Fu Flavor Travels Across the Ocean for Homesickness
For many people in Fuzhou, delicacies such as noodles, wontons, and white glutinous rice are the standard of the Spring Festival meal. The reporter was informed that these Fu Flavor have been booming in production and sales recently, and their fragrance has drifted overseas.
Rice noodles, also known as longevity noodles, has a good meaning of peace and longevity, and are necessary for Fuzhou people to celebrate the holidays. In the past few days, Danyang noodles with a history of 100 years have ushered in a sales peak. Every morning, the noodle production factory lights up. On January 27, the reporter went to Fujian Xinxiang Food Co., Ltd., located in Xinyang Village, Danyang Town, Lianjiang County, and saw that the noodle production workshop was bright and clean, and the workers were busy with modern production equipment.
Workers are making Renshan Baiguo. (Photo from Lianrong Media)
“Demand exceeds supply! Hundreds of workers are working overtime every day.” Lin Guifang, the person in charge of Xinxiang Company, told the reporter that recently, the factory has produced about 5 tons of noodles every day, which are not only sold all over the country, but also exported to the United States, Canada and other places in large quantities, so that travelers outside can taste the delicious food from their hometown and get rid of homesickness.
In addition to noodles, wonton is also an indispensable delicacy for Fuzhou people’s New Year’s Eve dinner. As the saying goes, “No wonton, no New Year”. The wonton (meat swallow) is named after its shape like a flying swallow, just like a clever swallow bringing happiness and peace to thousands of families.
There is a meat swallow culture in Danyang town for more than 400 years. At first glance, the meat swallow is similar to ordinary wonton, but it is full of surprises when you bite it. “The skin and stuffing of the meat swallow are all made of meat, so it is also called ‘meat wrapped in meat’. The skin of the meat swallow should be made of fresh pork, and it can be made by peeling, removing tendons and membranes and repeatedly beating. The stuffing of the meat swallow is made of fat and thin pork.” Lin Guifang said.
With the progress of the times, some production processes of noodles and meat swallows are replaced by machines, which can not only control the temperature and humidity, but also standardize the sanitary environment, so as to ensure stable production all year round. Lin Guifang said that in recent years, the company has launched pre-packaged products and sold them to the national and even overseas markets through online and offline channels, so that more people have the opportunity to taste this local specialty food.
Baiguo is a traditional food with Fuzhou characteristics, which has a beautiful meaning of reunion. Happy and auspicious patterns such as blessing and longevity will be printed on it, symbolizing reunion and happiness. Among them, Renshan Baiguo in Pandu Town, Lianjiang, which has a long history, is well known.
On January 27, the reporter came to a Baiguo processing factory in Renshan Village. Just as he entered the workshop, the attractive rice fragrance came to him. The workers perform their duties, and the processes of stirring, cooking, kneading and stretching are closely linked. Soon, soft, sweet and elastic white barns were freshly baked.
The production is orderly, the sales there are in full swing, and many customers come here to buy. “I ate the taste of childhood, and the picture of making Baiguo with my parents and brothers came back to my memory.” said Mr. Chen, who drives from Fuzhou every year to buy Baiguo, “If you don’t eat a Baiguo in the New Year, you always feel a loss.” (Fuzhou Daily reporter Lin Wenzhao and correspondents Chen Chengzhi and Lin Qiaoqian)