Suzhou Canal Banquet

I remember that during the fight against the epidemic last year, when the thirteen prefecture-level cities in Jiangsu supported Hubei, netizens called them "the Thirteen Taibao of Jiangsu" and "Bulk Jiangsu". Although the word "bulk" may not sound very good, it is actually netizens 'affirmation of the hard power of various cities in Jiangsu."Dispersion is a starry sky, gathering is a mass of fire" is the most appropriate description? When I came to Suzhou for a trip this time, I went to a five-star hotel for a banquet with my friends. We had a canal banquet. Guess what? "Bulk Jiangsu" gathered at this banquet.

First of all, let me briefly introduce this hotel. It is Tantai Lake Hotel located in Wuzhong District, Suzhou. It is a five-star hotel with good local reputation. This canal banquet is a creative banquet created by their family and cannot be eaten anywhere else. To be told, during the past two years of travel, we have eaten special banquets in various places, but most of the special banquets are just local dishes. This canal banquet is the location of the eight cities where the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal flows through Jiangsu. Representative famous dishes, with richer tastes and characteristics.

You should know that the Grand Canal of China is a "world heritage" and has given birth to a profound cultural heritage. Among them, the Grand Canal in Jiangsu has a total length of 690 kilometers. It is the province with the longest water channel, the most cultural heritage, the best preservation status and the highest utilization rate of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. And this dish is part of the cultural elements. The eight cities through which the Grand Canal flows in Jiangsu are: Suzhou, Yangzhou, Changzhou, Wuxi, Huai 'an, Suqian, Xuzhou and Zhenjiang. It is worth mentioning that this Tantai Lake Hotel is located on the bank of the Suzhou Canal Section.

The dishes of this canal banquet include four appetizers, eight cold dishes, twelve hot dishes, and three snacks. The introduction one by one feels a little cumbersome, so I will chat with the ones I think are the most unique!

Because in Suzhou, let's first look at Suzhou's five pieces! Judging by the name, I don't think you can guess what's in it. It is made with whole muscles, whole ducks, pigeons, hoofs, and low heat for 8 hours. It must be stewed in a large casserole to taste delicious! The excellent ingredients of this dish are clearly prepared for the New Year, that's right! It is an old tradition to eat five pieces during the Chinese New Year in Suzhou, because the five ingredients also have the advantage of "blessing and longevity". But now that living standards have improved, eating this dish is no longer just for the New Year! The soup is milky white and delicious. Is it full of collagen?

In addition, the famous Suzhou dishes at the Canal Banquet include chrysanthemum warps, gold and silver ruyi, and colorful glutinous rice balls that are popular in the Taihu Lake Basin, which also have very good meanings and are similar to the five pieces.

Crab meat lion head, shredded tofu (Yangzhou)

As one of the birthplaces of Huaiyang cuisine, Yangzhou may be recognized as the best city in Jiangsu, right? I live in Changzhou and like to go to Yangzhou for morning tea whenever I have the opportunity. Among them, crab meat and lion head and Wensi tofu are well-known dishes in Yangzhou. Huaiyang cuisine at the state banquet is exquisite, which is vividly reflected in Wensi tofu because it requires the chef's cutting skills. The soup is light and white, and melts in the mouth. It will definitely open the appetite before a big meal.

I don't think I need to say much about the reputation of crab meat and lion head. It's extremely well-known! The authentic crab meal lion's head is large, round, tender and fresh. It tastes soft, fat but not greasy. More importantly, there must be no less crab meal in it, and there is no discussion about fresh eyebrows. Come, let me open the crab meat lion head from Tantai Lake Hotel for everyone to see! Isn't enough crab meal very greedy?

Winter bamboo shoots in scallion oil, Tianmu Lake fish head (Changzhou)

Please allow me to selfishly recommend my Changzhou cuisine to everyone. There are two Changzhou dishes in this canal banquet, namely winter bamboo shoots in scallion oil and Tianmu Lake fish heads. They are both from Liyang City managed by Changzhou City. Liyang produces bamboo and has Nanshan Bamboo Sea Scenic Area. Tianmu Lake is also a national 5A-level scenic spot with excellent ecological environment. It is this natural environment that provides excellent ingredients for these two dishes. The winter bamboo shoots in scallion oil in the canal banquet are cold dishes, which not only tastes delicious. The pose also restored the original appearance of the bamboo shoots, and their appearance is very high.

