Fujian’s fragrant feast
As the popularity of regional cuisines heats up, a once-unappreciated tradition discovers fresh confidence, Li Yingxue reports.
Having just finished a day’s work at his newly opened Fujian restaurant in Beijing, head chef Hong Zhixiong hopped on a plane to Xiamen in Fujian province in search of the freshest ingredients.
Early the following morning, Hong returned to Beijing on a three-hour flight, bringing with him carefully selected ingredients.
At lunch, the table was awash with exquisite Fujian dishes made from the ingredients he had brought back. “They still carry the Fujian morning dew and the fragrance of the soil from Wuyi Mountain,” Hong says.
“Fujian cuisine is known for its fresh flavors, but this freshness doesn’t come from seasonings, it’s the result of blending mountain and sea delicacies, to create a complex and delicate flavor,” he explains.
With decades of experience in the culinary industry and a holder of the title of “Master of Fujian Cuisine” that is awarded by the Fujian Culinary Association, Hong has both the innate sensitivity Fujian natives have for food and his accumulated understanding of the characteristics of different Fujian ingredients. He is committed to serving authentic Fujian flavors to Beijing diners.
Despite being one of China’s eight major culinary traditions, Fujian cuisine is not as widely known as Sichuan or Cantonese cuisine. In recent years, more chefs like Hong have ventured beyond the province, exploring the essence of their traditional cuisine while incorporating innovative elements, with the aim of introducing this historically rich, seafood-centric cuisine to a broader audience.
Imperial favorite
One of Fujian cuisine’s most renowned dishes, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, was once considered one of the culinary centerpieces of grand Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) imperial feasts. Known for its complex flavors, it features a variety of ingredients expertly simmered to perfection. Hong takes pride in displaying all the elements of the dish on a dedicated wall in his restaurant. He has also given the traditional recipe a modern twist, with a lighter, clearer broth that appeals to the health-conscious palettes of today’s diners.
To preserve its authentic flavor, he goes the extra mile, and uses water specially sourced from the province.
Another Fujian food expert, chef Wu Rong at Shanghai’s Meet the Bund restaurant, has also added his own unique touch to the famous dish. He substitutes the usual soup base with ingredients such as fish glue, sea cucumber and abalone, steering away from its normally overly thick consistency.
Wu emphasizes the importance of preserving tradition while embracing change. He believes that innovation doesn’t have to mean a departure from the past, but can mean making traditional dishes even better. This approach has earned Meet the Bund a Michelin star, and recognition as a two-diamond restaurant in food app Dianping’s Black Pearl Restaurant Guide.
The 45-year-old’s culinary journey began in hotel restaurants in 1998, where he honed his skills. In 2011, he decided to become an entrepreneur, and opened a fusion cuisine restaurant in Fujian, which quickly gained popularity with patrons.
In 2016, Wu decided to return to his roots and embrace tradition. He opened Mr Rong’s Fujian Cuisine restaurant, which focuses on more traditional dishes.
Two years later, he expanded his culinary footprint to Shanghai’s iconic Bund area, opening a high-end Fujian cuisine restaurant named Meet the Bund.
“At that time, Michelin was starting to evaluate restaurants in China. I thought that if our food could win an award, it would help more people discover Fujian cuisine. My main goal is to share our food with a broader audience,” Wu says.
Over the last 10 years, he has noticed the increasing popularity of regional cuisine, which he sees as a great opportunity for his own province’s food. Awards like the Michelin and the Black Pearl have also recognized this growth in regional cuisines, contributing to the better promotion of Fujian cuisine.
Wu says that when he first opened his restaurant in Shanghai, many Fujian restaurants did not mention their geographic origin, but in recent years, more have begun to proudly include it in their name. “In the past two years, I feel that Fujian chefs have become more confident,” Wu says.
While managing Meet the Bund, Wu continued to run the Mr Rong’s Fujian Cuisine restaurant and earlier this year, he opened a branch in Beijing.
“At this small restaurant, the average cost per person is around 80 yuan ($11), and guests can enjoy a variety of authentic Fujian snacks, such as oyster omelet and Quanzhou vinegar pork,” he explains.
