Tasty Henan Food

China is indeed a country with great history and culture. With this vast and prosperous land there also comes a huge diversity in cuisine that has been developed over time in various provinces. One of my favourite cuisine styles of China hails from Henan. This is actually a mixture between the areas of Beijing and Jiangsu and blends different cooking fundamentals to create a powerful and balanced fusion of flavours.

Henan style cooking is in a sense, very seasonal. It uses ingredients that are available throughout the different seasons and will typically carry some tasty yet softer flavours in its recipes. The staple ingredient here is an abundance of onions and many of the dishes will don some form of meat. Typically pork for main dishes but soups will opt for lamb variants. Of course rice is no strange in this part of the land and there are some very rich dishes that can be tried, through if one is a little health conscious it is worth knowing just how rich some of these dishes can be. If you’re a noodle lover, the Henan style will also vary a little with small vermicelli noodles. Perhaps similar to Singaporean style if you have been there.

Seafood is also great around Henan, the deep fried fish absorbs some great flavours and the slightly spicy yet sweet flavours are brought out by the onions and tomato base. Henan cuisine can be very rich and it’s worth opting for a variety of dishes when dining out. This can include some rice, meat, fish and a wide variety of vegetable choices.

Many people visiting Henan will indulge in some of the most amazing poultry dishes. It’s worth looking around for a place that serves duck but Henan Chicken is quite famous. There are quite a few ways to prepare chicken but the beer braised chicken is one of the most interesting dishes I have sampled over the years.

The soup dishes in the Henan region are not to be missed either. The flavours used in soups can be said to be a love hate relationship sometimes for those that love the spice yet feel the pain as they wolf down these tasty bowls. I love soups and I especially love spice, Henan Cuisine does not disappoint in either regard. I would say that when going out to explore and try food, it is best done in groups or at least with on other to sample as much as possible. Little portions will you work your way through the many unique dishes that the Henan province offers.