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| traditional  = 安徽美食
| traditional  = 安徽美食
| pinyin        = Ānhuī měishí
| pinyin        = Ānhuī měishí
| image        = Anhui Food.jpg
| image        = Stinky Mandarin Fish.jpg
| caption      = Anhui regional food
| caption      = Stinky mandarin fish, one of Anhui's best-known regional dishes
| level        = Province
| level        = Province
| parent        = [[Chinese Food Map|China]]
| parent        = [[Chinese Food Map|China]]
| capital      = Hefei
| capital      = Hefei
| cuisine      = Hui cuisine (徽菜)
| cuisine      = [[Anhui Cuisine|Hui cuisine (徽菜)]]
| dishes        = [[Stinky Mandarin Fish]], Huainan soup
| last_verified = 2026-09-26
| dishes        = [[Stinky Mandarin Fish]], [[Huainan Beef Soup]], [[Sanhe Rice Dumplings]], [[Taihe Banmian]]
| snacks        = [[Wuhu Xiaolong Soup Buns]], [[Huangshan Shaobing]], [[Fuyang Gela Tiao]]
| ingredients  = [[Anhui Condiments|Hu Yumei Chili Sauce]], [[Bagongshan Tofu]], [[Tongling White Ginger]]
| drinks        = [[Anhui Tea and Drinks|Huangshan Maofeng]], [[Qimen Black Tea]], [[Lu'an Guapian]]
| alcohol      = [[Anhui Alcohol|Gujing Gongjiu]], [[Kouzi Liquor]], [[Yingjia Gongjiu]]
| heritage      = Hui cuisine cooking techniques (national intangible cultural heritage, 2021)<ref name="ich-hui" />
| heritage      = Hui cuisine cooking techniques (national intangible cultural heritage, 2021)<ref name="ich-hui" />
| subdivisions  = Hefei, Wuhu, Bengbu, Huainan, Ma'anshan, Huaibei, Tongling, Anqing, Huangshan, Chuzhou, Fuyang, Suzhou, Lu'an, Bozhou, Chizhou, Xuancheng
| related      = [[Henan Food]], [[Hubei Food]], [[Jiangsu Food]], [[Jiangxi Food]], [[Zhejiang Food]]
| related      = [[Henan Food]], [[Hubei Food]], [[Jiangsu Food]], [[Jiangxi Food]], [[Zhejiang Food]]
| last_verified = 2026-09-25
}}
}}


'''Anhui Food''' spans the cooking of the Huai River plain, the Yangtze corridor, the Dabie Mountains and historic Huizhou. A breakfast of wheat noodles in northern Anhui, tofu and beef soup around Huainan, and fermented fish or baked pastries in the south show how much this one province contains.<ref name="ah-four-regions">[https://www.ctnews.com.cn/zt/content/2022-04/15/content_122353.html “A Taste of Anhui” food map], China Tourism News, reporting on the Anhui provincial culture and tourism food program.</ref>
'''Anhui Food''' is the umbrella for the province's many regional food traditions. It includes Hui cuisine, city dishes from the Huai River plain and Yangtze corridor, street snacks, noodles, tea, baijiu, condiments and local food products. Hui cuisine is an important part of Anhui food, but it does not describe every food eaten across Anhui.<ref name="ah-four-regions" /><ref name="ah-200-food" />


Hui cuisine (徽菜) is Anhui's best-known named culinary tradition, and is commonly counted among China's Eight Great Cuisines.<ref name="mct-eight">[https://www.huangshan.gov.cn/zwgk/public/6615714/11339683.html Third China (Huangshan) Hui Cuisine Food Carnival and Industry Development Conference], Huangshan Municipal Government.</ref> It developed in historic Huizhou, whose six counties now lie across southern Anhui and Wuyuan in Jiangxi. ''Anhui food'' therefore includes Hui cuisine without treating every food in the province as a Huizhou dish.<ref name="ich-hui">[https://www.ihchina.cn/project_details/23584.html Hui Cuisine Cooking Techniques], China Intangible Cultural Heritage Digital Museum.</ref>
Hui cuisine (徽菜), also called Huizhou cuisine, has its historical home in southern Anhui's old Huizhou region. Read its history, cooking methods and signature dishes in the separate [[Anhui Cuisine|Anhui Cuisine (Hui Cuisine)]] article. This page is the province-wide guide: it groups the food by place and by topic so readers can follow the parts that interest them.<ref name="ich-hui" />


== Introduction ==
{{Food hub cards
|link1=Anhui Cuisine|label1=Anhui Cuisine|desc1=Hui cuisine, its methods and classic dishes
|link2=#Food geography|label2=Cities and regions|desc2=Specialties from all 16 cities
|link3=#Famous dishes|label3=Famous dishes|desc3=Signature foods across Anhui
|link4=Anhui Street Food|label4=Street foods|desc4=Buns, pastries and market snacks
|link5=Anhui Noodles|label5=Noodles|desc5=Banmian, Gela tiao and more
|link6=Anhui Tea and Drinks|label6=Tea and drinks|desc6=Famous teas and local drinks
|link7=Anhui Alcohol|label7=Alcohol|desc7=Baijiu and brewing traditions
|link8=Anhui Condiments|label8=Condiments|desc8=Sauces, tofu and preserved foods
}}


Anhui lies between northern wheat-growing areas and the wetter river valleys and mountain districts of the south. Local ingredients and everyday meals change across that landscape: noodles and stuffed flatbreads appear prominently in northern city selections; Hefei and Huainan have their own goose, rice, soup and tofu specialties; Wuhu's snack shops and Huangshan's Hui cooking tell different stories again.<ref name="ah-200-food">[https://www.shucheng.gov.cn/group3/M00/2D/8D/wKgSG2I2sl-AGT9_AATZfa0hvNU709.pdf First Anhui “Must-Try” Specialty Foods and Snacks selection (200 items)], Anhui provincial tourism selection, reproduced by Shucheng County Government.</ref>
== Food geography ==


For a first taste, begin with [[Stinky Mandarin Fish|Huizhou stinky mandarin fish]], Huainan beef soup, Sanhe rice dumplings, Taihe banmian and Wuhu shrimp-roe noodles. The city guide below covers all 16 prefecture-level cities, while the later sections follow the foods people buy at bakeries, tea shops and markets.<ref name="ah-200-food" />
Four broad areas help describe Anhui’s food geography. These are reference groupings, not fixed boundaries; food traditions can cross modern administrative lines. Historic Huizhou also included Wuyuan, now part of Jiangxi.<ref name="ah-four-regions" /><ref name="ich-hui" />


== Origin ==
* '''Northern Anhui and the Huai River plain:''' Fuyang, Bozhou, Huaibei, Suzhou and Bengbu. Wheat noodles and breads occur alongside lamb soup, roast chicken, preserved foods, freshwater fish and lake foods.
* '''Jianghuai and the Dabie Mountains:''' Hefei, Huainan, Chuzhou and Lu’an. Local examples include rice and wheat snacks, goose, beef soup, tofu, mountain produce and tea.<ref name="hefei-food" /><ref name="huainan-soup" /><ref name="bagongshan-tofu" /><ref name="luan-tea" />
* '''The Yangtze corridor:''' Wuhu, Ma’anshan, Tongling, Anqing and Chizhou. Noodle shops, buns, river foods, preserved tofu, white ginger and local sauces feature in city and county traditions.<ref name="wuhu-snacks" /><ref name="huyumei" />
* '''Southern Anhui and historic Huizhou:''' Huangshan and Xuancheng include Huizhou culinary traditions, fermented and cured foods, mountain produce, baked snacks and locally grown teas.<ref name="ich-hui" /><ref name="huangshan-shaobing" /><ref name="huangshan-tea" />


Hui cuisine grew from the foodways of historic Huizhou, an area associated today with Huangshan, She County, Jixi and Wuyuan. The mountainous environment supplied bamboo shoots, wild greens and freshwater ingredients, while households developed ways of salting, curing and fermenting foods. Huizhou merchants also carried local cooking beyond the region.<ref name="ich-hui" /><ref name="huangshan-techniques">[https://www.huangshan.gov.cn/zjhs/rwhz/hc/8294043.html Hui Cuisine Cooking Characteristics], Huangshan Municipal Government.</ref>
The provincial tourism selection of 200 signature foods and snacks covers all 16 prefecture-level cities. It is a useful index for further reading; individual foods are often associated with a particular city, county or town rather than with the whole province.<ref name="ah-200-food" />
== Anhui Food by City ==


The historical Huizhou area crosses today's provincial boundary: Wuyuan is in Jiangxi, and Jixi is in Anhui's Xuancheng municipality. This history explains why the culinary name ''Hui'' does not map neatly onto every modern administrative border.<ref name="ich-hui" />
The examples below are grouped by broad region. Many are associated with a county, town or particular local tradition; they are not an exhaustive list of foods found in each city.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="jinzhai-16" />


== Culture ==
=== Northern Anhui and the Huai River plain ===


Family meals, seasonal ingredients, travel and trade all shaped the regional repertoire. Huizhou merchant activity helped spread dishes and restaurants associated with their home region. Modern food tourism highlights both that culinary heritage and the separate traditions of Anhui's towns and counties.<ref name="ich-hui" /><ref name="ah-four-regions" />
* '''Fuyang:''' Taihe banmian (太和板面), Gela tiao (格拉条), pillow-shaped bread (枕头馍) and Fuyang fenji (阜阳粉鸡), alongside a strong wheat-food tradition.
* '''Bozhou:''' Cao Cao chicken (曹操鸡), Huatuo ten-herb soup (华佗十全汤), beef flatbread (牛肉馍) and Guoyang gan-kou noodles (涡阳干扣面).
* '''Huaibei:''' Zhou-style mianpi (周氏面皮), Linhuan pickled baogua (临涣酱培包瓜), stone-street oil tea (石板街油茶) and charcoal-pot dishes.
* '''Suzhou:''' Fuliji roast chicken (符离集烧鸡), Huangzangyu mushroom chicken (皇藏峪蘑菇鸡), Xiao County lamb soup (萧县羊肉汤) and Dangshan pear dishes.
* '''Bengbu:''' Tuo Lake crab (沱湖螃蟹), braised river shrimp (红烧蚂虾), river clam with vermicelli and Xueyuan tangyuan (雪园汤圆).


