A Brief Discussion on the Origin of Fujian Cuisine
Well-known Fujian Cuisine Restaurants in Shanghai Listed in Guide to Shanghai (Shanghai Guwen) by Wang Dingjiu (Photo courtesy of the author)
Fujian cuisine originated in Minhou County, Fujian, and later developed into three major regional styles: Fuzhou, Minnan, and Minxi. Fuzhou cuisine is renowned for its expert knife skills and precise cooking techniques which bring out delicate, fresh flavors. It achieves a harmonious balance between sweetness and sourness, where the sweetness is subtle and the sourness adds a refreshing kick without being too sharp. A defining characteristic of Fuzhou cuisine is its slow-cooked soups, which are rich in fresh, fragrant tastes. Minnan cuisine, which includes dishes from Quanzhou, Xiamen, and Zhangzhou, is characterized by its thoughtful use of seasonings and ingredients that elevate flavors, with a strong emphasis on freshness. Minxi cuisine, including dishes from Changting and other southwestern regions, is known for its strong, salty flavors with a preference for spiciness. It often features mountain delicacies in its preparations. As a result, Fujian cuisine is known for three key features: first, its expert use of red yeast rice as a seasoning; second, its mastery of soup preparation; and third, its distinctive balance of sweet and sour flavors. Min Xiao Ji, written by Zhou Lianggong during the Qing Dynasty, is one of the most renowned ancient Chinese books documenting the local customs and practices of Fujian. It includes detailed descriptions of Fujian’s culinary traditions and has since become a key reference for food lovers seeking to explore the essence of Fujian cuisine.
Fujian cuisine is renowned largely because of the region’s abundant and unique natural resources. The southeastern part of Fujian borders the sea, while the northwest is mountainous, giving the region a rich and diverse variety of both mountain delicacies and seafood. In the past, coastal residents didn’t worry about going hungry. With the tides coming in and out, they could easily collect a basket of seafood while strolling along the shore. Additionally, Fujian’s warm climate and fertile soil ensure a steady supply of fresh vegetables and fruits throughout the year.
In the 1920s, Fujian cuisine began to gain popularity in Shanghai. An article in Shanghai Weekly on February 12, 1928, noted, “Fujian cuisine is favored by the general public, and it’s relatively affordable,” offering a sharp contrast to the “higher prices” of Cantonese cuisine. The article also highlighted several well-known dishes from Fujian cuisine, such as Crispy Crucian Carp, Braised Pig Trotters, Stir-fried Four Treasures, Yifu Noodles, Shredded Eel, and Fried Bamboo Shoots with Mushrooms and Special Salted Cabbage. However, it notably omitted the most famous dish, “Fotiaoqiang,” probably because it contradicted the article’s assertion that Fujian cuisine is “relatively affordable.” When talking about “Fotiaoqiang,” it’s impossible not to mention Zheng Chunfa, a pivotal figure in modern Fujian cuisine, and his famous restaurant, “Juchunyuan.” Zheng Chunfa, a native of Changle, Fujian, began his culinary career at the Yuanchun Restaurant in Dongjiekou, Fuzhou, before traveling to Beijing, Guangzhou, Suzhou, and Hangzhou to learn from various culinary masters. While staying true to the core characteristics of Fujian cuisine, he also incorporated the essence of other regional cuisines, which further enhanced the unique flavors of Fujian dishes. Zheng Chunfa was later employed as a chef by Zhou Lian, the then Governor of Fujian. He recreated the “Fushouquan” dish, originally made by the wife of an official from the Guanqianju (Monetary Bureau), and transformed it into “Fotiaoqiang,” a dish that earned him widespread fame. Zheng Chunfa was also known as the “Master Chef of Fujian.” He later founded “Juchunyuan,” which rapidly flourished, and emerged as the birthplace of modern Fujian cuisine and a training ground for Fujian chefs. The restaurant became widely renowned for its signature dish, “Fotiaoqiang.”
After trying “Fotiaoqiang,” people couldn’t stop praising it. “Fotiaoqiang, which originated in Fuzhou, uses extremely rare and precious ingredients… This dish takes over ten days to prepare and features ten expensive ingredients, such as sea cucumber, pork tendons, red dates, fish bones, fish skin, chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, and pork hock. The process starts by simmering chicken stock, which is then cooked slowly with these ingredients, without any chicken meat, over several rounds, taking almost two weeks in total… The distinct flavors blend into a single, harmonious taste. It’s rich and mellow, with a lingering fragrance on the palate, leaving you craving more long after the meal.” This version of “Fotiaoqiang” is a far cry from Zheng Chunfa’s original. The only similarity is the abundance of ingredients and the freshness of the flavors.
