Anhui Food
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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]
Food geography
Anhui's food map follows several different landscapes. Northern cities have a strong wheat-food tradition; the Jianghuai area and Huainan are known for soups, tofu and goose; the Yangtze corridor has its own noodle shops and snacks; and southern Anhui is the heartland of Hui cuisine. These are useful regional guides rather than strict culinary borders.[2][3]
- Northern Anhui and the Huai River plain: Fuyang's Taihe banmian and Gela tiao; Bozhou beef flatbread and Guoyang gan-kou noodles; Huaibei pickled baogua; Suzhou Fuliji roast chicken; and Bengbu's lake and river foods.[3][4]
- Jianghuai towns and the Dabie Mountains: Hefei and Sanhe rice dumplings; Huainan beef soup and Bagongshan tofu; Chuzhou lamb noodles and Qinlan goose; and Lu'an tea, hanging-pot meals and mountain ingredients.[3][5][6][7]
- The Yangtze corridor: Wuhu shrimp-roe noodles and soup buns; Ma'anshan tea-dried tofu and Dangtu pork noodles; Tongling white ginger; Anqing chili sauce; and Chizhou's local cakes and fish dishes.[3][8][9]
- Southern Anhui and historic Huizhou: Huangshan's stinky mandarin fish, Mao tofu and Yipin pot; Jixi Ta-guo in Xuancheng; and mountain vegetables, preserved foods and baked shaobing.[3][1][10]
The provincial tourism selection of 200 signature foods and snacks covers all 16 prefecture-level cities. It is a useful index for further reading, while individual dishes and foodways are best understood in their own city or county context.[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][4]
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).[11]
- 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][12]
- 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.[13][14][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 grew from the foodways of historic Huizhou, an area that crosses today's Anhui–Jiangxi boundary. Its culinary heritage includes local ingredients, careful heat control, braising, stewing and steaming, and dishes such as stinky mandarin fish, Mao tofu and Huifu Yipin Pot.[15][1][16]
The cuisine has its own page so its regional history, cooking skills, flavor and representative dishes can be explained in depth: Anhui Cuisine.
Famous dishes
- Stinky Mandarin Fish (臭鳜鱼) – mandarin fish is salted and fermented before cooking, creating a distinctive aroma and savory flavor.[13]
- Mao tofu (毛豆腐) – fermented tofu associated with Huangshan, often pan-fried before serving.[14]
- Huifu Yipin Pot (徽府一品锅) – a layered casserole of meats, tofu and other ingredients, slowly simmered in the Huizhou style.[17]
- Huainan beef soup (淮南牛肉汤) and Bagongshan tofu (八公山豆腐) – two distinct specialties from the Huai River city of Huainan.[5][6]
- Sanhe rice dumplings (三河米饺), Luzhou roast duck (庐州烤鸭) and Wushan imperial goose (吴山贡鹅) – familiar dishes from Hefei and nearby towns.[11][18]
- Wuhu shrimp-roe noodles (虾籽面) and Xiaolong soup buns (小笼汤包) – well-known city foods that sit alongside, rather than inside, Hui cuisine.[8][12]
Street foods and snacks
Street snacks reflect the cities where people make and eat them. Wuhu's soup buns, shrimp-roe noodles, radish pastries and fried stinky tofu form one recognizable snack route. Huangshan shaobing, Fuyang's pillow-shaped bread, Sanhe rice dumplings and Chuzhou sesame brittle show other local styles.[8][19][10][3]
See Anhui Street Food for snack shops, market breakfasts and regional pastries by city.
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
Huangshan Maofeng, Qimen black tea and Taiping Houkui are linked to different growing areas and processing traditions in southern Anhui. Lu'an Guapian and Huoshan Huangya broaden the tea map into western Anhui. Wuhu's red-bean fermented-rice dessert and local chrysanthemum drinks add non-tea choices to the picture.[20][21][7][19][4]
See Anhui Tea and Drinks for the regional tea and beverage guide.
