“Fujian Cuisine’s Circle of Friends” Earns Thumbs-up! The “Houguan Fuzhou Banquet” Showcases the Millennium Splendor of Fujian Flavors
On December 28, the “Fujian Cuisine 100 - 2024 Mountain and Sea Fujian Cuisine Awards Selection and Award Ceremony & Cangshan District Fujian Food Carnival” officially kicked off, refreshing Fuzhou people’s gourmet ranking. It also invited several renowned culinary figures from across the country to Fuzhou, including Hou Decheng, Director of the International Hotel Training Department of Beijing Business School, National Outstanding Teacher, Western Cuisine Education Expert, and Meituan Black Pearl Restaurant Council Member, further expanding the “Fujian Cuisine’s Circle of Friends.”
On the evening of December 27, a grand banquet named the “Houguan Fuzhou Banquet”, featuring both seasonal delicacies and classic Fujian dishes, was held at the Fuzhou Qi Shan Plum Garden Hotel. It marked the first stop for the “Fujian Cuisine’s Circle of Friends” to experience authentic Fujian cuisine, impressing all the guests with the exceptional charm of Fujian flavors.
“Houguan is the ancient name of today’s Minhou County. With over 2,000 years of administrative history, it has long been praised as the “First County of Fujian”. This nourishing land has nurtured many prominent figures such as Lin Zexu and Shen Baozhen, while its abundant produce and exquisite craftsmanship have given rise to the brilliant culinary culture of Houguan. The welcome dinner for the “Fujian Cuisine’s Circle of Friends” was held in this ancient city with a history of a thousand years, and named the simple and profound “Houguan Fujian Banquet”.
The Plum Garden has been deeply rooted in Fuzhou’s hospitality and dining industry for 30 years. It is not only an inheritor of Fujian culinary craftsmanship but also a steadfast guardian of Mindu culture. At the inaugural “Fujian Cuisine 100” awards ceremony in 2023, the “Houguan Fuzhou Banquet” won both the awards of “Famous Cultural Banquet for New Fujian Cuisine” and “Annual Popular Champion”. Selecting ingredients according to the seasonal changes, the Plum Garden continues to launch new seasonal dishes, earning widespread attention among food enthusiasts.
Drawing upon seasonal ingredients and specialties from the Min River, this edition of the “Houguan Fuzhou Banquet” is refined into six chapters: Appetizer, Signature Flavors, Seasonal Delights, Auspicious Dishes, Seasonal Greens, and Desserts. The banquet blends the ceremonial traditions of Houguan family banquets with contemporary Fujian cuisine culture, conveying the culinary wisdom and warm hospitality of the Fujian people.
In the “Signature Flavors” chapter, the Plum Garden’s three classic signature dishes, intangible cultural heritage braised duck, garden-style vegetable rolls, and deep-fried wine lees eel, were presented in full. These dishes are known for their surprising ingredient selection, refined techniques, and distinctive flavors. The intangible cultural heritage braised duck, a dish passed down through generations, is made using premium ducks raised on a dedicated farm and crafted through more than ten steps. It has become a culinary symbol of the Plum Garden Hotel.
In the “Seasonal Delights” chapter, the focus was on gathering the freshest local ingredients of the season: mountain goat meat, winter bamboo shoots, E.ilishae formis, and Neptunea cumingi. Through simple cooking techniques, the chef discards the dross and keeps the fine, and retains the fresh flavor of the ingredients themselves, perfectly showcasing the unique characteristics of Fujian cuisine: “excel at cooking mountain and sea delicacies” and “do not eat against the seasons”.
The “Auspicious Dishes” chapter showcased a variety of classic Fujian cuisine, such as oyster omelet, stewed tofu, and steamed fish balls. These dishes bring innovation to tradition, fully demonstrating the unparalleled elegance and brilliance of Fujian cuisine.
In the end, the meticulously crafted and stunningly presented “Houguan Fujian Banquet” won unanimous praise from the guests. Attendees remarked that the banquet successfully embodied the depth of Houguan culture and the essence of new Fujian cuisine. The Plum Garden Hotel has masterfully blended Fujian’s gourmet delights with the elegance of Mindu. As a highly representative Mindu banquet, the “Houguan Fujian Banquet” will continue to carry forward and revitalize the creativity and vitality of Fujian cuisine.