There is no single meal that represents the whole province. A layered Yipin pot is associated with Huizhou; a bowl of beef soup is strongly tied to Huainan; and Wuhu's soup buns and shrimp-roe noodles are familiar city snacks. Each deserves its own local context.<ref name="yipin-pot">[https://www.huangshan.gov.cn/site/tpl/4636?id=19735&type=food Huifu Yipin Pot], Huangshan Municipal Government, Culture and Tourism Bureau.</ref><ref name="huainan-soup">[https://www.huainan.gov.cn/zjhn/hntc/1259063166.html Huainan Beef Soup], Huainan Municipal Government.</ref><ref name="wuhu-snacks">[https://ct.wuhu.gov.cn/xwzx/bmyw/8267834.html Wuhu dishes selected as Anhui signatures], Wuhu Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau.</ref>
=== Jianghuai and the Dabie Mountains ===


== Characteristics ==
* '''Hefei:''' Sanhe rice dumplings (三河米饺), Feixi old hen soup (肥西老母鸡汤), Luzhou duck-oil shaobing (庐州鸭油烧饼) and Wushan goose (吴山贡鹅).<ref name="hefei-food" />
* '''Huainan:''' Huainan beef soup (淮南牛肉汤), Bagongshan tofu (八公山豆腐), Shouxian Dajiujia pastry (寿县大救驾) and tofu pudding.<ref name="huainan-soup" /><ref name="bagongshan-tofu" />
* '''Chuzhou:''' Machang lamb noodles (马厂羊肉面), Qinlan braised goose (秦栏卤鹅), Fengyang Hongwu tofu (凤阳洪武豆腐) and Langya sesame brittle.
* '''Lu’an:''' Jinzhai hanging pot (金寨吊锅), Wanfo Lake fish head (万佛湖清炖鱼头), Lu’an Guapian tea (六安瓜片) and mugwort rice cakes (蒿子粑粑).<ref name="luan-tea" />


Traditional Hui cooking pays close attention to heat and often uses braising, stewing and steaming. Older descriptions emphasize oil, color and control of the fire, but these describe certain dishes and cooking styles rather than a fixed rule for all modern Anhui meals.<ref name="huangshan-techniques" />
=== Yangtze corridor ===


Fermentation and preservation are especially visible in well-known Huizhou foods: stinky mandarin fish is salted and aged before cooking; Mao tofu develops a white surface growth during fermentation; and cured pork, preserved greens and bamboo shoots appear in other southern Anhui dishes.<ref name="stinky-fish">[https://lzhbwg.mofcom.gov.cn/edi_ecms_web_front/thb/detail/5ce9832c72c5409ca8875336796958db Ziyun Restaurant], China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce.</ref><ref name="mao-tofu">[https://www.huangshan.gov.cn/zwgk/public/6615714/11237125.html Huizhou Mao Tofu], Huangshan Municipal Government.</ref><ref name="ah-200-food" />
* '''Wuhu:''' shrimp-roe noodles (虾籽面), Xiaolong soup buns (小笼汤包), radish pastries, fried stinky tofu, red-skin duck and Wuwei salted duck.<ref name="wuhu-snacks" /><ref name="wuhu-buns" />
* '''Ma’anshan:''' Caishiji tea-dried tofu (采石矶茶干), Hanshan sealed fish (含山封扁鱼), Dangtu pork noodles (当涂大肉面) and Yuncao breakfast foods.
* '''Tongling:''' Tongling white ginger (铜陵白姜), Shun’an sesame brittle (顺安酥糖), Zongyang rice cakes (枞阳糍粑) and Huayu fish.
* '''Anqing:''' Hu Yumei broad-bean chili sauce (胡玉美蚕豆辣酱), Tongcheng water banquet (桐城水碗), Jiangmao dumplings (江毛水饺) and Nanmen beef buns.<ref name="huyumei" />
* '''Chizhou:''' chili zha (池州辣椒鲊), Jiuhua huangjing cake (九华黄精饼), Guichi xiaoba (贵池小粑) and Qiupu mandarin fish.


== History ==
=== Southern Anhui and Huizhou ===


The history of Anhui food includes the regional development of Hui cuisine and the growth of distinct foods around the Huai River, the Yangtze and the Dabie Mountains. Accounts of particular dishes sometimes connect them with historical figures; those stories should be read as food lore unless historical evidence supports a specific invention claim.
* '''Huangshan:''' stinky mandarin fish (臭鳜鱼), Mao tofu (毛豆腐), Huangshan shaobing (黄山烧饼), Wucheng dried tofu, knife-board cured pork and Taiping noodles.<ref name="stinky-fish" /><ref name="mao-tofu" /><ref name="huangshan-shaobing" />
* '''Xuancheng:''' Jixi Ta-guo (绩溪挞粿), Hu Shi Yipin Pot (胡适一品锅), Shuiyang three treasures (水阳三宝), Guangde mugwort buns and Jing County braised noodles.


Hui cuisine cooking techniques were added to China's national intangible cultural heritage list in 2021. The listing recognizes a culinary practice rooted in Huizhou culture; it does not turn all of Anhui's local foods into one recipe tradition.<ref name="ich-hui" />
''Names and spellings follow the cited selections where possible; some foods are more closely associated with a county or town than with its prefecture-level city.''


== Cooking skills ==
== Anhui Cuisine ==


The same ingredient can lead to very different preparations. A cook may simmer a layered Huizhou casserole slowly, pan-fry fermented Mao tofu, braise mountain bamboo shoots, or make a clear beef soup in Huainan. These techniques are better understood through particular dishes than through a single claim about the province's taste.<ref name="yipin-pot" /><ref name="mao-tofu" /><ref name="wenzheng">[https://www.huangshan.gov.cn/zwgk/public/6615714/11585776.html Wenzheng Mountain Bamboo Shoots], Huangshan Municipal Government.</ref><ref name="huainan-soup" />
'''[[Anhui Cuisine|Hui cuisine (徽菜)]]''' is the province’s best-known named cuisine and one of China’s Eight Great Cuisines. It developed in historic Huizhou, in southern Anhui, and its food region crossed the modern Anhui–Jiangxi border.<ref name="mct-eight" /><ref name="ich-hui" />


In baked foods, craft is equally visible. Huangshan shaobing uses flour, preserved greens, meat and sesame; the dough is filled, shaped and baked into a small crisp pastry. County recipes and fillings vary.<ref name="huangshan-shaobing">[https://www.huangshan.gov.cn/zwgk/public/6615714/11719825.html Huangshan shaobing and its local baking tradition], Huangshan Municipal Government.</ref>
* '''Origins and region:''' Historic Huizhou’s mountain and valley communities formed the culinary tradition; its present-day geography includes Jixi in Xuancheng and extends historically to Wuyuan in Jiangxi.<ref name="ich-hui" /><ref name="ah-four-regions" />
* '''Ingredients and flavor:''' Mountain produce, freshwater fish, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, wild greens, tofu and preserved foods appear in regional cooking.<ref name="huangshan-techniques" /><ref name="mao-tofu" />
* '''Representative dishes and methods:''' Stinky mandarin fish, Mao tofu and Yipin Pot are among the best-known examples; Hui cuisine is also associated with braising, stewing and steaming.<ref name="stinky-fish" /><ref name="mao-tofu" /><ref name="yipin-pot" /><ref name="huangshan-techniques" />


== Development ==
Hui cuisine cooking techniques were added to China’s national intangible cultural heritage list in 2021. This designation concerns the Huizhou culinary tradition; it does not classify all food from modern Anhui as Hui cuisine.<ref name="ich-hui" />


