Hainan cuisine
Encyclopedia
Hainan cuisine is derived from the cooking styles of the peoples of Hainan
province of China
, such as the Li
, Miao
, and Hui
minorities. The food is lighter, with mild seasonings. Seafood
predominates the menu, as shrimp
, crab
, and fish
are widely available. It is typically less oily than the cuisine of the mainland
.
city area, and is made from a certain type of free range
chicken
. It is a popular dish across the island, and is also served on the mainland, and in other Asian countries. The 'Wenchang' chicken is boiled and then cut into pieces. It is then eaten by dipping the pieces in a mixture of spices including chopped ginger
and salt. The skin of Wenchang chicken is typically yellow, with an oily appearance,
, and Thailand
.
by the Wanquan River
, Jiaji duck is made from steamed or boiled duck that was previously force fed a blend of cereal
and bean curd three times daily.
area. The meat is noticeably absent of mutton smell. The meat, actually goat
, is served tender and soft, after being stewed, roasted, or braised
in coconut milk
.
originates from Hele Town, near Wanning
, located on the southeast shores of Hainan. The yellow meat of the crab has an oily texture, and strong aroma. It is usually served with ginger
and garlic
in vinegar
, after being steamed.
is used for this dish. They are fattened on a mixture that includes bran
, silage
.
d, or steamed. The meat is served when the skin is crisp.
that live in the Wanquan River
known locally as the Xijing, Phoenix Tailed, and Quan. It is prepared in a variety of ways, with steaming and stewing being the most popular.
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
province of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, such as the Li
Li people
The Li or Hlai are a minority ethnic group, the vast majority of whom live off the southern coast of mainland China on Hainan Island, where they are the largest minority ethnic group...
, Miao
Miao people
The Miao or ม้ง ; ) is an ethnic group recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China as one of the 55 official minority groups. Miao is a Chinese term and does not reflect the self-designations of the component nations of people, which include Hmong, Hmu, A Hmao, and Kho Xiong...
, and Hui
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
minorities. The food is lighter, with mild seasonings. Seafood
Seafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
predominates the menu, as shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, crab
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
, and fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
are widely available. It is typically less oily than the cuisine of the mainland
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
.
Wenchang chicken
This dish originated from the WenchangWenchang
Wenchang is a county-level city located in the north east of Hainan province, China. It was promoted from a county to a city on November 7, 1995, and had a population of 86,551 in 1999...
city area, and is made from a certain type of free range
Free range
thumb|250px|Free-range chickens being fed outdoors.Free range is a term which outside of the United States denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals are allowed to roam freely instead of being contained in any manner. In the United States, USDA regulations apply only to poultry and...
chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
. It is a popular dish across the island, and is also served on the mainland, and in other Asian countries. The 'Wenchang' chicken is boiled and then cut into pieces. It is then eaten by dipping the pieces in a mixture of spices including chopped ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
and salt. The skin of Wenchang chicken is typically yellow, with an oily appearance,
Hainanese chicken rice
Also known as Hainan chicken rice, this dish is popular in Malaysia, SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
Jiaji duck
Originating from QionghaiQionghai
-Other:Qionghai is historically associated with the Red Detachment of Women, an all-female company of the Chinese Red Army who survived Nationalist persecution...
by the Wanquan River
Wanquan River
Wanquan River is the third longest river in Hainan Island, and is 162 km long. It rises in the Five-Finger Mountain, and flows generally northeast turbulently in a narrow route through mountainous regions. About half way downstream, it enters Qionghai...
, Jiaji duck is made from steamed or boiled duck that was previously force fed a blend of cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
and bean curd three times daily.
Dongshan lamb
This dish comes from the WanningWanning
Wanning is a county-level city in SE Hainan province, China, with an estimated population of 65,871 .-History:Wanning lies on the east of the island and administers many small towns...
area. The meat is noticeably absent of mutton smell. The meat, actually goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
, is served tender and soft, after being stewed, roasted, or braised
Braising
Braising , is a combination cooking method using both moist and dry heat; typically the food is first seared at a high temperature and then finished in a covered pot with a variable amount of liquid, resulting in a particular flavour...
in coconut milk
Coconut milk
Coconut milk is the water that comes from the grated meat of a coconut. The colour and rich taste of the milk can be attributed to the high oil content. In many parts of the world, the term coconut milk is also used to refer to coconut water, the naturally occurring liquid found inside the hollow...
.
Hele crab
Hele crabCrab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
originates from Hele Town, near Wanning
Wanning
Wanning is a county-level city in SE Hainan province, China, with an estimated population of 65,871 .-History:Wanning lies on the east of the island and administers many small towns...
, located on the southeast shores of Hainan. The yellow meat of the crab has an oily texture, and strong aroma. It is usually served with ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
and garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
in vinegar
Vinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
, after being steamed.
Wenquan goose
A hybrid species of gooseGoose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
is used for this dish. They are fattened on a mixture that includes bran
Bran
Bran is the hard outer layer of grain and consists of combined aleurone and pericarp. Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains, and is often produced as a by-product of milling in the production of refined grains. When bran is removed from grains, the grains lose a portion of their...
, silage
Silage
Silage is fermented, high-moisture fodder that can be fed to ruminants or used as a biofuel feedstock for anaerobic digesters. It is fermented and stored in a process called ensiling or silaging, and is usually made from grass crops, including corn , sorghum or other cereals, using the entire...
.
Lingao suckling pork
This dish is from Lingao. Young pigs approximately 10 kg are either roasted, sauteed, barbecueBarbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
d, or steamed. The meat is served when the skin is crisp.
Wanquan Carp
this dish is made from one of three species of carpCarp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
that live in the Wanquan River
Wanquan River
Wanquan River is the third longest river in Hainan Island, and is 162 km long. It rises in the Five-Finger Mountain, and flows generally northeast turbulently in a narrow route through mountainous regions. About half way downstream, it enters Qionghai...
known locally as the Xijing, Phoenix Tailed, and Quan. It is prepared in a variety of ways, with steaming and stewing being the most popular.
See also
- Chinese cuisineChinese cuisineChinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
- List of Chinese cuisine names
- CookingCookingCooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
- List of Chinese dishes