Zhejiang Cuisine is one of the eight Culinary Traditions of Chinese Cuisine, derived from the traditional cooking styles of the Zhejiang province of China, south of Shanghai and around the former Chinese capital of Hangzhou.
Zhejiang Cuisine has three styles under it –
- Hangzhou – Rich variations & utilizations of bamboo shoots
- Shaoxing – Specializes in poultry and freshwater fish
- Ningbo – Specializes in sea food, emphasis on freshness and salty dishes
Basically, if you don’t like spicy food, but love fishes and sea food, Zhejiang cuisine is what you should be having.
Hangzhou, the once-upon-a-time capital of China, was the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, and the city was renowned for their wealth and sophistication. Maybe this is why the food is unusually dainty and refined. Zhejiang cuisine uses a lot of sea food which is not often encountered by folks and cuisines from the rest of the world, like sea cucumber, and many other sea vegetables that one could explore.
Zhejiang used to be the richest province in China and was known as the “Land of Milk and Honey”. Thus, the cuisine is also known for confections made from sugar, beans, rice, wheat; like Sweet Ningbo Rice Balls, Rice Cakes, etc.
Zhejiang cuisine has a popular method of cooking that involves soaking in brine, used in a manner similar to pickling.
