Enjoy the Rural Banquet in Fuzhou!
Drinking wine from a thousand homes with cheer,
While waiting for the fish as the tides draw near
—[Song Dynasty] Long Changqi
Fuzhou
As the Summer Solstice approaches tomorrow, the cicadas’ song grows louder.
The rural banquets of Fuzhou come alive in the heat of summer. On June 28, the “A Bite of Fuzhou” project team, part of the Fuzhou Daily, will cooperate with the Huawei Xiyingli Agricultural Products Wholesale Market to host a grand banquet, offering 300 seats and featuring 16 signature rural dishes to treat guests from near and far.
What’s Enjoyed at a Rural Banquet is the Atmosphere
Fuzhou people value strong bonds of affection, and rural banquets are held for many occasions, ranging from seasonal festivals and spring planting to autumn harvests, weddings, funerals, births, birthdays, housewarmings, and relocations...
Neighbors, friends, and family come together to enjoy a lively, bustling meal. For visitors to Fuzhou, it’s better to arrive at the right time than too early. To join in, all you need to do is greet the welcoming host, and adding a pair of chopsticks is all it takes.
A rural banquet is a grand affair: in an open space, long tents are put up, earthen ovens are built to half a person’s height, large iron pots over a meter wide sit on stands, and bamboo steamers, stacked high with steaming food, are arranged in layers. As the team of village chefs takes their positions, the sharp clatter of spatulas against the iron pots and the lively shouts of the chefs combine to create a vibrant, dynamic display — a vivid showcase of folk culinary artistry.
In a rural banquet, the head chef is called the “Zhan Ding” by the locals. Chen Chongye, who has served as the “Zhan Ding” at Fuzhou’s rural banquets for over fifty years, is highly regarded in the industry and is affectionately known as “Ding Wang.”
Chen Chongye walks at a brisk pace. Over the past fifty years, he has lifted countless heavy iron pots, developing remarkable strength. During busy meal preparations, he effortlessly carries a bamboo steamer, moving swiftly between the stoves with an agility that even outpaces the younger chefs.
In the past, rural banquets were full of life. When someone hosted a banquet, it was often held at the village’s ancestral hall or in the open space in front of the house. There were no table and chair rental services or professional helpers back then — everything was done by neighbors who pitched in. Some borrowed tables and chairs, while others helped wash vegetables or serve dishes, creating a warm, lively atmosphere. Chen Chongye recalled, “Back in the day, the banquet could stretch for miles, bustling and grand.” Though such grand scenes are rare now, the vibrant atmosphere of the rural banquet remains as strong as ever.
Rural Banquets: A Fusion of Mountain and Sea Delicacies
The dishes at a Fuzhou rural banquet are a celebration of the flavors of the sea and the treasures of the mountains. Each dining table is like a “Classic of Mountains and Seas,” offering a feast for the senses with vibrant colors, enticing aromas, and rich flavors.
In Langqi Town, Fuzhou, Sticky Rice with Crab and Eight Treasures is the highlight of the rural banquet. The local red crab, paired with winter bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and other ingredients, strikes a perfect balance between the tasty, tender crab meat and the soft, sticky rice, delivering a burst of freshness that awakens your taste buds.
Steamed Erythroculter Ilishaeformis is a standout dish at rural banquets along the Minjiang River. This wild fish, native to the river, boasts delicate, tender flesh with no bones between the fillets. It’s simply steamed with ginger and scallions, bringing out the fresh, authentic flavors, making it a true delicacy at rural banquets during the autumn and winter seasons. Li Chengyang, a tourist from Xi’an, commented, “With just one gentle bite, the fresh flavor of the fish fills your mouth instantly — no fishy taste, just a subtle sweetness that lingers.”
The rural banquets in Minqing, a mountainous county in Fuzhou, offer a distinct flavor, with Duck Marinated in Rice Wine being a standout dish. Its preparation is now recognized as an intangible cultural heritage. The semi-muscovy duck is seasoned with a mix of green and red wine lees, then marinated and smoked. A bite of the duck unveils the rich aroma of wine and a delicate smokiness.
Rural Banquets Have Their own Set of Rules and Customs
At rural banquets, the way dishes are served varies depending on the occasion.
Hosting a banquet is no easy feat. “Fuzhou people value pairs, so the number of dishes is always even,” said Chen Chongye, his eyes squinting with a smile. In the old days, rural banquets followed a tradition of “four combinations, eight stir-fries, and eight main dishes,” with more than twenty courses served one after another, creating a spectacular feast for the eyes.
In the past, when resources were scarce, having crabs, shrimp, and fish on the banquet table was a true luxury, a symbol of prestige. Ordinary ingredients depended entirely on the chef’s skill, who could work magic with them, turning them into a variety of dishes through frying, stir-frying, boiling, and braising. But times have changed. Today, with abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and tripe filling the table, the host’s wealth is clearly reflected in the spread.
The highlight of any banquet is undoubtedly the Taiping Pork Wontons, a dish that no feast is complete without. As soon as it’s served, fireworks erupt outside, and the host moves from table to table, offering toasts. It’s at this moment that the banquet truly reaches its peak.
Taiping Pork Wontons are crafted from a blend of ingredients like pork wontons, duck eggs, and shiitake mushrooms. The pork wontons are shaped like swallows in flight, while the duck eggs symbolize the “calm after the storm.” In the past, many Fuzhou people made their living at sea, navigating the waves and hardships. What they longed for most was peace and safety.
At a birthday banquet, the first dish is always longevity noodles, usually stir-fried mee sua noodles with seafood. The long, thin noodles symbolize longevity. The dish calls for the noodles to be stir-fried until dry and crispy, with fresh shrimp, oysters, and clams.
The roof beam placement toast is rarely seen today. In the past, building a house was a big event. When the main beam was set in place, the host would stand on the beam and throw rice cakes down to the guests. The rice cakes had to be firm, symbolizing the strength and stability of the house. Guests below would eagerly try to catch them, believing that catching one would bring good luck. Today, at housewarming banquets, soft, sticky-sweet rice cakes are served instead. A bite of these treats brings the sweet taste of “new beginnings and good fortune.”
When an elderly person passes away, Fuzhou locals refer to it as “Bai Xi,” symbolizing a peaceful death in old age. The first dish served at the banquet is always mutton, typically in the form of mutton soup with white radish. The deep flavor of Fujian’s aged wine infuses the mutton, while the white radish absorbs the fragrant essence, making it especially sweet. The older generation often says, “Just as a lamb kneels to drink its mother’s milk, so should a person honor their parents.”
As the banquet winds down, Deep-fried Whole Yellow Croaker or Whole Fish is presented as the final course. Fuzhou people believe this symbolizes “completeness and prosperity, with abundance year after year.”
These days, some rural banquets have embraced the trend of pre-made dishes, but Chen Chongye still sticks to tradition, hand-mincing the fillings and stir-frying each dish fresh. The host suggested he take it easy, but he wiped his brow and smiled, saying, “Machine-made dishes lack soul. A single bite is enough to know if a dish is truly fresh and full of flavor.”
(Fuzhou Evening News Reporter: Quan Yiyue)