Why is Huaiyang cuisine the main course of the state banquet?

The main course of the State Banquet and the 50th National Day Banquet is Huaiyang cuisine. It is estimated that Huaiyang cuisine will also be the main course of this year's state banquet. Why did you choose Huaiyang cuisine as the main course of the state banquet? What is the magic of Huaiyang cuisine? Huaiyang cuisine is one of the four major cuisines and the representative faction of Jiangsu cuisine. It refers to the regional cuisine centered on Yangzhou and Huai 'an. It began in the Spring and Autumn Period, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Known as "the most delicious in the southeast and the most beautiful in the world."

First of all, Huaiyang cuisine is carefully selected and operated according to its materials; Most of them are mainly fresh water from rivers and lakes, supported by top cooking techniques, and they are original and excellent, and are sought after by many people. For example, Taihu White Fish, also known as Taihu Silver Knife, is famous for its tender meat and delicious taste. Du Fu once wrote the poem "White fish cut like jade" to praise it.

Second, Huaiyang cuisine is exquisitely made and elegant in style. For example, the dish of boiled dried silk is the housekeeping dish in Huaiyang cuisine. Knife making requirements are extremely detailed. Cut a piece of dried bean curd into 18 pieces, neat and even. The chicken soup is slowly stewed, and the delicacy of the chicken soup completely penetrates into the dried silk. Many diners just want a dried silk and nothing else, which shows the attractive charm of this dish. The production technology of this dish has been included in the intangible cultural heritage list.

The most exquisite skill of a knife cutter is to cut tofu by hand. A piece of tofu can be cut into thousands of shredded tofu and put into clean water. The roots are clear, uniform in thickness and as thin as hair. It must also be non-viscous, discontinuous and non-fractured. Recently, Master Hou Xinqing, who studied under master Zhou Xiaoyan of Huaiyang, came to Shenyang to perform tofu cutting. His nickname is Huaiyang Dao. China Siwen tofu on the tip of the tongue is as thin as hair, which makes Huaiyang cuisine famous for its knife work.

Third, the pursuit of original flavor, freshness and peace. Take simple soup dumplings and lion's head as examples. As the old saying goes, food is not tired of essence, and it is delicious and makes sense. The more common ingredients are, the more cooking skills are displayed.

The lion's head is very learned, because the meat is cut out and melts at the first bite, so the lion's head can't put egg powder. If you want to hold this disunited pile of meat together, you need to make some real efforts, from left hand to right hand, from right hand to left hand, and so on, until it does not spread. After the pot is cooked, it should be heated with slow fire for 4 hours, and the noodle soup should always be in a seemingly boiling state, otherwise the lion's head will turn into meat soup when the fire is big. You can say that this dish is not difficult.

Five-flowered fish is a traditional famous dish, and it is the most famous dish in Huaiyang cuisine. Finally, there is a thickening procedure. Dip all the flavors of the seasoning into the eel strips to keep the eel meat tender, and the eel skin will soften in the thickened juice. The dish should be black and shiny, and gently pinch it with chopsticks, so that the entrance is tender and smooth. There won't be another bowl of rice at this time.

Master Hou Xinqing can say dozens of things about this classic Huaiyang cuisine. Well-made and elegant dishes are very much in line with the appetite of the guests attending the party. Now he is the executive chef of Chinese food in Shangri-La Hotel, a senior technician and a China culinary master. In 20 19, Jiangnan Kitchen Corporation won the titles of "Top 50 Chefs in China", "Top 10 Chefs in Beijing" and "Young Chef Tutor in China", which was responsible for the activities and meals of 25 heads of state representing the country and hotels, and the meals of party and state leaders during their overseas visits, and was well received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassies abroad. The following photos were taken by Master Hou Xinqing, who presided over the second season Huaiyang Food Festival in Northeast Shenyang during the Lantern Festival. The address is at Golden Travel Hotel, Xianggong and Coffee Garden. The author was lucky enough to taste the combination of his state banquet dishes and two defective products, which was deeply touched.