Fuzhou Travel Guide

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall = King of Fujian Cuisine. Abalone + sea cucumber + shark fin + dried scallops + fish maw + pigeon eggs + shiitake mushrooms + pork tendon... with yellow rice wine as the broth base, simmered over low heat for several hours. When the jar is opened, the rich aroma drifts to the neighbors; even Buddha would abandon his meditation and jump over the wall to come! Price: Authentic Buddha Jumps Over the Wall 200-500 yuan per person (Juchunyuan). Everyday must-eats: Fuzhou fish balls (stuffed with filling!), rouyan (meat swallows — the wrapper is made from pounded pork!), guobianhu (rice batter soup), oyster cakes, taro paste, peanut soup, lychee pork. Spice level: completely not spicy — fresh and sweet flavor profile.

D1: Sanfang Qixiang (Nanhou Street + Lin Zexu Memorial Hall + Former Residence of Yan Fu) + Daming Food Street; D2: Gushan (Climb the Eighteen Scenes of Gushan + Yongquan Temple) + Shangxiahang (Fuzhou's version of "Jiangnan Water Town") + Minjiang River Night Cruise. If time permits, add a 1-2 day trip to Pingtan Island (Blue Tears from May to August, offshore windmill fields). Budget: 500-1000 yuan. Fuzhou's cost of living is not high.

Lychee Pork = a classic Fujian dish (Fuzhou). The name comes from the fact that after cooking, the pork pieces resemble lychees (after scoring in a crosshatch pattern and deep-frying, they curl into balls, like lychee shells). Cut lean pork into a crosshatch pattern (cuts about 2mm apart, about 2/3 deep, without cutting through), then cut into 2cm small pieces, marinate with salt + cooking wine + red yeast rice powder (unique to Fujian cuisine, a natural red coloring) to color. Deep-fry in oil until curled into balls, then remove. Make the sauce: ketchup + sugar + vinegar + soy sauce thickened with starch, pour over the meat balls, serve with water chestnuts (bihi) to add a crisp, sweet texture. Lychee Pork vs Cantonese sweet and sour pork: Lychee Pork is colored with red yeast rice powder (a more natural red), sweet and sour pork uses ketchup; Lychee Pork is paired with water chestnuts, sweet and sour pork with pineapple and green pepper; Lychee Pork is sweet-and-sour leaning sweet, sweet and sour pork is sweet-and-sour leaning sour. When eating together, ordering these two dishes makes for a good comparison test—both are sweet-and-sour, but one is Fujian cuisine and one is Cantonese cuisine, and the flavor directions are completely different.