Jilin cuisine facts for kids

Jilin cuisine is the special way of cooking food in the Jilin Province of Northeast China. It's a mix of flavors from the Han Chinese people and also from other groups like the Manchu, Korean, and Mongols. This cooking style is unique to the Jilin area.

What Makes Jilin Food Special?

Because Jilin has short growing seasons and very long, cold winters, people there have learned to preserve food. They often use a method called fermentation. This is how foods like Suan cai (sour cabbage) become very popular. The cold weather also led to special hot pot dishes, like Fucha Manchu Hot Pot.

The northern part of China, where Jilin is, is too cold for lots of rice. So, people mostly eat wheat, buckwheat, and sorghum. These grains are used to make many steamed buns and noodles. What's really interesting is that Jilin cuisine also uses a lot of raw seafood and vegetables. This is not common in other Chinese cooking styles.

Influences on Jilin Cuisine

Jilin food gets its unique taste from three main groups of people living in the province:

• Manchu: They brought dishes like boiled pork, blood sausages, and cold vegetable salads.
• Korean: Their influence includes fermented vegetables and cold noodles.
• Mongolian: You'll find many lamb dishes because of their traditions.

The Han Chinese people in Jilin also added their own flavors. These came from Beijing cuisine, Shandong cuisine, and even some Western cooking styles. Shandong cuisine is very important because many people moved from Shandong to Jilin during the Qing dynasty.

Jilin cuisine also shares many dishes with its neighbors, Heilongjiang and Liaoning provinces. Together, they form what is known as Northeastern Chinese cuisine.

Famous Jilin Dishes to Try

Here are some well-known dishes from Jilin Province:

• Cold Noodles (冷面, lěng miàn): These noodles are made from sorghum. They mix Han and Korean styles. You can find them with sweet and sour or salty flavors.
• Steamed White Fish (清蒸白鱼, qīngzhēng bái yú): This dish uses a special white fish called bai yu. This fish comes from the Songhua River.
• Ginseng Chicken (人参鸡, rénshēn jī): Small chickens are filled with rice, ginseng, and jujubees. Then, they are boiled until tender.
• Fried Vermicelli (煎粉, jiān fěn): This is a simple yet tasty dish made with fried vermicelli noodles.
• Buckwheat Noodles (饸饹条, hé le tiáo): These noodles are made from buckwheat. They are a common and filling meal.
• Ula Hot Pot (乌拉火锅, wūlā huǒguō): Ula means river. This hot pot refers to the Songhua River. It's a warm and comforting dish.
• Newly-Butchered Pig (杀猪菜, shā zhū cài): This is a big feast where every part of a pig is used to make different dishes. It's often served during the Lunar New Year.
• Double Cooked Pork Slices (锅包肉, guō bāo ròu): This sweet and sour pork dish first came from Harbin. It's very popular.
• Fork Fire Spoon (筱筱火, xiǎo xiǎo huǒ): These are buns filled with beef, green onions, fresh ginger, and sesame oil. They often have a special mark from an iron or "fire fork."