. It is made of pork, peanuts, dried bean curd and diced bamboo shoots which are repeatedly stir-fried in a sweet sauce poured with hot oil. It tastes good, with a fresh, fragrant sauce flavor, especially suitable for eating with white rice.
Salted Duck Gizzards
There are many treasure dishes in Master Chen's "Fujian Cuisine Store," and Salted Duck Gizzards is one of them. The duck gizzards are large enough and have a slight red tinge on the inside, which indicate that they are ripe and crispy. The preparation of spiced brine is even fabulous. The pure salty flavor leads to the flavor of various spices. It tastes salty, but not too salty. Instead, it is fresh and not bland.
Gold award winner Salt & Pepper Fried Rice
The Salt & Pepper Fried Rice made by Master Chen is the favorite of "foodies" which won the gold award of glutinous rice balls at the activity "A Taste of Memory - the Second Fuzhou Flavor Snack Selection." The grains are separate and bright, and smell good. As you put a spoonful of rice into your mouth, you will enjoy a combination of rice, oil and green onion flavors. With the right pepper and salt flavor, the white rice tastes a little salty, which is exactly the "rice in a dream."
Gold award winner Taro Paste
Coincidentally, the Taro Paste made by Master Chen also won the gold award of desserts at the activity "A Taste of Memory - the Second Fuzhou Flavor Snack Selection." It is made of hand-made Guangxi Lipu taros and self-fried black pork suet, which smells good, tastes soft, creamy and smooth, with taro particles. Just have a taste, and you will know it is among the best.
Silver award winner Eight Treasure Rice
Eight Treasure Rice represents the taste of the Spring Festival for Fuzhou people. The Eight Treasure Rice made by Master Chen won the silver award of glutinous rice balls at the activity "A Taste of Memory - the Second Fuzhou Flavor Snack Selection." It tastes sweet and mellow. With clear and easy-to-melt syrup, it is made of lotus seeds, osmanthus, barley, candied melon and other ingredients, which delivers a rich flavor! It is an unforgettable sweet Fuzhou delicacy!