Spring at Huawei Xiyingli | Getting to Know the Flavors of Spring in This Fuzhou Market
In the four abundant seasons of Fuzhou, it is only during the bright yet fleeting days of spring that the local palate truly focuses on fresh, sweet, tender, and juicy vegetables and fruits. The vegetable market becomes a grand showcase of spring’s bounty and the most down-to-earth spot to experience the season. Here, the vibrant reds, light yellows, tender greens, and deep purples offer not only a lively urban experience but also an in-depth healing of the mind.
On this Spring Equinox, a visit to the Huawei Xiyingli Agricultural Products Trading Center reveals a dazzling array of spring vegetables, seasonal fruits, and fresh seafood, which serve as an embodiment of spring in full bloom.
Spring Colours · Spring Vegetables
Fuzhou People’s Own “Northeast Market”
The Huawei Xiyingli Agricultural Products Trading Center is a one-stop wholesale market offering six major categories: aquatic products, frozen goods, dried goods, meat, vegetables, and fruits. In spring, the vegetable area becomes the most bustling area. At this time of year, Huawei Xiyingli becomes Fuzhou’s very own version of a “Northeast Market.”
Vegetables are a staple in every Fuzhou meal year-round, but certain “green sprouts” and “tender tips” unique to spring are simply irreplaceable. No matter how inconvenient it may be, locals make a special trip to the market just to get them fresh.
Thick and juicy with a tender, grainless texture, celery is the most versatile of spring greens.
Spring chives are a must for Fuzhou spring rolls, offering a fresh, rich, sweet flavor that defies substitution.
Chive blossoms, resembling budding jasmine flowers, pair well with both freshwater and marine seafood.
Tenderness is the central theme of spring dining. Rare creamy eggplants are fragrant, sweet, and juicy, with a delicate fiber that instantly captures the essence of spring in a single bite.
Spring also marks the “final performance” for winter vegetables. Originally from Sichuan and Chongqing, B. j. var. gemminfera is tender, slightly astringent, and subtly sweet, perfectly aligning with Fuzhou’s taste preferences.
At the “source ingredient market” of the Huawei Xiyingli Agricultural Products Trading Center, numerous spring flavors seem to be everywhere, yet uncovering the lesser-known hidden gems of spring still requires a keen eye.
Wild bracken ferns, with their tightly coiled tips, may look tough but have a delicate, glass-like core. Their texture is smooth and crisp, with a wild yet gentle flavour, making them the undisputed “king of mountain vegetables” in the eyes of gourmet enthusiasts.
Plump white bamboo shoots, sourced from the mountainous regions of Nanping, carry the concentrated freshness of spring in every preparation.
Spring Sweetness · Spring Fruits
A Joyful Appointment with the Spring Mountains and Fields
Amid the vibrant market with abundant produce at Huawei Xiyingli in spring, we saw the gentle greens of fresh vegetables and the ripened sweetness of spring fruits.
Inside the Guoranxian Fresh Fruit Warehouse Membership Store located in the market, nearly a hundred types of fruits are available in peak season. Through a supply chain that delivers fresh, seasonal fruits directly from mountain groves and woodlands to store shelves and with “wholesale prices even for 0.5 kg”, a grand feast of spring fruits is unfolding for the people of Fuzhou.
Loquats, known as the “first fruit of spring in Fujian,” are carefully hand-selected for their round, uncracked appearance and tender yellow skin. Their perfectly balanced sweet and sour flavor captures the vitality of spring.
Blueberries from Yunnan are another “spring hit”. With plump flesh and a rich floral aroma, they’re available for just over ten yuan per box. The store also offers a potted blueberry plant - a seasonal edible houseplant.
Tropical fruits such as pineapples and mangoes are also on offer. Naturally ripened, these fruits are intensely fragrant and sweet, adding even more layers to Fuzhou’s springtime flavor palette.
Spring Freshness · Aquatic Products
Fresh Offerings from Local Ports and Distant Oceans
In spring, locally sourced seasonal seafood is dominated by shellfish. Their hard shells conceal the ocean’s crunchy bite of spring. Plump and flavorful clams and solen are top choices for Fuzhou residents seeking spring delicacies.
High-quality seafood from around the world is also available here. Large conchs and blue king crabs are at their seasonal peak, enabling Fuzhou locals to enjoy global spring seafood delicacies beyond just domestic offerings.
With spring as the prelude, the Huawei Xiyingli Agricultural Products Trading Center, a large agricultural trade market offering six categories: aquatic products, frozen goods, dried goods, meat, vegetables, and fruits, is creating a “source food market” for fresh food all year round and a new commercial landmark for both wholesale and retail with the new retail format of “wholesale price for each item”.