China's Top Seafood Province Is Also a Champion of Wild Delicacies

As the name of a province, "Fujian," first seen in the Tang Dynasty, has long been a familiar term to Chinese people. But have you ever wondered, what exactly is "Fu"? What is "Jian"?

"Fu," of course, refers to Fuzhou. Broadly speaking, this character can extend to represent the entire coastal prosperity of Fujian, epitomized by Fuzhou. In fact, since Emperor Qin Shi Huang established the Minzhong Commandery, generations of Fujianese have created a string of ancient cities, globally renowned ports, and a brilliant, profound, and resilient maritime culture in the narrow coastal strip. The significance of the sea to Fujian is beyond question.

Fig. 1: Fujian people worship the Jade Emperor with whole pigs, chickens, and other offerings. Photo/You

Fig. 2: Fried rice with oysters and seaweed. Photo/You

Fig. 3: Putian braised noodles. Courtesy/Tuchong Creative

However, the character "Jian" and the "Jianzhou" it refers to may be less familiar to many. Specifically, it denotes today's Jian'ou in Nanping, Fujian. Broadly, in contrast to the "Fu" representing the coastal fertile plains, "Jian" also symbolizes the rugged, vast mountainous regions beyond Fujian's small, scattered plains.

Fujian is mountainous—over 80% of its land is hills and mountains, making it one of China's least plain-rich provinces. While Fujian's mountains may not rival some inland peaks in height or dramatic geographic boundaries, they are vast and numerous. The mountains host diverse cultures and abundant produce. Their treasures—dried goods, cured meats, and wild delicacies—combine with the sea's bounty to form the vibrant foundation of Fujian's rich culinary culture.

Topographic map of Fujian Province.

Today is the second day of the Lunar New Year. Amid Fujian's lively, divine-celebrated Spring Festival atmosphere, let’s explore the generous gifts these mountains bestow upon its people.

The sweetness and bitterness of Fujian's children

Where there are mountains, there are mushrooms. For Fujianese, the most coveted among the wild fungi is undoubtedly the red mushroom.

Fujian's red mushrooms mainly grow in the Wuyi Mountains of northern Fujian. Ancient lore warns of snake and insect venom contaminating them, so cooking fresh ones requires adding rice—if the rice turns blue, discard the mushrooms. Yet this never dampened Fujianese enthusiasm. Since antiquity, they’ve revered red mushrooms as the finest fungi, keeping their prices high to this day. Yunnan also produces red mushrooms, but at less than half Fujian's price, highlighting Fujian's obsession.

Photo/You

During the New Year, red mushrooms are indispensable for Fujianese households preparing festive goods or exchanging gifts. These mushrooms are exceptionally delicious—stewed with chicken or meat, they yield rich, aromatic broths. Added to a bowl of noodle soup, they make a luxuriously savory breakfast.

Putian stands out in red mushroom cuisine. Bordering mountains and sea, Putian’s braised noodles feature both red mushrooms and an array of fresh or dried seafood. A hearty bowl of red mushroom seafood noodles, with its robust broth and chewy noodles, needs no side dishes—I could devour a large portion alone.

Courtesy/Tuchong Creative

Beyond red mushrooms, Fujianese passion for mountain goods shines brightest in their love for medicinal herbs.

It is important to know that due to the perennial hot and humid weather, dense vegetation, and numerous snakes and insects, the ancient Chinese always regarded Fujian as a "land of miasma." Therefore, in their view, combating the health issues caused by the humid climate became extremely important. Through long-term living practices, people discovered that the local mountains were abundant in medicinal herbs, which could be used to make herbal tea or stewed soups. Over time, medicinal cuisine became an essential dietary custom for Fujian people.

Photo by Liu Yanhui

Medicinal cuisine is not simply a haphazard stew of ingredients and herbs. In fact, the process is quite intricate. First, the herbal decoction is prepared, then fresh meat is stir-fried with camellia oil until fragrant, and finally, the two are slowly simmered together. A perfect pot of medicinal cuisine should have the aroma of meat, herbs, and camellia oil. Classic dishes like Eight-Treasure Duck Soup, Angelica and Red Date Shrimp, and Patrinia Small Intestine Soup have long become the hallmark of Fujian cuisine.

More locally distinctive examples include the mountainous areas of Zhangzhou’s Nanjing, home not only to the world-famous, ingeniously crafted tulou (earthen buildings) but also abundant in semi-medicinal plants like morinda root and golden thread grass, which are classic ingredients for Fujian medicinal cuisine. Morinda root stewed with lamb yields a sweet and mellow flavor, while golden thread grass stewed with lean pork, ribs, or free-range chicken produces a clear, fragrant broth. Beyond taste, what’s more important is that Fujian mothers still firmly believe these foods have miraculous health benefits, making them extremely popular across the province. During the Spring Festival, mountain dwellers love to gift herbs to relatives and friends—a far more welcomed present than tea or alcohol.

Fujian boasts countless medicinal dishes, but be warned: homemade medicinal stews are not always delicious. Every Fujian child has been forced by their mother to drink bizarre-tasting medicinal concoctions under the guise of "eating to clear heat and toxins" (known as "jia qing" in Hokkien). These dishes range from indescribably strange to downright unpalatable, yet mothers insist on their consumption. Many children carry these taste-related childhood traumas, only to miss those complex yet loving flavors when they grow up and work far from home.

