About Hainan
Hainan Cuisine
The special cuisine of Hainan , prepared with local products, is known far and wide, and deservedly so. Qiongzhou Coconut Milk Dish and Hainan Chicken in Coconut Milk have won gold and silver medals in culinary competitions.
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Wenchang Chicken, Jiaji Duck, Dongshan Lamp and Hele Crab are the four great dishes of Hainan and are known throughout Southeast Asia . And, of course, the seafood on this tropic Island is superb. People from Beijing would fly to Hainan just for a day of seafood and they would say that their air-ticket costs no money considering the prices they will pay for the same meal in Beijing.
In Hainan, you will always have a chance to taste great seafood with incredibly low prices. Various local snacks, full of unique Hainan flavours, such as Hainan Noodles, Hainan Chicken Rice, and Dongshan Pancakes are not less to mention.
In Hainan, you will always have a chance to taste great seafood with incredibly low prices. Various local snacks, full of unique Hainan flavours, such as Hainan Noodles, Hainan Chicken Rice, and Dongshan Pancakes are not less to mention.
Tables manners
Talking about eating habit, unlike the West, where everyone has their own plate of food, in China the dishes are placed on the table and everybody shares. If you are being treated by a Chinese host, be prepared for a ton of food. Chinese are very proud of their culture of cuisine and will do their best to show their hospitality. And sometimes the host will serve some dishes with his or her own chopsticks to guests to show his or her hospitality. This is a sign of politeness. The appropriate thing to do would be to eat the whatever-it-is and say how yummy it is. If you feel uncomfortable with this, you can just say a polite "thank you" and leave the food there. There some other rules that are suggested you follow to make your stay in China happier, though you will be forgiven if you have no idea of what they are.
1. Never stick your chopsticks upright in the rice bowl, lay them on your dish instead. Otherwise, it is deemed extremely impolite to the host and seniors present. The reason for this is that when somebody dies, the shrine to them contains a bowl of sand or rice with two sticks of incense stuck upright in it. So if you stick your chopsticks in the rice bowl, it looks like the shrine and is equivalent to wishing death upon a person at the table.
2. Make sure the spout of the teapot is not facing anyone. It is impolite to set the teapot down where the spout is facing towards somebody. The spout should always be directed to where nobody is sitting, usually just outward from the table.
3. Don't tap on your bowl with your chopsticks, since that will be deemed insult to the host or the chef. Beggars tap on their bowls, and also, when the food is coming too slow in a restaurant, people will tap their bowls. If you are in someone's home, it is like insulting the host or the cook.
4. Never try to turn a fish over and debone it yourself, since the separation of the fish skeleton from the lower half of the flesh will usually be performed by the host or a waiter. Superstitious people deem bad luck will ensue and a fishing boat will capsize if you do so. This is especially true to southerners in China (to be specific, such as Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian provinces, etc.), since, traditionally, southerners are the fishing population.
Talking about eating habit, unlike the West, where everyone has their own plate of food, in China the dishes are placed on the table and everybody shares. If you are being treated by a Chinese host, be prepared for a ton of food. Chinese are very proud of their culture of cuisine and will do their best to show their hospitality. And sometimes the host will serve some dishes with his or her own chopsticks to guests to show his or her hospitality. This is a sign of politeness. The appropriate thing to do would be to eat the whatever-it-is and say how yummy it is. If you feel uncomfortable with this, you can just say a polite "thank you" and leave the food there. There some other rules that are suggested you follow to make your stay in China happier, though you will be forgiven if you have no idea of what they are.
1. Never stick your chopsticks upright in the rice bowl, lay them on your dish instead. Otherwise, it is deemed extremely impolite to the host and seniors present. The reason for this is that when somebody dies, the shrine to them contains a bowl of sand or rice with two sticks of incense stuck upright in it. So if you stick your chopsticks in the rice bowl, it looks like the shrine and is equivalent to wishing death upon a person at the table.
2. Make sure the spout of the teapot is not facing anyone. It is impolite to set the teapot down where the spout is facing towards somebody. The spout should always be directed to where nobody is sitting, usually just outward from the table.
