Fuzhou’s Jasmine Tea, Fotiaoqiang, Laohua, and Fish Balls Are Featured on CCTV
Jasmine tea, Fotiaoqiang, laohua, and fish balls were featured on CCTV
Three Meals, Four Seasons spotlighted Fujian flavors
Fotiaoqiang (File Photo by Reporter Chen Nuan)
At 8 p.m. on March 13, the “Fujian Flavors” episode of Season 2 of Three Meals, Four Seasons, a large-scale food and cultural tourism program by CCTV, aired on CCTV-1. In this episode, CCTV host Benny Sa (Sa Beining) joined actress Wang Ou and culinary culture scholar Chen Li to form a flavor-seeking team, diving into the everyday food scene of Fuzhou and exploring the rich culinary charm of Fuzhou - true to the local saying: “No matter where you go, you’ll always find your way back to Fuzhou.”
Fuzhou jasmine tea kicked off the culinary journey
Fotiaoqiang, Instant-boiled Sea Clam in Chicken Broth, Steamed Crab Rice... The “Fujian Flavors” episode of Season 2 of Three Meals, Four Seasons highlighted Fuzhou and Nanping, offering a deep dive into Fujian’s distinctive culinary culture and local charm through its street food and cultural traditions.
Instant-boiled Sea Clam in Chicken Broth (File Photo by Ye Junhao)
The show began its culinary journey with Fuzhou Jasmine Tea. As Benny Sa took a sip and marveled at the tea’s aroma, saying, “You can smell the fragrance but can’t see the flowers,” the camera beautifully captured the magical interplay between the tea and the blossoms, unfolding the story of Fuzhou as the birthplace of the world-famous Jasmine Tea.
In response to Benny Sa’s curiosity, Chen Li explained, “The aroma of the jasmine flowers is infused into the tea.”
The “soul collision” of laohua and shrimp oil
In the show, the familiar Fuzhou dish laohua (Fujian-style noodle soup) became a major highlight. Benny Sa, holding a bowl of laohua, exclaimed, “It’s so delicious! I just can’t stop eating.”
As Benny Sa opened the canned shrimp oil, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “It smells irresistible!”
Shrimp oil, made by fermenting fresh shrimp, is the “soul seasoning” of laohua. Whether used as a dipping sauce or drizzled into soup to enhance the flavor, it immediately elevates the richness of laohua’s taste.
The “fingertip art” of Fuzhou fish balls
As the saying goes, “You haven’t really been to Fuzhou if you haven’t tried the fish balls.” In a fish ball shop in Sanfang Qixiang, Benny Sa and Wang Ou got hands-on experience in making Fuzhou fish balls. Wang Ou tried to follow the “three-no” rule for perfect fish balls - “no off-center, no leaking filling, and no sinking to the bottom” - but her inexperience led to some funny moments. Benny Sa joked, “Once cooked, I can easily tell which ones you made as they’re so big.”
Benny Sa Enjoyed Fuzhou Fish Balls. (Video Screenshot)
The show highlighted the meticulous process of making fish balls through close-up shots: fresh fish, dehydrated for no more than five hours, was deboned, skinned, and minced into a fine paste. The paste was then mixed with ice and sweet potato starch at a low temperature to enhance its elasticity. As the master shaped the balls with expert hands, the snow-white fish balls were carefully formed and dropped into the water.
Once cooked, the fish balls rose to the surface. Taking a bite released a burst of savory juice, with firm skin and a fresh, flavorful filling. The clear broth was rich and aromatic, while the delicate pork filling enhanced the natural sweetness of the fish.
Fujian cuisine master presented the “aesthetics of fermented red rice wine”
Red yeast rice is a “treasured seasoning” in Fuzhou cuisine. It can be used in various ways, including stir-frying with it, gently marinating or cooking with it, quick-frying with it over high heat, cooking with aromatic red yeast rice, and marinating or cooking with red yeast rice, which imparts a distinctive wine-like aroma. This versatility makes it an ingredient that can elevate nearly any dish. The flavor-seeking team first explored three exceptional dishes made with red yeast rice: Stir-Fried Clams with Red Yeast Sauce, Pan-Fried Eel with Red Yeast Sauce, and Sauteed Sliced Neptunea Cumingi in Rice Wine Sauce.
In the show, Fujian cuisine master Yang Weihua demonstrated these three classic dishes. In a close-up shot, the Sauteed Sliced Neptunea Cumingi in Rice Wine Sauce was served on a porcelain plate. The slices, thin as gossamer, glowed with a vibrant red hue, resembling a blooming peony. After tasting it, Wang Ou couldn’t stop praising, saying, “I love it so much. I have to take some home.”
According to the introduction, red yeast rice is a defining characteristic of Fujian cuisine, distinguishing it from other Chinese culinary traditions. In Fuzhou, it appears in both high-end banquets and street-side eateries alike.
The show also featured several iconic Fujian dishes, including Fotiaoqiang, known as the “King of Fujian Cuisine,” Instant-boiled Sea Clam in Chicken Broth, dubbed the “Queen of Fujian Cuisine,” and Steamed Crab Rice. “Even a simple dish embodies the essence of the seasons, landscapes, local produce, culture, and history, all of which are reflected on the table. Refined through generations of chefs’ dedication and skill, it has become a source of joy and fulfillment in our lives. So, everyone who comes here feels truly fortunate,” said Chen Li. (Fuzhou Evening News Reporter: Quan Yiyue)