The 28th China Food Expo opened in Wuhan on December 6. “Honghu Fish Banquet,” representative of Jingzhou’s unique banquets, participated in the exhibition of “Chu Dishes and Banquets” at the food expo. Multiple Chu dishes originating from Jingzhou were awarded at the award ceremony for branded Chu dishes this morning.
At the “Chu Dishes” section of the food expo, different Chu dishes from various cities and counties of Hubei Province could be seen. The delicious dishes were cooked in different ways and infused with characteristics of different places. Among them, “Honghu Fish Banquet,” representative of the unique characteristics of the water town, attracted the attention of diners.
People cast nets in the morning, and fill up their barns with fish. Wild duck and lotus roots can be found everywhere, and the paddy fields are fully grown with rice. “Honghu Fish Banquet,” composed of 26 dishes, was cooked by five chefs from the Honghu Chefs Association over a period of more than one month. “Braised Wild Duck” was derived from a legend of Cao Cao during this southward expedition. “Fried Lotus Roots” was determined by Emperor Qianlong as an imperial dish. “Boiled Lake Fish” tells the story about the establishment of the red revolutionary base in the place scattered with rivers and lakes. Hand Torn Bream Fish, Lotus Roots with Pickled Pepper, Stir-fried Lotuses and Water Crabs, every dish has a touching story behind it.
The Chu culture is regarded as the root of Jingzhou, and the Chu dishes are an important component of the Chu culture. Multiple Chu dishes were awarded during the award ceremony for branded Chu dishes this morning. Jingzhou Turtle, Lotus Root Rib Soup were listed among the top 10 Chu dishes, and Gong’an GuoKui was nominated. The food court operating in the Jingzhou Ocean World Water Park was listed as one of the top 10 food courts. Jingzhou Crown Condiments Co., Ltd. was listed among the top 10 manufacturers of condiments for Chu cuisine. The cooperative breeding Xiangzhang chickens in Chuandian, Jingzhou was listed among the top 10 suppliers of raw food materials.
As regards the awards for individuals, Yu Fuquan, a famous chef in Jingzhou, stood out as the Meritorious Chu Cuisine Master, and Sun Xianyi, chairman of the Expert Committee of the Jingzhou Chefs Association and director of the F&B Center of the Logistics Department of the Yangtze University, was designated as a Chu Cuisine Master.