Anhui's official food programs now document local foods well beyond the classic Hui repertoire. A provincial tourism selection recorded 200 signature foods and snacks—148 dishes and 52 snacks—from all 16 prefecture-level cities, and a separate “100 Cities, 1,000 Flavors” program reviewed provincial, city and county signatures.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="mct-dishes">[https://www.mct.gov.cn/whzx/qgwhxxlb/ah/202102/t20210208_921444.htm Results of the Anhui Food: 100 Cities, 1,000 Flavors Selection], Ministry of Culture and Tourism.</ref>
See [[Anhui Cuisine]] for a fuller account of its history, cooking methods and dishes.
== Famous dishes ==


The selections are useful starting points for discovery. They include famous restaurant dishes, everyday noodles, sauces, teas, sweets and preserved foods; the fact that an item appears in a tourism selection is not proof that it originated in only one town.
The examples below represent several Anhui food traditions; the list is not limited to Hui cuisine. Food-origin stories are identified as local lore unless documentary evidence supports a specific claim.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="mct-visitor" />


== Famous Food ==
* '''Stinky mandarin fish''' (臭鳜鱼) — associated with Huizhou and Huangshan; the fish is salted and aged before cooking.<ref name="stinky-fish" />
* '''Mao tofu''' (毛豆腐) — fermented tofu associated with Huangshan, commonly pan-fried.<ref name="mao-tofu" />
* '''Huifu Yipin Pot''' (徽府一品锅) — a layered dish slowly simmered in the Huizhou style.<ref name="yipin-pot" />
* '''Wenzheng Mountain bamboo shoots''' (问政山笋) — a She County specialty prepared with seasonal mountain produce.<ref name="ah-200-food" />
* '''Huizhou knife-board cured pork''' (徽州刀板香) — cured pork prepared with seasonal ingredients.<ref name="ah-200-food" />
* '''Huainan beef soup''' (淮南牛肉汤) and '''Bagongshan tofu''' (八公山豆腐) — distinct specialties from Huainan.<ref name="huainan-soup" /><ref name="bagongshan-tofu" />
* '''Wuhu shrimp-roe noodles''' (虾籽面) — a well-known city noodle dish.<ref name="wuhu-snacks" />
* '''Sanhe rice dumplings''' (三河米饺) — associated with Sanhe in Feixi County.<ref name="hefei-food" />
* '''Taihe banmian''' (太和板面) and '''Fuyang Gela tiao''' (格拉条) — wheat-noodle dishes from Fuyang and Taihe.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="jinzhai-16" />
* '''Li Hongzhang chop suey''' (李鸿章大杂烩) — included in Anhui food selections; origin accounts vary.<ref name="mct-visitor" />
* '''Luzhou roast duck''' (庐州烤鸭) and '''Wushan goose''' (吴山贡鹅) — poultry dishes associated with the Hefei area.<ref name="hefei-food" /><ref name="mct-visitor" />
== Street foods and snacks ==


=== Fermented flavors of Huizhou ===
The snack repertoire includes northern wheat-based breakfasts, filled dumplings and buns, river-city noodle-shop foods, and baked pastries from southern Anhui.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="wuhu-snacks" /><ref name="wuhu-buns" /><ref name="huangshan-shaobing" />


'''[[Stinky Mandarin Fish]]''' (臭鳜鱼) is among the best-known Hui dishes. Mandarin fish is salted and aged to develop a distinctive aroma, then cooked into a savory main dish. The name describes the aroma of the prepared fish; it is not a reference to spoiled fish.<ref name="stinky-fish" />
=== Breakfasts, buns and dumplings ===


'''Mao tofu''' (毛豆腐) begins with tofu, but fermentation changes its surface and texture. Huangshan's local description notes the white growth that gives the food its name; it is commonly fried or pan-fried before seasoning. Its method and eating experience are separate from Huainan's fresh Bagongshan tofu tradition.<ref name="mao-tofu" /><ref name="bagongshan-tofu">[https://nyncj.huainan.gov.cn/mycp/551759640.html Bagongshan Tofu], Huainan Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau.</ref>
* Wuhu Xiaolong soup buns (芜湖小笼汤包)
* Sanhe rice dumplings (三河米饺)
* Jiangmao dumplings (江毛水饺) and Nanmen beef buns (南门牛肉包), Anqing
* Xueyuan tangyuan (雪园汤圆), Bengbu
* Huainan tofu pudding and noodle breakfasts


=== Layered pots and mountain ingredients ===
=== Baked snacks and sweets ===


'''Huifu Yipin Pot''' (徽府一品锅) is a layered casserole of meats, tofu and other ingredients simmered together, associated with Huizhou winter meals. '''Wenzheng Mountain bamboo shoots''' (问政山笋) put a local mountain ingredient at the center of a braised dish. Both illustrate Hui cooking's attention to the order and duration of cooking.<ref name="yipin-pot" /><ref name="wenzheng" />
* Huangshan and Huizhou shaobing (黄山烧饼)
* Jixi Ta-guo (绩溪挞粿)
* Langya sesame brittle (琅琊酥糖), Chuzhou
* Huizhou sesame and frozen-rice candies
* Fuyang pillow-shaped bread (枕头馍)
* Mengcheng flaky shaobing and Bengbu pork-tenderloin shaobing


=== Jianghuai and Huai River dishes ===
=== Street stalls and savory bites ===


'''Huainan beef soup''' (淮南牛肉汤) is a city specialty with a recognized local cooking technique. '''Bagongshan tofu''' (八公山豆腐) represents Huainan's soybean and tofu foods; it is an ingredient in many possible preparations, not one fixed dish.<ref name="huainan-soup" /><ref name="huainan-ich">[https://wlj.huainan.gov.cn/public/118319856/1260564333.html Huainan Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage List], Huainan Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau.</ref><ref name="bagongshan-tofu" />
* Wuhu fried stinky tofu (芜湖臭豆腐) and radish pastry (萝卜丝饼)
* Bozhou beef flatbread (牛肉馍)
* Huaibei mianpi (面皮) and stone-street oil tea (石板街油茶)
* Fengyang tofu snacks and Chizhou chili zha


Around Hefei, '''Sanhe rice dumplings''' (三河米饺) and '''Sanhe shrimp paste''' (三河虾糊) mark the food customs of Sanhe in Feixi County. The wider area also has Luzhou roast duck and Wushan imperial goose. '''Li Hongzhang chop suey''' (李鸿章大杂烩) appears in the province's signature-food selections; its name and associated stories are part of local food culture, while recipes vary.<ref name="hefei-food">[https://www.hfyaohai.gov.cn/mlyh/yhgl/msmf/10909099.html Food Customs], Yaohai District Government, Hefei.</ref><ref name="mct-visitor">[https://www.mct.gov.cn/preview/special/9160/llxl/202009/t20200923_875332.htm Anhui cultural-tourism food guide], Ministry of Culture and Tourism.</ref><ref name="mct-dishes" />
=== Examples by locality ===


== Anhui food by city ==
* '''Wuhu:''' shrimp-roe noodles, soup buns, radish pastry, red-skin duck and Wuwei salted duck
* '''Hefei and Sanhe:''' duck-oil shaobing, goose and rice dumplings
* '''Huangshan:''' shaobing, Mao tofu, sweet pastries and cured foods
* '''Fuyang and Taihe:''' Gela tiao, banmian and pillow bread
* '''Bengbu, Chuzhou, Chizhou, Anqing and Lu’an:''' tangyuan, sesame brittle, huangjing cakes, dumplings and mugwort rice cakes


The provincial 200-food selection offers a practical way to start exploring all 16 cities. The groupings below follow broad landscapes; they are a reading guide, not hard culinary borders.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="ah-four-regions" />
See [[Anhui Street Food]] for city-specific snack and market-food entries.
== Anhui Noodles & Wheat Foods ==


=== Northern Anhui and the Huai River plain ===
Wheat foods are especially prominent in northern Anhui, while noodles and filled pastries have their own local forms across the province.