The fish head of Tianmu Lake may be more famous than Tianmu Lake! It is taken from the bighead carp unique to the Shahe Reservoir of Tianmu Lake. It is large and strong, with delicate meat and no earthy smell. The soup produced is milky white and extremely delicious. Drinking a bowl in winter warms the heart.

Fruity beef ribs (Xuzhou)

The city of Xuzhou has some differences in style from Jiangsu as a whole, and its geographical location is also quite meaningful. If I take the high-speed train from Nanjing, the provincial capital, to Xuzhou, I have to pass through Anhui Province and then enter Jiangsu to get to Xuzhou. In terms of lifestyle and eating habits, it is more similar to neighboring Anhui and Shandong. However, Xuzhou is also called "Pengcheng" and is the hometown of Peng Zu. You must know that Peng Zu is the ancestor of chefs, so how can Xuzhou's food not taste good? This fruity beef rib looks very rough and practical, very similar to the style characteristics of Xuzhou people. How can it not be eaten?

Qianlong tribute crisp (Suqian)

Let's have another last staple food! Qianlong tribute cakes should be mentioned. They also carry an important part of canal culture. They got their name in 1757, when Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited Jiangnan for the second time. It is said that this kind of crispy has been in the imperial kitchens since the Tang Dynasty. Folk history is uncertain about its rigor, but this kind of tribute crispy is really delicious, especially when it is just served and still steaming hot! It is fragrant, crisp, crisp and thorough. The aroma of sesame seeds is irreplaceable when it is first out of the pot, and it will break when it touches your lips. Handle it with care when eating and prevent the filling from burning your mouth.

All in all, people's living conditions are now better, and the delicious food that only high-ranking officials and dignitaries can eat in the past is no longer difficult to achieve. This canal banquet is the best proof. It is precisely because living conditions have improved that more people are eating delicious food not only for taste, but also for cultural heritage. If you have traveled to the above-mentioned cities, you must not miss the local cuisine. If you happen to come to Suzhou, you can also come to Tantai Lake Hotel to "catch them all", haha!

Noodles in duck soup with light fragrant mother oil

When I came to Tantai Lake Hotel this time, I accidentally saw a popular and affordable noodle restaurant next to me while waiting for the canal banquet.

It was lunch time and I found an endless stream of diners inside. I saw the sign of this noodle restaurant saying "Suzhou Ten Bowls of Noodles". It is well known that Suzhou people love to eat noodles, and they are very regional. The most elegant thing about Su-style noodle soup is noodle soup. The soup should be clear but not oily, and the taste should be fresh and the mouth should not dry after eating it. Making noodle soup is called "hanging soup"; there is also the toppings, which refer to the dishes served with noodles. Generally speaking, the toppings in Sugar-style noodle restaurants are rich and diverse and highly selective.

Although I saw a lot of toppings in this noodle restaurant, almost everyone ordered the same kind of noodles. That is the hotel's signature-lightly fragrant duck soup noodles in mother oil. This kind of noodles is one of the "Ten Bowls of Noodles in Suzhou". It is understood that most of the duck meat in the topping is Taihu Lake fresh grass ducks, which are firm and firm. The mother oil is actually soy sauce, and if it is the first soy sauce, it is quite particular. The soup base is even more powerful. The hotel staff said that there are a variety of ingredients that are brewed for a long time and are extremely delicious. What are the specific ones? Maybe this is their trade secret!

I asked curiously about the price. The price of a lightly fragrant duck soup noodle in the picture above is 38 yuan per customer. Both the noodle and soup can be added infinitely. To be honest, many small shops outside can also sell a bowl of delicious food at this price in Suzhou. Therefore, in a five-star hotel like Tantai Lake Hotel, it is very conscientious to sell it considering the environment, not to mention that its food is indeed one of the authentic "Suzhou Ten Bowls of Noodles".

Because I had to eat a canal banquet, I couldn't eat a bowl of lightly fragrant duck soup noodles with mother oil. But I asked one last question: If they are not hotel guests or banquet guests, is the noodle restaurant open to them? The answer I got was that this affordable noodle restaurant was open to everyone. Even those who just passed by and wanted to come in for dinner would sell it for 38 yuan. There was no consumption threshold, let alone additional consumption.

In this way, I can feel relieved. When I come to Suzhou and Wuzhong one day, I will definitely find an opportunity to sneak in and eat a dish of lightly fragrant duck soup noodles in mother oil. I wouldn't tell ordinary people such a good thing!