Yantai food refers to the food consumed in Yantai, which is a city in the north-east province of Shangdong in China. The city is located on the coast of Bohai Sea and Laizhou Bay, and hence geographically enriched with abundance of seafood that its cuisine is famous for. The Lu cuisine, which is one of the eight culinary schools of China, is known to have originated in this city. However, today, the city's cuisine is famous for its seafood dishes that have crossed the realms of the Lu cuisine, and boast of a rich variety of tastes. Noodle and dumpling dishes are also a common feature of the food in Yantai.
Ingredients Used in Food in Yantai
Seafood is the primary ingredient of most dishes, and includes elements like prawns, crabs, sea cucumbers, scallops, clams, squid and abalones. Other important ingredients include corn, peanuts, grains like millet, wheat, barley and oats, vinegar and vegetables like eggplant, mushrooms, cabbages, tomatoes, onions and potatoes.
Popular Yantai Recipes
- Yantai Menzi: It is a popular Yantai snack, which is made by frying bean jelly, shrimp paste and various seasonings.
- Chazi-Huoshi: It is a kind of pancake containing sesame.
- Braised Sea Cucumbers: It is dish prepared with sea cucumber, chicken stock, spring onions, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, rice wine and seasonings.
Cooking Methods Adopted by Yantai Cuisine
Popular cooking methods for food in Yantai include deep frying, stir frying, quick frying, slippery frying, sautéing, steaming and steaming. Thickeners are often used to prepare Yantai food.