Hangzhou food is representative
of the southern style.
Reminiscent of the romantic scenery around Hangzhou,
these dishes are delicate, tender, refreshing and
crisp. All ingredients used in the cooking come from
the fertile land around the city, known as a land
of plenty.
The strict cooking and its exquisite style more than
satisfy Shanghai people's demands.
Restaurants of Hangzhou dishes have thrived in Shanghai,
mostly for the food, but also for the low prices.
These restaurants are clean, well designed and provide
good service, and every dish costs about 20 yuan ($2.4).
Apart from the popular dongpo rou (sliced pork with
half lean and half fat but without much oil, which
is named after famous ancient poet Su Dongpo) and xihu
cuyu (West Lake fish in vinegar), those restaurants
have created many other tasty dishes.
"Fish fillet with asparagus and youtiao (deep-fried
dough sticks)," an ordinary breakfast in South
China), is a wise match.
The surplus oil from the fried dough sticks is absorbed
by the fish, which balances the amount of oil of the
dish. The tender, juicy asparagus provides a counterpoint
to the fried food.
About half the dishes on a Hangzhou menu contain
bamboo shoots, which add a tender element to the food.
"Bamboo shoots with sparrows' livers," is
a new dish in those restaurants, soft and delicate.
But it seems cruel when you see so many tiny livers
in the plate. People can't help thinking how many sparrows
were killed to satisfy one's appetite.
After developing in other cities for many years,
Hangzhou restaurants have absorbed culinary styles
of various places.
"Lamb of 10 kinds of fragrance" was transferred
from the North. However, after being roasted with 10
spices, the lamb is mild and fragrant enough to be
accepted by people in South China.
"Chicken in the desert" is actually roast
chicken. It got the name because the skin is roasted
until it is crisp, just like it would be under the
desert sun.
Many famous restaurants in Hangzhou have opened branches
in Shanghai and you can enjoy the same nice food far
away from the beautiful West Lake. |
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