Although Fujian is a mountainous province, it is not particularly known for cured meats and dried goods, likely because most of its population is concentrated in coastal areas. Seaside residents excel at making dried seafood—a concentrated umami bomb and the ultimate secret to a perfect soup. However, Fujian’s remote mountains also produce some fascinating cured and dried specialties. Though niche, their exquisite flavors and craftsmanship rival those of other provinces.

How many bowls of dried squid and radish rice can you eat in one sitting?

When it comes to Fujian’s most attention-grabbing dried goods, none tops the "Ninghua dried rat," which has gradually entered the mainstream in recent years as a "dark cuisine."

In fact, Ninghua dried rat is just one of the "Eight Great Dried Delicacies of Western Fujian," which include Mingxi dried pork, Changting dried tofu, Liancheng dried sweet potato, Shanghang dried radish, Ninghua dried rat, Qingliu dried bamboo shoots, Wuping pork liver with gallbladder, and Yongding dried vegetables. Among these, pork liver with gallbladder is particularly unique. Its production process is highly complex, involving soaking high-quality "glutinous rice pork liver" in pig bile, then repeatedly marinating it with spices and sorghum liquor. The resulting liver is sweetly fragrant and served sliced as a distinctive high-end cold dish.

The "Eight Great Dried Delicacies of Western Fujian" are just a small part of Fujian’s dried goods.

Ninghua dried rat originated as a way to protect crops by catching field mice and utilizing them fully.

Beyond these unusual dried goods, Fujian’s mountain-cured meats also have distinct characteristics. For example, in Shunchang, the local She ethnic group makes bacon without smoking—just sun-drying until the fat turns dry, hard, and translucent, then seasoning it with secret She herbal recipes. When guests arrive, a plate of this bacon paired with red glutinous rice wine and mountain songs creates a uniquely charming atmosphere.

In southern Fujian, Zhangzhou wind-dried sausage (locally called "wind sausage") is another distinctive delicacy. Its secret lies in using copious amounts of Kinmen sorghum liquor, which ferments with the pork to create a unique flavor. Sea breezes and sun-drying yield a semi-dry texture, with an exquisite blend of liquor and meat aromas and a hint of sweetness. A stir-fried plate of this sausage is a must on southern Fujian New Year tables. Fujianese working abroad never forget to praise their hometown’s uniquely liquor-infused sausages when tasting others.

Image courtesy of Visual China

Beyond dried goods and cured meats, Fujian’s mountains offer other unique specialties worth mentioning. For instance, in northern Fujian’s tea-rich Wuyi Mountains, there’s Wuyi smoked goose—fat geese smoked with tea leaves, a dish that capitalizes on local resources and stands out for its distinctive flavor, earning it a place in Fuzhou’s official cuisine. Another example is Yunxiao’s yam noodles in southern Fujian, made from locally abundant Chinese yam, which are undeniably unique.

Whether in the mountains or by the coast, Fujianese Spring Festival traditions go beyond family reunions and celebrations—an equally important task is "worship." Offering sacrifices to ancestors and deities holds immense significance in this mystical province where humans and gods coexist, making rituals a central part of festivities.

Whether Hakka mountain dwellers or Hoklo coastal residents, Fujianese are descendants of ancient migrants from the Central Plains. Their ancestors, fleeing to this land without wheat flour, adapted ancient sacrificial rituals by inventing various rice-based "guo" (cakes) to honor traditions.

Today, guo has become a staple festive rice dish in Fujian, with shapes and styles varying by region and occasion. For the New Year, popular varieties include the crimson "red turtle guo," adorned with longevity turtle patterns for auspiciousness; Putian’s plump, red "hong tuan" symbolizing prosperity; and Quanzhou’s "bowl cakes," which split open when steamed, resembling smiles.

Turnip guo (called "radish guo" in Chaoshan) is another must-eat for Fujian and Chaoshan households during the New Year. Sweet, soft, and bursting with radish aroma, it’s a beloved snack even outside rituals. Fuzhou locals add seaweed for an extra layer of umami.

Image courtesy of Tuchong Creative

Beyond these, Southern Fujian boasts an even greater variety of rice cakes, such as nine-layer rice cake, white rice cake, Yong'an fork rice cake, pan-fried rice cake, floating rice cake, and alkaline rice cake... Each county or even town has its own unique specialties, vastly different from those elsewhere—simply too numerous to list. Paired with a rich assortment of fried delicacies and an array of meticulously prepared New Year dishes featuring diverse ingredients and refined techniques, a Southern Fujian New Year's table naturally becomes a dazzling feast, delighting both mortals and deities alike.

Relying on the generous gifts of these mountains and seas, the enduring blessings of ancestors, the protection of deities, and their own diligence and ingenuity, the people of Fujian have created a vibrant life on this land, which can hardly be called fertile. Their Spring Festival, deeply rooted in this profound local sentiment, adds a vivid stroke to the rich tapestry of Chinese New Year traditions.

Zhangzhou, Fujian: Dragon dance in a tulou (earthen building).