'''Fuyang''' is a good place to begin with wheat foods: Taihe banmian (太和板面), Gela tiao (格拉条) and large pillow-shaped bread (枕头馍) all appear in the provincial selection. Taihe banmian is worked and stretched against a board before being served with a seasoned meat broth. '''Bozhou''' adds beef-stuffed flatbread (牛肉馍) and Guoyang gan-kou noodles (涡阳干扣面), alongside dishes known as Cao Cao chicken and Huatuo ten-herb soup.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="jinzhai-16">[https://www.ahjinzhai.gov.cn/zwzx/mtjz/38178737.html “Treasure Anhui: Every City Has Its Own Set”], Jinzhai County Government, reprinted from Anhui Daily.</ref>
=== Noodles and breakfast bowls ===


'''Huaibei''' offers mianpi (面皮), Linhuan pickled baogua and the hot charcoal-pot dishes described in an Anhui Daily city guide. In '''Suzhou''', Fuliji roast chicken (符离集烧鸡), Huangzangyu mushroom chicken and Xiao County lamb soup have stronger local identities than a generic label of “Anhui chicken”. '''Bengbu''' brings in the waterways: the selection names Tuo Lake crab, braised river shrimp, river clam with vermicelli and Xueyuan tangyuan.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="jinzhai-16" />
* Taihe banmian (太和板面)
* Fuyang Gela tiao (格拉条)
* Guoyang gan-kou noodles (涡阳干扣面)
* Feidong loach noodles (肥东泥鳅挂面)
* Machang lamb noodles (马厂羊肉面)
* Dangtu pork noodles (当涂大肉面)
* Jing County braised noodles (泾县焖面)
* Taiping topping noodles (太平浇头面)
* Huainan beef soup with noodles


=== Jianghuai towns and the Dabie Mountains ===
=== Breads and filled flour foods ===


'''Hefei''' connects Sanhe rice dumplings and Feixi old hen soup with snacks such as Luzhou duck-oil shaobing and Wushan goose. Nearby '''Huainan''' is strongly associated with beef soup, Bagongshan tofu and foods of Shouxian, including Dajiujia pastry and tofu pudding.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="huainan-soup" /><ref name="bagongshan-tofu" />
* Bozhou beef flatbread (牛肉馍)
* Mengcheng flaky shaobing (蒙城烧饼)
* Huangshan shaobing (黄山烧饼)
* Jixi Ta-guo (绩溪挞粿)
* Fuyang pillow bread (枕头馍)
* Sanhe rice dumplings (三河米饺)


Across eastern Anhui, '''Chuzhou''' has Machang lamb noodles, Qinlan braised goose, Fengyang tofu and Langya sesame brittle. To the west, '''Lu'an''' brings tea and mountain food together: Lu'an Guapian, Jinzhai hanging pot, Wanfo Lake fish head and mugwort rice cakes belong to distinct local settings.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="luan-tea">[https://www.luan.gov.cn/zwzx/dtxx/10670903.html Lu'an tea varieties and tea culture], Lu'an Municipal Government.</ref>
The provincial selection also records loach noodles from Feidong and braised noodles from Jing County. Local noodle names reflect distinct doughs, broths, seasonings and county traditions.<ref name="ah-200-food" />


=== The Yangtze corridor ===
See [[Anhui Noodles]] for descriptions of regional preparations and their local contexts.


'''Wuhu''' has one of the clearest city-snack identities in Anhui's official selections: shrimp-roe noodles, Xiaolong soup buns, radish pastry, fried stinky tofu and red-skin duck appear alongside Wuwei duck. The city's commerce bureau also highlights red-bean fermented-rice drinks, malatang and steamed rice with pork as parts of its wider food scene.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="wuhu-food">[https://swj.wuhu.gov.cn/openness/public/6596631/40337896.html Wuhu local food and snack brands], Wuhu Municipal Commerce Bureau.</ref>
== Tea and drinks ==


'''Ma'anshan''' has Caishiji tea-dried tofu, Hanshan sealed fish and Dangtu pork noodles. '''Tongling''' is associated with white ginger and Shun'an sesame brittle, as well as Zongyang rice cakes and fish dishes. In '''Chizhou''', the provincial selection lists chili zha, Jiuhua huangjing cakes, Guichi xiaoba and Qiupu mandarin fish.<ref name="ah-200-food" />
=== Famous Anhui teas ===


'''Anqing''' links a different set of everyday foods and makers: Hu Yumei broad-bean chili sauce, Tongcheng water-banquet dishes, Jiangmao dumplings and Nanmen beef buns. The sauce is both a food product and part of the city's old sauce-making trade.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="huyumei">[https://zhlzh.mofcom.gov.cn/news/getNews/49463 Hu Yumei sauce-making and the Anqing time-honored brands], Ministry of Commerce.</ref>
* Huangshan Maofeng (黄山毛峰)
* Qimen black tea / Qihong (祁门红茶)
* Taiping Houkui (太平猴魁)
* Lu’an Guapian (六安瓜片)
* Huoshan Huangya (霍山黄芽)
* Yuexi Cuilan (岳西翠兰)


=== Southern Anhui and historic Huizhou ===
=== Other local drinks ===


'''Huangshan''' is associated with Hui classics such as stinky mandarin fish, Mao tofu and layered Yipin pot, but also small baked foods such as Huangshan shaobing, dried Wucheng tofu and Taiping topping noodles. '''Xuancheng''' connects Jixi Ta-guo and Hu Shi Yipin Pot with Shuiyang's preserved duck and tofu foods, Guangde mugwort buns and Jing County braised noodles.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="huangshan-shaobing" />
* Red-bean fermented-rice dessert (酒酿赤豆), Wuhu
* Chrysanthemum drinks and infusions
* Seasonal herbal and flower teas
* Soy milk and other breakfast drinks


== Street foods, snacks and noodles ==
These tea names refer to products and processing traditions rather than to a single company. Traditional processing methods for Anhui teas appear in national intangible-heritage records.<ref name="huangshan-tea" /><ref name="tea-ich" /><ref name="luan-tea" /><ref name="wuhu-food" />


=== A Wuhu snack route ===
See [[Anhui Tea and Drinks]] for the regional tea and beverage guide.
== Alcohol ==


Wuhu's official food selection names shrimp-roe noodles (虾籽面), Xiaolong soup buns (小笼汤包), radish pastry, fried stinky tofu and red-skin duck together. The city government describes the soup bun's thin wrapper, tender filling and savory broth; the noodles and buns were also among five Wuhu foods selected as provincial signatures. These foods make a more useful city introduction than one generic “street food” label.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="wuhu-buns">[https://amr.wuhu.gov.cn/xwdt/sjdt/8798246.html Wuhu Xiaolong soup buns], Wuhu Municipal Administration for Market Regulation.</ref><ref name="wuhu-snacks" />
Anhui alcoholic drinks include baijiu associated with several cities and counties, as well as regional yellow rice wine and other brewing traditions.<ref name="gujing" /><ref name="kouzi-huaibei" /><ref name="yingjia-mofcom" /><ref name="nanfeng-wine" />


Other Wuhu snacks include malatang, steamed pork with rice and red-bean fermented-rice dessert. They reflect a living city food scene alongside the older restaurant and market specialties.<ref name="wuhu-food" />
=== Representative baijiu producers ===


=== Northern noodles and substantial breads ===
* Gujing Gongjiu (古井贡酒) — Bozhou
* Kouzi (口子窖) — Huaibei
* Yingjia Gongjiu (迎驾贡酒) — Huoshan, Lu’an


Taihe banmian and Fuyang Gela tiao, Bozhou's Guoyang gan-kou noodles, Chuzhou's Machang lamb noodles and Ma'anshan's Dangtu pork noodles belong to different local noodle traditions. The province's food selection also names Feidong loach noodles, Jing County braised noodles and Huangshan's Taiping topping noodles. There is no single standard recipe for “Anhui noodles”.<ref name="ah-200-food" />
=== Regional brewing traditions ===


Bozhou beef flatbread, Mengcheng flaky shaobing, Bengbu shaobing with pork tenderloin and Fuyang's pillow bread show how wheat dough is filled, baked or steamed for everyday meals. Sanhe rice dumplings and Anqing Nanmen beef buns are different kinds of filled foods; their names, wrappers and local contexts matter.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="hefei-food" />
* Gujing Gongjiu: Bozhou distilling and brewing heritage
* Kouzi: Huaibei starter-making, fermentation and cellar storage
* Yingjia: multigrain baijiu associated with Huoshan
* Nanfeng yellow rice wine (南丰黄酒), Langxi County, Xuancheng
* Baijiu and yellow rice wine are separate beverage categories


=== Huizhou's portable baked foods ===
A producer’s home city is a useful regional association, but these examples do not define a single province-wide liquor style. See [[Anhui Alcohol]] for local producers and brewing traditions.
== Condiments and ingredients ==


Huangshan shaobing is a small pastry often filled with preserved greens and meat and finished with sesame. Local accounts describe the succession of kneading, filling, shaping and baking that produces its crisp crust. Jixi Ta-guo, a filled flatbread from neighboring Xuancheng, is another southern Anhui snack with its own local fillings.<ref name="huangshan-shaobing" /><ref name="ah-200-food" />
Local sauces, preserved vegetables, tofu and produce are ingredients in their own right as well as components of prepared dishes.<ref name="huyumei" /><ref name="ah-200-food" />


== Tea, drinks and alcoholic beverages ==
=== Sauces and preserved vegetables ===


Huangshan Maofeng, Qimen black tea and Taiping Houkui are linked to different production areas and processing traditions in and around Huangshan. Lu'an Guapian and Huoshan Huangya broaden the tea map into western Anhui. The tea names refer to regional products, not to one company's brand; the traditional processing techniques of four Anhui teas appear in national heritage records.<ref name="huangshan-tea">[https://www.huangshan.gov.cn/zwgk/public/6615714/11685907.html Traditional teas of Huangshan and local protections], Huangshan Municipal Government.</ref><ref name="tea-ich">[https://www.ihchina.cn/project_details/28516.html Traditional tea processing in Anhui], China Intangible Cultural Heritage Digital Museum.</ref><ref name="luan-tea" />
* Hu Yumei broad-bean chili sauce (胡玉美蚕豆辣酱), Anqing
* Linhuan pickled baogua (临涣酱培包瓜), Huaibei
* Gaogong sweet-and-sour garlic and Guoyang tribute greens, Bozhou
* Huizhou preserved vegetables, cured ham and knife-board pork


