At these time-honored restaurants in Fuzhou, every bite is a savory delight
“Fujian dishes are known for a hundred dishes with a hundred unique flavors.” The first full moon of the Year of the Dragon is coming. As the ancients called the first lunar month “yuan yue” and the night “xiao”, the first night of the full moon in the new year is therefore called the Yuanxiao Festival (also known as the Lantern Festival). For Fuzhou people, the food that can best represent their hometown during the Lantern Festival is "Yuanxiao" (glutinous rice balls stuffed with different fillings).
Yuanxiao is inextricably linked with the Lantern Festival. It is a must-have snack during the festival in Fuzhou. Yuanxiao usually have an outer skin made of glutinous rice and non-glutinous rice, filled with meat stuffing, which are kneaded into big white balls and can be served right after they have been boiled. Where can we eat authentic Yuanxiao in Fuzhou at this Lantern Festival?
Erlongbo Yuanxiao
Erlongbo is the first choice for many Fuzhou people to eat Yuanxiao. As a century-old brand opened in 1896, it has accompanied several generations of Fuzhou people to spend the unforgettable Yuanxiao Festival, and its making skills have also become a well-deserved provincial intangible cultural heritage.
Erlongbo Yuanxiao have always been made with its unique ancient techniques. The master mixes glutinous rice and non-glutinous rice in proportion, soaks the rice in water to soften it, grinds it into rice milk according to the temperature and humidity, then drains and steams it, and kneads it repeatedly to make the outer skin of Yuanxiao. The stuffing is made of gelatinous pork ham. The skin of the finished Yuanxiao is not sticky, and the stuffing is not greasy. The skin and stuffing are separated from each other, with a unique taste.
Price: 12 yuan for 6 balls
Address
Erlongbo Yuanxiao (Shangxiahang Branch): No. 93-95, Longping Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province
Erlongbo Yuanxiao (Cangxia Xincheng Jiaxingyuan Branch): No. 64, Nanyuan Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province (the opposite of Taijiang No.1 Central Primary School)
Erlongbo Yuanxiao (Branch): Shop No. 76, Connection Floor 1, No. 13, No. 14, No. 15, Area D, Junlin Tianhua, Taijiang District, Fuzhou, Fujian Province
Jiujiu Yuanxiao
Speaking of glutinous rice balls in Fuzhou, Jiujiu Yuanxiao cannot be ignored. Relying on its handmaking skills, separation of outer skin and stuffing, salty and delicious taste, Jiujiu Yuanxiao has become a household name in Fuzhou by word of mouth. Since it was opened in Xuejun Road in the early years, it is very popular among the natives of Fuzhou. There is a saying that "Xuejun Road has three treasures: Shengji, Yinen and Yuanxiao."
The most notable feature of Jiujiu Yuanxiao is that it is made by hand, with the outer skin being neither thick nor thin and salt pork stuffing that brings a unique chewy, juicy and delicate taste.
Price: 10 yuan for five balls
Address
Jiujiu Yuanxiao (Yanping Road Branch): No. 8, Connection Floor 1, Building 34, Area B, Yanping New Village, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province
Jiujiu Yuanxiao (Shangdu Road Branch): No. 14, Building No. 2, Nantai Xinyuan Lotus Garden, No. 409-13, Shangdu Road, Cangshan District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province
Anqing Yuanxiao
Anqing Yuanxiao is an old store that has a history of more than 30 years. It was originally opened in Datong Road, with an area of less than 10 square meters, and attracted countless regular customers. It was later relocated to Shanghang Road, but remains in Taijiang District. Although it is small, it is very busy.
The grinding, kneading, stuffing and other procedures of Anqing Yuanxiao are still completed by hand. The outer skin has a unique rice flavor. In addition to the salty pork, it also adds a lot of pork skin jelly in the filling, thus it tastes juicy and delicious.
Price: 10 yuan for five balls
Address
Anqing Yuanxiao (Yifeng Community Branch): No. 25, Floor 1, Building D, Yifeng Garden, No. 58, Shanghang Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province
Zhenji Yuanxiao
Located next to Taijiang Peace Market, Zhenji Yuanxiao is a very low-key handmade Yuanxiao store, full of hustle and bustle which the natives of Fuzhou are familiar with. The owner Grandma Chen is nearly 90 years old. She began to make Yuanxiao when she was a teenager, and has been engaged in it for more than 60 years, hence Zhenji Yuanxiao has become a time-honored brand of "one person, one store."
Zhenji Yuanxiao is purely made by hand. Its skin is thick, but refreshing and not sticky, full of toughness. The salty pork filling features a proper lean-to-fat ratio, with fresh flavor and delicate taste. It is the best choice for many foodies in Fuzhou.
Price: 10 yuan for five balls
Address
Zhenji Yuanxiao (Nanfang Garden Community Branch): Nanfang Garden Community, No. 89-28, Dajiang Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province
Sanbao Yuanxiao
Sanbao Yuanxiao is not located in Sanbao, but in Yangzhong Road. It is a time-honored store in Fuzhou with a history of more than 30 years. The glutinous rice balls are made and cooked on site which smell good and taste soft and delicious, with fresh and sweet stuffings. It uses the traditional soy sauce for seasoning. Over the years, it has always adhered to the principle of small profits but quick turnover, with high cost-performance.
Price: 8 yuan for 5 balls
Address
Sanbao Yuanxiao: Yangzhong Garden (near Jinxiang Garden), No. 176, Yangzhong Road, Yangzhong Sub-district, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province
Every community in Fuzhou has an unknown store that sells glutinous rice balls. These stores have been committed to bringing people the unique delicacy at the special festival for decades.