Alcohol
Anhui baijiu brands have strong city and county associations: Gujing Gongjiu is based in Bozhou, Kouzi liquor in Huaibei, and Yingjia Gongjiu in Huoshan County. The province also has a Hui-style yellow-rice-wine tradition represented by Nanfeng yellow rice wine from Xuancheng. See Anhui Alcohol for regional producers and brewing traditions.[22][23][24][25]
Condiments and ingredients
Regional sauces, preserved vegetables, tofu and mountain produce shape many local meals. Examples include Anqing's Hu Yumei broad-bean chili sauce, Linhuan pickled baogua in Huaibei, Bagongshan tofu in Huainan, fermented Mao tofu in Huangshan, Tongling white ginger and Huizhou preserved vegetables.[9][3][6][14]
See Anhui Condiments for local sauces, pickles, tofu and ingredients.
Cooking techniques and food heritage
Hui cooking techniques were added to China's national intangible cultural heritage list in 2021. The tradition pays close attention to ingredients and heat, and is especially known for braising, stewing and steaming. Anhui's cooking also includes distinct city and county methods, from fermenting mandarin fish and tofu to making Huainan beef soup and baking Huangshan shaobing.[1][16][5][10]
For a closer look at regional craft and methods, see Anhui Cooking Techniques and Anhui Cuisine.
Food makers and brands
Historic shops and modern food companies are part of the province's food landscape. Anqing's Hu Yumei is associated with chili sauce; Wuhu's Gengfuxing with local noodles and soup buns; and Huangshan's Huiweihe with Huizhou pastries. Tea and baijiu makers have their own city ties, while Three Squirrels is a packaged-snack company founded in Wuhu and Laoxiangji is associated with Feixi chicken soup.[9][26][27][28][22][29][30]
See Anhui Food Brands for notable producers and shops.
See also
- 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
- Huainan Beef Soup
- Henan Food
- Hubei Food
- Jiangsu Food
- Jiangxi Food
- Zhejiang Food
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Hui Cuisine Cooking Techniques, China Intangible Cultural Heritage Digital Museum.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 “A Taste of Anhui” food map, China Tourism News, reporting on the Anhui provincial culture and tourism food program.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 First Anhui “Must-Try” Specialty Foods and Snacks selection (200 items), Anhui provincial tourism selection, reproduced by Shucheng County Government.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 “Treasure Anhui: Every City Has Its Own Set”, Jinzhai County Government, reprinted from Anhui Daily.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Huainan Beef Soup, Huainan Municipal Government.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Bagongshan Tofu, Huainan Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lu'an tea varieties and tea culture, Lu'an Municipal Government.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Wuhu dishes selected as Anhui signatures, Wuhu Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Hu Yumei sauce-making and the Anqing time-honored brands, Ministry of Commerce.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Huangshan shaobing and its local baking tradition, Huangshan Municipal Government.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Food Customs, Yaohai District Government, Hefei.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Wuhu Xiaolong soup buns, Wuhu Municipal Administration for Market Regulation.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Ziyun Restaurant, China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Huizhou Mao Tofu, Huangshan Municipal Government.
- ↑ Third China (Huangshan) Hui Cuisine Food Carnival and Industry Development Conference, Huangshan Municipal Government.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Hui Cuisine Cooking Characteristics, Huangshan Municipal Government.
- ↑ Huifu Yipin Pot, Huangshan Municipal Government, Culture and Tourism Bureau.
- ↑ Anhui cultural-tourism food guide, Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Wuhu local food and snack brands, Wuhu Municipal Commerce Bureau.
- ↑ Traditional teas of Huangshan and local protections, Huangshan Municipal Government.
- ↑ Traditional tea processing in Anhui, China Intangible Cultural Heritage Digital Museum.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 2025 Annual Report, Anhui Gujing Distillery Co., Ltd.
- ↑ Kouzi liquor, Huaibei Municipal Government.
- ↑ Yingjia and its brewing tradition, China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce.
- ↑ Nanfeng yellow rice wine, Xuancheng Municipal Administration for Market Regulation.
- ↑ Gengfuxing and Wuhu heritage foods, Wuhu Municipal Administration for Market Regulation.
- ↑ Huiweihe, China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce.
- ↑ Xie Yuda company profile, company website.
- ↑ About Three Squirrels, company website.
- ↑ Laoxiangji company profile, company website.