Beyond brewed tea, Wuhu's red-bean fermented-rice dessert (赤豆酒酿) is a sweet local drink or spoonable snack. Anhui Daily also describes contemporary tea drinks in Hefei and chrysanthemum drinks in Chuzhou. These are useful subjects for future city entries because their products and shops change over time.<ref name="wuhu-food" /><ref name="jinzhai-16" />
=== Local ingredients ===


Baijiu is another part of the province's food economy. Gujing Gongjiu is based in Bozhou, Kouzi liquor in Huaibei and Yingjia Gongjiu in Huoshan County, Lu'an. Their distilleries and styles have separate histories; the place association here does not imply that one brand represents every local drinking custom.<ref name="gujing">[https://static.cninfo.com.cn/finalpage/2026-04-29/1225237621.PDF 2025 Annual Report], Anhui Gujing Distillery Co., Ltd.</ref><ref name="kouzi-huaibei">[https://www.huaibei.gov.cn/ljhb/whzl/ttmc/64629915.html Kouzi liquor], Huaibei Municipal Government.</ref><ref name="yingjia-mofcom">[https://lzhbwg.mofcom.gov.cn/edi_ecms_web_front/thb/detail/1527d903d9514797b0b0570ff8a605e4 Yingjia and its brewing tradition], China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce.</ref>
* Bagongshan tofu (八公山豆腐), Huainan<ref name="bagongshan-tofu" />
* Mao tofu (毛豆腐), Huangshan<ref name="mao-tofu" />
* Caishiji tea-dried tofu, Ma’anshan
* Tongling white ginger (铜陵白姜)
* Bamboo shoots, mushrooms, mugwort and freshwater fish


== Condiments, preserved foods and ingredients ==
See [[Anhui Condiments]] for local sauces, pickles, tofu and ingredients.
== Cooking techniques and food heritage ==


'''Sauces and pickles.''' Anqing's Hu Yumei broad-bean chili sauce belongs to a documented local sauce-making tradition. The provincial food selection also records Linhuan pickled baogua in Huaibei, Gaogong sweet-and-sour garlic and Guoyang tribute greens in Bozhou, and Huizhou pickled vegetables farther south.<ref name="huyumei" /><ref name="ah-200-food" />
Hui cuisine cooking techniques were added to China’s national intangible cultural heritage list in 2021. The designation concerns the Huizhou culinary tradition; food traditions in other cities and counties retain their own techniques and histories.<ref name="ich-hui" /><ref name="huangshan-techniques" />


'''Soy foods.''' Fresh Bagongshan tofu from Huainan, fermented Mao tofu from Huangshan, Wucheng dried tofu, Taiping fermented tofu and Caishiji tea-dried tofu from Ma'anshan are different products with distinct methods and uses. A province-wide ingredient guide should keep those differences visible.<ref name="bagongshan-tofu" /><ref name="mao-tofu" /><ref name="ah-200-food" />
=== Hui cuisine methods ===


'''Cured foods and local produce.''' Huizhou knife-board cured pork, cured ham with bamboo shoots and Tunxi's drunken fish and crab sit alongside Tongling white ginger, mountain bamboo shoots and river fish in the province's food selections. Some are pantry ingredients; others are prepared dishes sold ready to eat.<ref name="ah-200-food" /><ref name="huangshan-techniques" />
* Seasonal ingredient selection and knife work
* Heat control, braising and stewing
* Steaming and layered casserole cooking
* Salting, curing, drying and fermentation


== Food makers and brands ==
=== Food-making skills by category ===


Historic shops and modern firms tell different parts of Anhui's food story. In Huangshan, Huiweihe / Maixiangcun is connected with Huizhou shaobing and Huimo pastries; in Anqing, Hu Yumei is associated with broad-bean chili sauce. Wuhu's Gengfuxing is a local restaurant name linked to shrimp-roe noodles and soup buns.<ref name="huiweihe">[https://lzhbwg.mofcom.gov.cn/edi_ecms_web_front/thb/detail/c0d5cba7ad4f4dc1a3282c03c2c84d97 Huiweihe], China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce.</ref><ref name="huyumei" /><ref name="gengfuxing">[https://amr.wuhu.gov.cn/xwdt/xqdt/8870481.html Gengfuxing and Wuhu heritage foods], Wuhu Municipal Administration for Market Regulation.</ref>
* Stinky mandarin fish: salting and controlled fermentation<ref name="stinky-fish" />
* Mao tofu: fermentation followed by frying<ref name="mao-tofu" />
* Yipin Pot and Wenzheng shoots: slow cooking<ref name="yipin-pot" />
* Huangshan shaobing: filling, shaping and baking<ref name="huangshan-shaobing" />
* Huainan beef soup and regional noodle-making<ref name="huainan-soup" />


Tea firms such as Xie Yuda sell Anhui teas, while the regional tea names cover many growers. Liquor brands include Gujing Gongjiu, Kouzi and Yingjia Gongjiu. Their brand histories belong beside, rather than in place of, the traditional foods and drinks of their cities.<ref name="xieyuda">[https://www.xieyudatea.com/index.php/category/jj.html Xie Yuda company profile], company website.</ref><ref name="huangshan-tea" /><ref name="gujing" /><ref name="kouzi-huaibei" /><ref name="yingjia-mofcom" />
See [[Anhui Cooking Techniques]] and [[Anhui Cuisine]] for regional methods and their contexts.
== Food makers and brands ==


Contemporary businesses also have a place in the index: Three Squirrels is a packaged-snack company founded in Wuhu, and Laoxiangji is a restaurant chain associated with Feixi chicken soup and home-style chicken dishes. Their products are commercial examples, not universal versions of the province's recipes.<ref name="three-squirrels">[https://www.3songshu.com/news-detail.html?id=1&source=breakingNews About Three Squirrels], company website.</ref><ref name="laoxiangji">[https://www.lxjchina.com.cn/ Laoxiangji company profile], company website.</ref>
The index distinguishes historic shops and regional producers from contemporary companies. Commercial brands are examples of Anhui’s food economy, not definitions of local cuisine.<ref name="huyumei" /><ref name="gengfuxing" /><ref name="huiweihe" /><ref name="xieyuda" /><ref name="gujing" /><ref name="three-squirrels" /><ref name="laoxiangji" />


== Explore further ==
* '''Anqing — Hu Yumei (胡玉美):''' broad-bean chili sauce and the city’s documented sauce-making trade.<ref name="huyumei" />
 
* '''Wuhu — Geng Fuxing (耿福兴):''' restaurant foods including shrimp-roe noodles and soup buns.<ref name="gengfuxing" />
This overview names a fraction of Anhui's local foods. The provincial 200-food selection is organized by all 16 cities and many counties; its list is a useful route to further county dishes, neighborhood markets, protected regional products and individual food pages.<ref name="ah-200-food" /> Continue with the [[Chinese Food Map]] or the related pages below.
* '''Huangshan — Huiweihe / Maixiangcun (徽味和 / 麦香村):''' Huizhou shaobing and Huimo pastries.<ref name="huiweihe" />
* '''Huangshan tea areas — Xie Yuda (谢裕大) and local tea makers:''' commercial tea brands alongside regional tea names produced by multiple makers.<ref name="xieyuda" />
* '''Bozhou, Huaibei and Huoshan — Gujing Gongjiu, Kouzi and Yingjia:''' baijiu producers associated with different cities and county traditions.<ref name="gujing" /><ref name="kouzi-huaibei" /><ref name="yingjia-mofcom" />
* '''Wuhu and Feixi — Three Squirrels and Laoxiangji:''' contemporary packaged-snack and restaurant businesses.<ref name="three-squirrels" /><ref name="laoxiangji" />


See [[Anhui Food Brands]] for notable producers and shops.
== See also ==
== See also ==


* [[Chinese Food Map]]
* [[Chinese Food Map]]
* [[Anhui Cuisine]]
* [[Anhui Street Food]]
* [[Anhui Alcohol]]
* [[Anhui Cooking Techniques]]
* [[Anhui Noodles]]
* [[Anhui Tea and Drinks]]
* [[Anhui Condiments]]
* [[Anhui Food Brands]]
* [[Stinky Mandarin Fish]]
* [[Stinky Mandarin Fish]]
* [[Stinky Tofu]]
* [[Huainan Beef Soup]]
* [[Chop Suey]]
* [[Henan Food]]
* [[Henan Food]]
* [[Hubei Food]]
* [[Hubei Food]]
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== References ==
== References ==
 
