What to eat in Tongli Ancient Town?

Tongli Town, one of the six ancient towns in Jiangnan, is located in Wujiang District, Suzhou City, east of the ancient canal on the shore of Taihu Lake. Founded in the Song Dynasty, it has a history of more than 1,000 years, and is a veritable ancient town of Han Chinese water town culture. \x0d\ Food Recommendations:\x0d\ 状元蹄\x0d\ This dish is not unique to the Tongli, but the Tongli method of production is very different, as for the method of production is a secret that is not passed on. The people of Tongli have this dish on the table when they invite their guests and friends. Residents of nearby villages and towns come from hundreds of miles to Tongli to buy this dish, which shows its popularity. The pig's trotters burnt with thick oil and red sauce are shiny red, soft and sweet in the mouth but not greasy, leaving a long lasting aftertaste. \x0d\ Green dumplings\x0d\ It is said that green dumplings are made by pounding glutinous rice with grass juice from bird's nest, so that the glutinous rice is soaked in the grass juice and turns into mud, turning it into a turquoise color. This is used to wrap the bean paste or date paste, and then use the reed leaf bottom into the cage, steamed to become. The Ming Lang Ying's "Seven Hsiu Class Drafts" recorded: "In ancient times, during the cold food, Tung Yang leaves were collected and dyed with the green color of the rice to be sacrificed to the Yang Qi. Nowadays, it is changed into green and white dumplings, which is also the meaning." There is also a legend related to Dayu. When Dayu ruled over the water for thirteen years, he used the method of dredging to make the three rivers flow into the sea, and the water level of Taihu Lake dropped, so that the flooding could be calmed down, and conditions were created for the planting of winter wheat, which was y loved by the people of Suzhou. \x0d\ Retreat Cake\x0d\ Taihu Lake Three White Note oh, this is three dishes, there are Taihu Lake White Fish, Taihu Lake White Shrimp and Silver Fish Scrambled Eggs. All are early in the morning on the goods, authentic farmhouse burning method, nutritious, light and delicious. Silverfish not only has the effect of toning beauty, but also the flavor is not bad, it is worth a try. \x0d\\ Tongli Smoked Fish Smoked fish can be found everywhere, but there is something different about Tongli Smoked Fish, which is especially loved by local residents. The local people love this flavor, especially when it is served with small bridges and flowing rivers. \x0d\ Straw Chicken in Casserole\x0d\ The raw materials used are all straw chickens raised in the countryside by the local residents of Tongli, which are fed on green grass, young insects and rice. The grass chicken is stewed together with flat tips and wild fungi for a delicious flavor and tender chicken meat. Recommended eating place: Tongli Mantianxing Hotel. \x0d\ Wine Brewing Cake\x0d\ is a seasonal food in the spring in the ancient town of Tongli. It is a kind of pancake made by fermenting and baking wine and flour, and wrapping it in a sweet filling. \x0d\\ Malt Collapse Cake\x0d\ Malt Collapse Cake Malt Collapse Cake has a modest appearance, but it is a traditional Soviet-style tea in the ancient town of Tongli, and it is a local snack that people in Tongli will make. The cakes are made with rice flour mixed with the right amount of malt powder and the grass picked from the ridges in the village. \x0d\\ Tangerine red cake\x0d\ Tangerine red cake is a traditional winter food among the Soviet-style pastries, which has a history of more than 100 years. In the past, this kind of cake was used by Tongli people to treat new guests or son-in-laws. \x0d\ Orange red cake has uniform granularity, fine texture, and a sweet, soft and glutinous feeling in the mouth. After eating it, your mouth will be left with a light flavor of roses and oranges. \x0d\ The boiled wine stuffed dumplings\x0d\ The boiled wine stuffed dumplings are a representation of the rice culture, going up crystal clear with a smooth and elastic texture. The method of making small rounds with wine is simple. Boil the water, put in the wine, add the sugar, then wait for the water to boil again, put the small rounds you just made into the water, and wait for the rounds to float one by one on the water surface, indicating that they are already cooked. Finally, make a thin thickening before the rounds are removed from the pan. \x0d\ Min Cake\x0d\ Min Cake, specialty of Tongli Minjiawan "Bentang Zhai", a famous traditional pastry, has a history of more than 400 years, and is made by only one family, the Min family, which has passed down its trade, so it is called "Min Cake". Min Cake is made by kneading "Min Cake Grass" into rice flour for the skin, filling with bean paste and walnut meat, and steaming it. It is a kind of green dumpling with the color of diaphanous green, bright and fine knots, and it is oily but not greasy in the mouth, with a fresh fragrance, smoothness and glutinousness, and it has the unique flavor of the farmers in the south of the Yangtze River. During the Qing Dynasty, Min Cake was once listed as a tribute to the court and was chosen to be given to Empress Dowager Cixi for tasting. \x0d\\ Lake food dishes\x0d\ Cake with shrimp: egg white seasoned with rice flour, shrimp, blanch into the pot made of oil, colorful, fluffy and delicious, can also be placed in a small box, accompanied by tomatoes to eat, the taste is better. \x0d\ three silk fish rolls: choose five or six pounds of mackerel or grass carp, take the female valves in the middle, go to the belly when the skin to stay, rolled into the ham, chicken wire, Roux silk, and yellow wine, scallions and other condiments, into the cage steamed into shape. Its meat is tender, fragrant and delicious, unique flavor. \x0d\\ Eel Paste with Fragrant Oil: Prepared with shredded fried eel and shredded ham, shredded chicken, shrimp, etc., slightly added shredded ginger, ghee, garlic paste, boiling meat oil on the surface. When served, thinly sprinkled with pepper, fragrant and delicious. \x0d\ Gorgonzola \x0d\ Gorgonzola, a specialty of Tongli, is known as "ginseng in the water" and is produced in the northwest of Tongli. According to "Compendium of Materia Medica" records, Gorgonzola main treatment of wet paralysis, lumbar spine and knee pain, tonic, in addition to the violent disease, the benefit of the essence of the spirit of the strong will, so that the ears and eyes smart, appetizers to help the gas, quench the thirst, beneficial to the kidneys, the treatment of urinary incontinence, and so on. Can be used as a medicinal meal, soaked in water for half a day, cooked with a gentle fire crisp, can be matched with red dates, lotus seeds, cinnamon more delicious.