3. Don't tap on your bowl with your chopsticks, since that will be deemed insult to the host or the chef. Beggars tap on their bowls, and also, when the food is coming too slow in a restaurant, people will tap their bowls. If you are in someone's home, it is like insulting the host or the cook.
4. Never try to turn a fish over and debone it yourself, since the separation of the fish skeleton from the lower half of the flesh will usually be performed by the host or a waiter. Superstitious people deem bad luck will ensue and a fishing boat will capsize if you do so. This is especially true to southerners in China (to be specific, such as Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian provinces, etc.), since, traditionally, southerners are the fishing population.
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Beside the 4 Great Dishes of Hainan there are many other cuisines in Hainan worth mentioning:
Garoupa Fish raised in Hainan is said to be very nutritious. Its tender meat is 20 percent protein, and contains Vitamins A, B and C, and iron. Steaming is the best way to prepare it. Oukou Clam is a product of Qukou Bay in Qiongshan Country, and is also called Blood Clam due to its blood red colour. It contains rich protein, Vitamins A, B and C and is said to help reduce phlegm and hydrochloric acid. The common preparation is to put it in boiling water for a while then serve with a mixture of chopped ginger and vinegar. Yangshan-Yong Sheep is raised in sheep pens near the extinct volcano in Yangshan area, Qiongshan County . The meat is fine and the bones soft. The ways of cooking include instant boiling, stewing or baking. Sanya Sea Snake is a product of Sonya's waters. The delicate meat can be cooked with chicken or made into dried food. The snake can also be used in medicine which helps allay fever, relieve poison and aid circulation of the main and collateral channels. Dazhou bird's Nest is a product of Dazhou Islet in Wanning County , where the golden swallows assemble. The nests they build are transparent and white. They are used in Chinese traditional medicinal food that is good for the lungs. Fushan Roast Suckling Pig , crisp, golden brown and with delicious meat inside, is a speciality in Fushan Town , Chengmai County . Lingshui Pipa Crabs , grown in Xincun Port in Lingshui County , resemble "pipa", a plucked string musical instrument, and hence the name. Big and fat they taste both like crab and lobster, and are in season from January to March each year. Dongfang Sliced Boiled Mutton is another island speciality. These sheep are raised along the coast of Dongfang County. Lamb of about five kilograms each is cooked in water until eighty percent done. The mutton is tender and delicious. |
Other maritime dishes include the famous Hainan lobster, steamed carp from the Wanquan River , and precious abalone from the coast along Long-lou in Wenchang County . In addition, there are prawns and other seafood for banquets.
| 4 Hainan Specialities
Wenchang Chicken The Wenchang Chicken is boiled, and then cut into pieces. The diced chicken is then dipped in mixtures of chopped ginger, salt and other spices, and eaten. Wenchang chickens are small, fed a diet of coconut and peanut bran, and raised in coops high above the ground. As a result, the meat is tender and succulent and the skin smooth. It is plump but not greasy. Served with fragrant Hainan Chicken Rice, Wenchang Chicken is a tasteful delicacy. Jiaji Duck Jiaji Ducks are raised along the Wanquan River in Jiaji Town , in Qionghai County . As it grows, this special breed is kept in coops and fed with rice grain, sweet potato, and chaff so that it has thick meat, thin skin, soft bones and little fat. The traditional way to prepare it is to boil it in water, dice it, then eat with mixture of vinegar, chopped ginger and sesame oil. Jiaji Duck stewed with Chinese caterpillar fungus is said to make one strong and healthy. Hele Crab Hele Carb is found in the inland sea in Hele Town, Wanning. It is in season all year. The crab is said to be tasty, delicious, tender, and crispy. Dongshan Mutton The Wenchang Chicken is boiled, and then cut into pieces. The diced chicken is then dipped in mixtures of chopped ginger, salt and other spices, and eaten. Wenchang chickens are small, fed a diet of coconut and peanut bran, and raised in coops high above the ground. As a result, the meat is tender and succulent and the skin smooth. It is plump but not greasy. Served with fragrant Hainan Chicken Rice, Wenchang Chicken is a tasteful delicacy. |
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