<references>
{{reflist}}
<ref name="ah-200-food">[https://www.shucheng.gov.cn/group3/M00/2D/8D/wKgSG2I2sl-AGT9_AATZfa0hvNU709.pdf First Anhui “Must-Try” Specialty Foods and Snacks selection (200 items)], Anhui provincial tourism selection, reproduced by Shucheng County Government.</ref>
<ref name="ah-four-regions">[https://www.ctnews.com.cn/zt/content/2022-04/15/content_122353.html “A Taste of Anhui” food map], China Tourism News, reporting on the Anhui provincial culture and tourism food program.</ref>
<ref name="bagongshan-tofu">[https://nyncj.huainan.gov.cn/mycp/551759640.html Bagongshan Tofu], Huainan Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau.</ref>
<ref name="gengfuxing">[https://amr.wuhu.gov.cn/xwdt/xqdt/8870481.html Gengfuxing and Wuhu heritage foods], Wuhu Municipal Administration for Market Regulation.</ref>
<ref name="gujing">[https://static.cninfo.com.cn/finalpage/2026-04-29/1225237621.PDF 2025 Annual Report], Anhui Gujing Distillery Co., Ltd.</ref>
<ref name="hefei-food">[https://www.hfyaohai.gov.cn/mlyh/yhgl/msmf/10909099.html Food Customs], Yaohai District Government, Hefei.</ref>
<ref name="huainan-soup">[https://www.huainan.gov.cn/zjhn/hntc/1259063166.html Huainan Beef Soup], Huainan Municipal Government.</ref>
<ref name="huangshan-shaobing">[https://www.huangshan.gov.cn/zwgk/public/6615714/11719825.html Huangshan shaobing and its local baking tradition], Huangshan Municipal Government.</ref>
<ref name="huangshan-tea">[https://www.huangshan.gov.cn/zwgk/public/6615714/11685907.html Traditional teas of Huangshan and local protections], Huangshan Municipal Government.</ref>
<ref name="huangshan-techniques">[https://www.huangshan.gov.cn/zjhs/rwhz/hc/8294043.html Hui Cuisine Cooking Characteristics], Huangshan Municipal Government.</ref>
<ref name="huiweihe">[https://lzhbwg.mofcom.gov.cn/edi_ecms_web_front/thb/detail/c0d5cba7ad4f4dc1a3282c03c2c84d97 Huiweihe], China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce.</ref>
<ref name="huyumei">[https://zhlzh.mofcom.gov.cn/news/getNews/49463 Hu Yumei sauce-making and the Anqing time-honored brands], Ministry of Commerce.</ref>
<ref name="ich-hui">[https://www.ihchina.cn/project_details/23584.html Hui Cuisine Cooking Techniques], China Intangible Cultural Heritage Digital Museum.</ref>
<ref name="jinzhai-16">[https://www.ahjinzhai.gov.cn/zwzx/mtjz/38178737.html “Treasure Anhui: Every City Has Its Own Set”], Jinzhai County Government, reprinted from Anhui Daily.</ref>
<ref name="kouzi-huaibei">[https://www.huaibei.gov.cn/ljhb/whzl/ttmc/64629915.html Kouzi liquor], Huaibei Municipal Government.</ref>
<ref name="laoxiangji">[https://www.lxjchina.com.cn/ Laoxiangji company profile], company website.</ref>
<ref name="luan-tea">[https://www.luan.gov.cn/zwzx/dtxx/10670903.html Lu'an tea varieties and tea culture], Lu'an Municipal Government.</ref>
<ref name="mao-tofu">[https://www.huangshan.gov.cn/zwgk/public/6615714/11237125.html Huizhou Mao Tofu], Huangshan Municipal Government.</ref>
<ref name="mct-eight">[https://www.huangshan.gov.cn/zwgk/public/6615714/11339683.html Third China (Huangshan) Hui Cuisine Food Carnival and Industry Development Conference], Huangshan Municipal Government.</ref>
<ref name="mct-visitor">[https://www.mct.gov.cn/preview/special/9160/llxl/202009/t20200923_875332.htm Anhui cultural-tourism food guide], Ministry of Culture and Tourism.</ref>
<ref name="nanfeng-wine">[https://amr.xuancheng.gov.cn/News/show/1714760.html Nanfeng yellow rice wine], Xuancheng Municipal Administration for Market Regulation.</ref>
<ref name="stinky-fish">[https://lzhbwg.mofcom.gov.cn/edi_ecms_web_front/thb/detail/5ce9832c72c5409ca8875336796958db Ziyun Restaurant], China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce.</ref>
<ref name="tea-ich">[https://www.ihchina.cn/project_details/28516.html Traditional tea processing in Anhui], China Intangible Cultural Heritage Digital Museum.</ref>
<ref name="three-squirrels">[https://www.3songshu.com/news-detail.html?id=1&source=breakingNews About Three Squirrels], company website.</ref>
<ref name="wuhu-buns">[https://amr.wuhu.gov.cn/xwdt/sjdt/8798246.html Wuhu Xiaolong soup buns], Wuhu Municipal Administration for Market Regulation.</ref>
<ref name="wuhu-food">[https://swj.wuhu.gov.cn/openness/public/6596631/40337896.html Wuhu local food and snack brands], Wuhu Municipal Commerce Bureau.</ref>
<ref name="wuhu-snacks">[https://ct.wuhu.gov.cn/xwzx/bmyw/8267834.html Wuhu dishes selected as Anhui signatures], Wuhu Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau.</ref>
<ref name="xieyuda">[https://www.xieyudatea.com/index.php/category/jj.html Xie Yuda company profile], company website.</ref>
<ref name="yingjia-mofcom">[https://lzhbwg.mofcom.gov.cn/edi_ecms_web_front/thb/detail/1527d903d9514797b0b0570ff8a605e4 Yingjia and its brewing tradition], China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce.</ref>
<ref name="yipin-pot">[https://www.huangshan.gov.cn/site/tpl/4636?id=19735&type=food Huifu Yipin Pot], Huangshan Municipal Government, Culture and Tourism Bureau.</ref>
</references>

Latest revision as of 12:54, 26 September 2026


Anhui Food
安徽美食
Ānhuī měishí
Stinky Mandarin Fish.jpg
Stinky mandarin fish, one of Anhui's best-known regional dishes
Level Province
Parent area China
Capital / seat Hefei
Cuisine Hui cuisine (徽菜)
Last verified 2026-09-26
Foods
Representative dishes Stinky Mandarin Fish, Huainan Beef Soup, Sanhe Rice Dumplings, Taihe Banmian
Snacks Wuhu Xiaolong Soup Buns, Huangshan Shaobing, Fuyang Gela Tiao
Ingredients and drinks
Condiments and ingredients Hu Yumei Chili Sauce, Bagongshan Tofu, Tongling White Ginger
Tea and drinks Huangshan Maofeng, Qimen Black Tea, Lu'an Guapian
Alcohol Gujing Gongjiu, Kouzi Liquor, Yingjia Gongjiu
Recognition
Intangible heritage Hui cuisine cooking techniques (national intangible cultural heritage, 2021)[1]
Places
Subdivisions Hefei, Wuhu, Bengbu, Huainan, Ma'anshan, Huaibei, Tongling, Anqing, Huangshan, Chuzhou, Fuyang, Suzhou, Lu'an, Bozhou, Chizhou, Xuancheng
Related places Henan Food, Hubei Food, Jiangsu Food, Jiangxi Food, Zhejiang Food
More
Foods
Representative dishesStinky Mandarin Fish, Huainan Beef Soup, Sanhe Rice Dumplings, Taihe Banmian
SnacksWuhu Xiaolong Soup Buns, Huangshan Shaobing, Fuyang Gela Tiao
Ingredients and drinks
Condiments and ingredientsHu Yumei Chili Sauce, Bagongshan Tofu, Tongling White Ginger
Tea and drinksHuangshan Maofeng, Qimen Black Tea, Lu'an Guapian
AlcoholGujing Gongjiu, Kouzi Liquor, Yingjia Gongjiu
Recognition
Intangible heritageHui cuisine cooking techniques (national intangible cultural heritage, 2021)[1]
Places
SubdivisionsHefei, Wuhu, Bengbu, Huainan, Ma'anshan, Huaibei, Tongling, Anqing, Huangshan, Chuzhou, Fuyang, Suzhou, Lu'an, Bozhou, Chizhou, Xuancheng
Related placesHenan Food, Hubei Food, Jiangsu Food, Jiangxi Food, Zhejiang Food

Anhui Food is the umbrella for the province's many regional food traditions. It includes Hui cuisine, city dishes from the Huai River plain and Yangtze corridor, street snacks, noodles, tea, baijiu, condiments and local food products. Hui cuisine is an important part of Anhui food, but it does not describe every food eaten across Anhui.[2][3]

Hui cuisine (徽菜), also called Huizhou cuisine, has its historical home in southern Anhui's old Huizhou region. Read its history, cooking methods and signature dishes in the separate Anhui Cuisine (Hui Cuisine) article. This page is the province-wide guide: it groups the food by place and by topic so readers can follow the parts that interest them.[1]