“I believe in promoting all of Fujian cuisine, it’s not just about the high-end. Our cuisine includes both high-end dishes with rare ingredients, and street snacks and small seafood dishes. I want diners to develop a comprehensive understanding of Fujian cuisine.”
Fusion in cuisine
According to Zheng Hui, founder and president of the Xiamen Culinary Association, the evolution of Fujian cuisine is tied to the blending of cultural influences. As the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, Quanzhou has played a significant role in shaping the culinary culture of Fujian cuisine.
“Fujian cuisine embraces flavors from both the north and south, as well as Southeast Asia. Its proximity to Guangdong has introduced influences from Cantonese cuisine, and it has also adopted some cooking methods from the cuisine of nearby Zhejiang province,” explains Zheng.
“Fujian is blessed with abundant ingredients, thanks to its mountains and seas. This means we have access to both mountain specialties and fresh seafood. The long coastline contributes to the availability of delicious seafood, and many rivers with fresh ingredients, too.”
Fujian cuisine is often associated with soups, and Zheng believes that soup-based dishes are not only delicious but also healthy, as the dishes emphasize a balanced nutritional approach. “Fujian cuisine places a strong emphasis on nutrition by using less oil, salt and sugar while ensuring great taste,” he adds.
In recent years, the province’s aquaculture industry has flourished, with ingredients such as abalone, sea cucumber, and large yellow croaker from Ningde gaining popularity nationwide. This trend has also accelerated the recognition of Fujian cuisine across the country.
“For example, take the case of large yellow croaker. Previously, overfishing led to a decline in numbers, but with better practices, artificially bred large yellow croakers are gradually increasing in numbers. We also release many into the wild to restore their population,” Zheng says. “Production has recovered in recent years, and meets demand across the country. In Fujian and Zhejiang, a feast without large yellow croaker is considered incomplete.”
According to Zheng, the development of Fujian cuisine has not only had an impact on the province’s culinary scene, but has also stimulated the entire ecosystem of the province, contributing to the local GDP.
He has observed that, in recent years, many chefs are not only venturing beyond the province, but also innovating to introduce a wider range of Fujian cuisine to diners elsewhere. At the same time, chefs in the province are showcasing the brilliance of their cuisine to visitors in their own unique ways.
Wu Jie, who is also known as “Shangqing Jiege” runs the Shangqing Bengang seafood restaurant in Xiamen. Every day, he serves the freshest catches from the boats and shares intriguing videos on social platform Douyin, where he has gained over 9 million followers.
Although Wu Jie is a Xiamen native, he wasn’t a seafood fan as a child, because he didn’t like the way it looked. However, as his parents started using more seafood in home-cooked meals, he gradually developed a taste for its freshness and sweetness.
He says that Fujian cuisine stands out for its emphasis on freshness, which is why he has his own boat to buy fresh catches from other fishermen, and also ensures the shortest time and distance between the sea and the dining table by purchasing directly from boats.
He serves over 300 varieties of seafood every day, creating a unique experience for diners. As the daily catch varies, so does the menu, and prices fluctuate accordingly.
“I can’t design a system to take orders and it may take half an hour to find a particular item of seafood, so the menu is handwritten. And the seafood I serve varies each day,” Wu Jie explains. “Out-of-town customers usually order common seafood, while locals prefer rarer varieties, like a shellfish that resembles abalone called the ‘abalone shell’, which can be poached with ginger, steamed, marinated raw, or stewed into soup.”
For Wu Jie, understanding the sea — knowing what is available in each season and how to harvest it — is as simple as opening his wardrobe and knowing where each item is stored.
He also makes videos to showcase the province’s diversity of seafood. Initially educational, they gradually began to feature different ways of preparing seafood as his audience grew.
In contrast to Wu Rong, who is expanding Fujian cuisine restaurants nationwide, Wu Jie acknowledges that different Fujian restaurants have different business models.
His dishes are only available for local consumption, so only visitors can sample it. “I prefer to stay in one city for the long term,” he says, adding he has no plans to expand.