Fujian cuisine became all the rage in Beijing as early as the 1920s. An article titled Fujian Cuisine Restaurants on West Chang’an Avenue wrote, “Since last year, restaurants and taverns have emerged rapidly, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, with booming business… Among them, Zhong Xin Tang has been the most successful, followed by Zhang Lin Chun and Qing Lin Chun, all specializing in Fujian cuisine.” It shows how flourishing Fujian restaurants were in Beijing at the time. In 1936, Yu Dafu came to Fuzhou. He published an article in which he highly praised Fujian cuisine. Speaking of its popularity in Beijing and Shanghai, he said, “Fuzhou cuisine has always been well-loved by people from other provinces. Over a decade ago in Beijing, whenever the topic of private chefs came up, we all agreed that the vegetables served at the homes of Mr. Liu Songsheng (Liu Chongyou) and Mr. Lin Zongmeng (Lin Changmin), both from Fuzhou, were particularly delicious. At that time, Zhong Xin Tang, located outside Xuanwumen, was quite popular. The owner was none other than the former chef of the Liu family, who had once served in the imperial kitchen during the Qing dynasty. The “Xiao You Tian” in Shanghai and the now-closed “Xiaoxian Villa” were once all the rage, before Cantonese cuisine became popular in the city. It is said that Yifu Noodles, a well-known brand of noodles, was created by Yi Moqing, the then Governor of Tingzhou (also known as Yi Bingshou, a Qing dynasty calligrapher from Ninghua, Fujian). He lived in Yangzhou for a long time and frequently interacted with the talented scholar Yuan Mei. Unfortunately, unlike Yuan Mei, he did not record his cooking techniques in a cookbook for future generations.”
However, the popularity of Fujian cuisine was short-lived. A book from the 1930s, which reviewed the development of the tourism industry at the time, analyzed the decline of Fujian cuisine in Shanghai. It attributed the decline to Fujian cuisine “becoming increasingly insular over the years, gradually falling behind.” By the 1930s, Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine restaurants were flourishing, and it became increasingly rare to find Fujian cuisine restaurants in downtown Shanghai.
In his article On Fujian Cuisine, artist Pan Qinmeng remarked, “It’s an indisputable fact that Fujian cuisine has established its own culinary system. In the early years of the Republic of China, figures like Zheng Haicang, Qing Daoren, and Lin Yijing promoted Fujian cuisine in Shanghai, leading to the rise of restaurants such as ‘Xiao You Tian,’ ‘Tao Le Chun,’ and ‘Gong Le Chun,’ marking the peak of Fujian cuisine’s popularity. However, as with all things, what rises must eventually fall. Over time, Cantonese cuisine took its place, followed by Sichuan, Shanghai, and Shandong cuisines, which gradually replaced Cantonese cuisine as the dominant culinary force.”
Although Fujian cuisine did not remain prosperous for long, we can still catch a glimpse of its peak in the writings of scholars from the 1920s. In his article A Brief Discussion on the Cuisine of Hangzhou and Beijing, Yu Pingbo wrote, “Speaking of Beijing... ‘The willow trees in front of the tavern are tall enough to tie a horse. One wants to change into spring clothes but is unsure of which one to choose. Southern cuisine is known for its skillful cooking of river fish and tofu, while Sichuan and Fujian dishes are famous for their steaming and roasting techniques.’ The first two lines are more metaphorical than literal... Fujian cuisine is renowned for its seafood dishes, with delicate and fresh flavors, and many of its dishes are well-known. I have relatives from Fujian, and my aunt is also from Fujian, so I am quite familiar with Fujian cuisine. In Beijing, there were quite a few Fujian restaurants, and I recall a particularly refined one on Dongsi North Street in the 1920s, although I can’t remember its name. At that time, the Beiyang government’s Navy Department was located near the Twelfth Alley, and many of the officials were from Fujian, leading to the establishment of this restaurant, which I really enjoyed. Outside the restaurant, independent Fujian cuisine chefs, who specialized in catering to private banquets could be found (I’m not sure if this was common elsewhere), such as Chef Wang (Yuting) and Chef Lin, whom my family once hired.”
In the early 1990s, when Wang Zengqi first visited Fuzhou, he was deeply impressed by the refinement of Fujian cuisine. He wrote, “Fujian people, especially those in Fuzhou, have an unyielding pursuit of refined food. Fish balls, meatballs, and beef balls are all about the size of longans. They aren’t chopped with a knife but are instead pounded into a smooth paste with a mallet, resembling clay. When you bite into it, there’s no trace of fiber; it is incredibly fine and has a chewy texture. The skin of fish dumplings is made by pounding fish meat into a fine paste. Pure lean meat is mixed with mushroom powder and pounded thin as paper with a wooden mallet, then used to wrap wontons (called ‘pork wontons’ in Fuzhou), known as wrappers.” The fish balls, meatballs, and beef balls mentioned here are prepared in the same way as Chaozhou beef balls from Chao cuisine, following similar techniques and traditions. Both trace their origins to the same roots. This technique was documented in the Qimin Yaoshu from the Northern Wei period, where it was called “pounding delicacies.” The beef balls, made through the processes of “pounding” and “beating,” have a crisp and chewy texture. In the traditional method from the Chaoshan region, the chef uses two 1.5-kilogram iron rods, alternately pounding the beef with both hands until it turns into a paste. Then, a specific amount of starch is added, and the mixture is cooked until it takes shape. This technique gives the beef balls, especially the beef tendon ones, remarkable elasticity. It’s this very quality that inspired the iconic scene in Stephen Chow’s The God of Cookery, where the juicy beef balls bounce high after hitting the ground.
(Author: Huang Jian, Lecturer at the School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University)