Anhui Cuisine
Hui cuisine, its methods and classic dishes
Cities and regions
Specialties from all 16 cities
Famous dishes
Signature foods across Anhui
Street foods
Buns, pastries and market snacks
Noodles
Banmian, Gela tiao and more
Tea and drinks
Famous teas and local drinks
Alcohol
Baijiu and brewing traditions
Condiments
Sauces, tofu and preserved foods

Food geography

Four broad areas help describe Anhui’s food geography. These are reference groupings, not fixed boundaries; food traditions can cross modern administrative lines. Historic Huizhou also included Wuyuan, now part of Jiangxi.[2][1]

  • Northern Anhui and the Huai River plain: Fuyang, Bozhou, Huaibei, Suzhou and Bengbu. Wheat noodles and breads occur alongside lamb soup, roast chicken, preserved foods, freshwater fish and lake foods.
  • Jianghuai and the Dabie Mountains: Hefei, Huainan, Chuzhou and Lu’an. Local examples include rice and wheat snacks, goose, beef soup, tofu, mountain produce and tea.[4][5][6][7]
  • The Yangtze corridor: Wuhu, Ma’anshan, Tongling, Anqing and Chizhou. Noodle shops, buns, river foods, preserved tofu, white ginger and local sauces feature in city and county traditions.[8][9]
  • Southern Anhui and historic Huizhou: Huangshan and Xuancheng include Huizhou culinary traditions, fermented and cured foods, mountain produce, baked snacks and locally grown teas.[1][10][11]

The provincial tourism selection of 200 signature foods and snacks covers all 16 prefecture-level cities. It is a useful index for further reading; individual foods are often associated with a particular city, county or town rather than with the whole province.[3]

Anhui Food by City

The examples below are grouped by broad region. Many are associated with a county, town or particular local tradition; they are not an exhaustive list of foods found in each city.[3][12]

Northern Anhui and the Huai River plain

  • Fuyang: Taihe banmian (太和板面), Gela tiao (格拉条), pillow-shaped bread (枕头馍) and Fuyang fenji (阜阳粉鸡), alongside a strong wheat-food tradition.
  • Bozhou: Cao Cao chicken (曹操鸡), Huatuo ten-herb soup (华佗十全汤), beef flatbread (牛肉馍) and Guoyang gan-kou noodles (涡阳干扣面).
  • Huaibei: Zhou-style mianpi (周氏面皮), Linhuan pickled baogua (临涣酱培包瓜), stone-street oil tea (石板街油茶) and charcoal-pot dishes.
  • Suzhou: Fuliji roast chicken (符离集烧鸡), Huangzangyu mushroom chicken (皇藏峪蘑菇鸡), Xiao County lamb soup (萧县羊肉汤) and Dangshan pear dishes.
  • Bengbu: Tuo Lake crab (沱湖螃蟹), braised river shrimp (红烧蚂虾), river clam with vermicelli and Xueyuan tangyuan (雪园汤圆).

Jianghuai and the Dabie Mountains

  • Hefei: Sanhe rice dumplings (三河米饺), Feixi old hen soup (肥西老母鸡汤), Luzhou duck-oil shaobing (庐州鸭油烧饼) and Wushan goose (吴山贡鹅).[4]
  • Huainan: Huainan beef soup (淮南牛肉汤), Bagongshan tofu (八公山豆腐), Shouxian Dajiujia pastry (寿县大救驾) and tofu pudding.[5][6]
  • Chuzhou: Machang lamb noodles (马厂羊肉面), Qinlan braised goose (秦栏卤鹅), Fengyang Hongwu tofu (凤阳洪武豆腐) and Langya sesame brittle.
  • Lu’an: Jinzhai hanging pot (金寨吊锅), Wanfo Lake fish head (万佛湖清炖鱼头), Lu’an Guapian tea (六安瓜片) and mugwort rice cakes (蒿子粑粑).[7]

Yangtze corridor

  • Wuhu: shrimp-roe noodles (虾籽面), Xiaolong soup buns (小笼汤包), radish pastries, fried stinky tofu, red-skin duck and Wuwei salted duck.[8][13]
  • Ma’anshan: Caishiji tea-dried tofu (采石矶茶干), Hanshan sealed fish (含山封扁鱼), Dangtu pork noodles (当涂大肉面) and Yuncao breakfast foods.
  • Tongling: Tongling white ginger (铜陵白姜), Shun’an sesame brittle (顺安酥糖), Zongyang rice cakes (枞阳糍粑) and Huayu fish.
  • Anqing: Hu Yumei broad-bean chili sauce (胡玉美蚕豆辣酱), Tongcheng water banquet (桐城水碗), Jiangmao dumplings (江毛水饺) and Nanmen beef buns.[9]
  • Chizhou: chili zha (池州辣椒鲊), Jiuhua huangjing cake (九华黄精饼), Guichi xiaoba (贵池小粑) and Qiupu mandarin fish.

Southern Anhui and Huizhou

  • Huangshan: stinky mandarin fish (臭鳜鱼), Mao tofu (毛豆腐), Huangshan shaobing (黄山烧饼), Wucheng dried tofu, knife-board cured pork and Taiping noodles.[14][15][10]
  • Xuancheng: Jixi Ta-guo (绩溪挞粿), Hu Shi Yipin Pot (胡适一品锅), Shuiyang three treasures (水阳三宝), Guangde mugwort buns and Jing County braised noodles.

Names and spellings follow the cited selections where possible; some foods are more closely associated with a county or town than with its prefecture-level city.

Anhui Cuisine

Hui cuisine (徽菜) is the province’s best-known named cuisine and one of China’s Eight Great Cuisines. It developed in historic Huizhou, in southern Anhui, and its food region crossed the modern Anhui–Jiangxi border.[16][1]

  • Origins and region: Historic Huizhou’s mountain and valley communities formed the culinary tradition; its present-day geography includes Jixi in Xuancheng and extends historically to Wuyuan in Jiangxi.[1][2]
  • Ingredients and flavor: Mountain produce, freshwater fish, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, wild greens, tofu and preserved foods appear in regional cooking.[17][15]
  • Representative dishes and methods: Stinky mandarin fish, Mao tofu and Yipin Pot are among the best-known examples; Hui cuisine is also associated with braising, stewing and steaming.[14][15][18][17]

Hui cuisine cooking techniques were added to China’s national intangible cultural heritage list in 2021. This designation concerns the Huizhou culinary tradition; it does not classify all food from modern Anhui as Hui cuisine.[1]

See Anhui Cuisine for a fuller account of its history, cooking methods and dishes.

Famous dishes

The examples below represent several Anhui food traditions; the list is not limited to Hui cuisine. Food-origin stories are identified as local lore unless documentary evidence supports a specific claim.[3][19]

  • Stinky mandarin fish (臭鳜鱼) — associated with Huizhou and Huangshan; the fish is salted and aged before cooking.[14]
  • Mao tofu (毛豆腐) — fermented tofu associated with Huangshan, commonly pan-fried.[15]
  • Huifu Yipin Pot (徽府一品锅) — a layered dish slowly simmered in the Huizhou style.[18]
  • Wenzheng Mountain bamboo shoots (问政山笋) — a She County specialty prepared with seasonal mountain produce.[3]
  • Huizhou knife-board cured pork (徽州刀板香) — cured pork prepared with seasonal ingredients.[3]
  • Huainan beef soup (淮南牛肉汤) and Bagongshan tofu (八公山豆腐) — distinct specialties from Huainan.[5][6]
  • Wuhu shrimp-roe noodles (虾籽面) — a well-known city noodle dish.[8]
  • Sanhe rice dumplings (三河米饺) — associated with Sanhe in Feixi County.[4]
  • Taihe banmian (太和板面) and Fuyang Gela tiao (格拉条) — wheat-noodle dishes from Fuyang and Taihe.[3][12]
  • Li Hongzhang chop suey (李鸿章大杂烩) — included in Anhui food selections; origin accounts vary.[19]
  • Luzhou roast duck (庐州烤鸭) and Wushan goose (吴山贡鹅) — poultry dishes associated with the Hefei area.[4][19]

Street foods and snacks

The snack repertoire includes northern wheat-based breakfasts, filled dumplings and buns, river-city noodle-shop foods, and baked pastries from southern Anhui.[3][8][13][10]

Breakfasts, buns and dumplings

  • Wuhu Xiaolong soup buns (芜湖小笼汤包)
  • Sanhe rice dumplings (三河米饺)
  • Jiangmao dumplings (江毛水饺) and Nanmen beef buns (南门牛肉包), Anqing
  • Xueyuan tangyuan (雪园汤圆), Bengbu
  • Huainan tofu pudding and noodle breakfasts

Baked snacks and sweets

  • Huangshan and Huizhou shaobing (黄山烧饼)
  • Jixi Ta-guo (绩溪挞粿)
  • Langya sesame brittle (琅琊酥糖), Chuzhou
  • Huizhou sesame and frozen-rice candies
  • Fuyang pillow-shaped bread (枕头馍)
  • Mengcheng flaky shaobing and Bengbu pork-tenderloin shaobing

Street stalls and savory bites

  • Wuhu fried stinky tofu (芜湖臭豆腐) and radish pastry (萝卜丝饼)
  • Bozhou beef flatbread (牛肉馍)
  • Huaibei mianpi (面皮) and stone-street oil tea (石板街油茶)
  • Fengyang tofu snacks and Chizhou chili zha

Examples by locality

  • Wuhu: shrimp-roe noodles, soup buns, radish pastry, red-skin duck and Wuwei salted duck
  • Hefei and Sanhe: duck-oil shaobing, goose and rice dumplings
  • Huangshan: shaobing, Mao tofu, sweet pastries and cured foods
  • Fuyang and Taihe: Gela tiao, banmian and pillow bread
  • Bengbu, Chuzhou, Chizhou, Anqing and Lu’an: tangyuan, sesame brittle, huangjing cakes, dumplings and mugwort rice cakes

See Anhui Street Food for city-specific snack and market-food entries.

Anhui Noodles & Wheat Foods

Wheat foods are especially prominent in northern Anhui, while noodles and filled pastries have their own local forms across the province.

Noodles and breakfast bowls

  • Taihe banmian (太和板面)
  • Fuyang Gela tiao (格拉条)
  • Guoyang gan-kou noodles (涡阳干扣面)
  • Feidong loach noodles (肥东泥鳅挂面)
  • Machang lamb noodles (马厂羊肉面)
  • Dangtu pork noodles (当涂大肉面)
  • Jing County braised noodles (泾县焖面)
  • Taiping topping noodles (太平浇头面)
  • Huainan beef soup with noodles

Breads and filled flour foods

  • Bozhou beef flatbread (牛肉馍)
  • Mengcheng flaky shaobing (蒙城烧饼)
  • Huangshan shaobing (黄山烧饼)
  • Jixi Ta-guo (绩溪挞粿)
  • Fuyang pillow bread (枕头馍)
  • Sanhe rice dumplings (三河米饺)

The provincial selection also records loach noodles from Feidong and braised noodles from Jing County. Local noodle names reflect distinct doughs, broths, seasonings and county traditions.[3]

See Anhui Noodles for descriptions of regional preparations and their local contexts.

Tea and drinks

Famous Anhui teas

  • Huangshan Maofeng (黄山毛峰)
  • Qimen black tea / Qihong (祁门红茶)
  • Taiping Houkui (太平猴魁)
  • Lu’an Guapian (六安瓜片)
  • Huoshan Huangya (霍山黄芽)
  • Yuexi Cuilan (岳西翠兰)

Other local drinks

  • Red-bean fermented-rice dessert (酒酿赤豆), Wuhu
  • Chrysanthemum drinks and infusions
  • Seasonal herbal and flower teas
  • Soy milk and other breakfast drinks

These tea names refer to products and processing traditions rather than to a single company. Traditional processing methods for Anhui teas appear in national intangible-heritage records.[11][20][7][21]

See Anhui Tea and Drinks for the regional tea and beverage guide.

Alcohol

Anhui alcoholic drinks include baijiu associated with several cities and counties, as well as regional yellow rice wine and other brewing traditions.[22][23][24][25]

Representative baijiu producers

  • Gujing Gongjiu (古井贡酒) — Bozhou
  • Kouzi (口子窖) — Huaibei
  • Yingjia Gongjiu (迎驾贡酒) — Huoshan, Lu’an

Regional brewing traditions

  • Gujing Gongjiu: Bozhou distilling and brewing heritage
  • Kouzi: Huaibei starter-making, fermentation and cellar storage
  • Yingjia: multigrain baijiu associated with Huoshan
  • Nanfeng yellow rice wine (南丰黄酒), Langxi County, Xuancheng
  • Baijiu and yellow rice wine are separate beverage categories

A producer’s home city is a useful regional association, but these examples do not define a single province-wide liquor style. See Anhui Alcohol for local producers and brewing traditions.

Condiments and ingredients

Local sauces, preserved vegetables, tofu and produce are ingredients in their own right as well as components of prepared dishes.[9][3]

Sauces and preserved vegetables

  • Hu Yumei broad-bean chili sauce (胡玉美蚕豆辣酱), Anqing
  • Linhuan pickled baogua (临涣酱培包瓜), Huaibei
  • Gaogong sweet-and-sour garlic and Guoyang tribute greens, Bozhou
  • Huizhou preserved vegetables, cured ham and knife-board pork

Local ingredients

  • Bagongshan tofu (八公山豆腐), Huainan[6]
  • Mao tofu (毛豆腐), Huangshan[15]
  • Caishiji tea-dried tofu, Ma’anshan
  • Tongling white ginger (铜陵白姜)
  • Bamboo shoots, mushrooms, mugwort and freshwater fish

See Anhui Condiments for local sauces, pickles, tofu and ingredients.

Cooking techniques and food heritage

Hui cuisine cooking techniques were added to China’s national intangible cultural heritage list in 2021. The designation concerns the Huizhou culinary tradition; food traditions in other cities and counties retain their own techniques and histories.[1][17]

Hui cuisine methods

  • Seasonal ingredient selection and knife work
  • Heat control, braising and stewing
  • Steaming and layered casserole cooking
  • Salting, curing, drying and fermentation

Food-making skills by category

  • Stinky mandarin fish: salting and controlled fermentation[14]
  • Mao tofu: fermentation followed by frying[15]
  • Yipin Pot and Wenzheng shoots: slow cooking[18]
  • Huangshan shaobing: filling, shaping and baking[10]
  • Huainan beef soup and regional noodle-making[5]

See Anhui Cooking Techniques and Anhui Cuisine for regional methods and their contexts.

Food makers and brands

The index distinguishes historic shops and regional producers from contemporary companies. Commercial brands are examples of Anhui’s food economy, not definitions of local cuisine.[9][26][27][28][22][29][30]

  • Anqing — Hu Yumei (胡玉美): broad-bean chili sauce and the city’s documented sauce-making trade.[9]
  • Wuhu — Geng Fuxing (耿福兴): restaurant foods including shrimp-roe noodles and soup buns.[26]
  • Huangshan — Huiweihe / Maixiangcun (徽味和 / 麦香村): Huizhou shaobing and Huimo pastries.[27]
  • Huangshan tea areas — Xie Yuda (谢裕大) and local tea makers: commercial tea brands alongside regional tea names produced by multiple makers.[28]
  • Bozhou, Huaibei and Huoshan — Gujing Gongjiu, Kouzi and Yingjia: baijiu producers associated with different cities and county traditions.[22][23][24]
  • Wuhu and Feixi — Three Squirrels and Laoxiangji: contemporary packaged-snack and restaurant businesses.[29][30]

See Anhui Food Brands for notable producers and shops.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Hui Cuisine Cooking Techniques, China Intangible Cultural Heritage Digital Museum.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 “A Taste of Anhui” food map, China Tourism News, reporting on the Anhui provincial culture and tourism food program.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 First Anhui “Must-Try” Specialty Foods and Snacks selection (200 items), Anhui provincial tourism selection, reproduced by Shucheng County Government.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Food Customs, Yaohai District Government, Hefei.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Huainan Beef Soup, Huainan Municipal Government.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Bagongshan Tofu, Huainan Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lu'an tea varieties and tea culture, Lu'an Municipal Government.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Wuhu dishes selected as Anhui signatures, Wuhu Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Hu Yumei sauce-making and the Anqing time-honored brands, Ministry of Commerce.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Huangshan shaobing and its local baking tradition, Huangshan Municipal Government.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Traditional teas of Huangshan and local protections, Huangshan Municipal Government.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 “Treasure Anhui: Every City Has Its Own Set”, Jinzhai County Government, reprinted from Anhui Daily.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Wuhu Xiaolong soup buns, Wuhu Municipal Administration for Market Regulation.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Ziyun Restaurant, China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Huizhou Mao Tofu, Huangshan Municipal Government.
  16. ↑ Third China (Huangshan) Hui Cuisine Food Carnival and Industry Development Conference, Huangshan Municipal Government.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Hui Cuisine Cooking Characteristics, Huangshan Municipal Government.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Huifu Yipin Pot, Huangshan Municipal Government, Culture and Tourism Bureau.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Anhui cultural-tourism food guide, Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
  20. ↑ Traditional tea processing in Anhui, China Intangible Cultural Heritage Digital Museum.
  21. ↑ Wuhu local food and snack brands, Wuhu Municipal Commerce Bureau.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 2025 Annual Report, Anhui Gujing Distillery Co., Ltd.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Kouzi liquor, Huaibei Municipal Government.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Yingjia and its brewing tradition, China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce.
  25. ↑ Nanfeng yellow rice wine, Xuancheng Municipal Administration for Market Regulation.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Gengfuxing and Wuhu heritage foods, Wuhu Municipal Administration for Market Regulation.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Huiweihe, China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Xie Yuda company profile, company website.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 About Three Squirrels, company website.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Laoxiangji company profile, company website.
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