Stories about everlasting Zhongshan food culture

百年老字號，記憶中的味道；延續經典，傳承創新。

Juxiangyuan,the unforgettable flavour

咀香園杏仁餅，十里飄香

廣東 朱益德

指導老師 周淑涵

Known as one of the time-honored brands of traditional Cantonese-style bakeries,Juxiangyuan Bakery has carried unforgettable memories of several generations in Zhongshan,where the local people are exposed to enjoying a variety of pastries.

Juxiangyuan was established in 1918,when a woman named Pan Yanxiang,whose skill at making pastries was superb,served as a servant in a local family at Zhongshan.Occasionally,Pan made a kind of pastries in the shape of almonds to serve guests,who then thought highly of this new flavor after tasting them.Thereafter,hiring Pan as the master baker,the host family opened a store to sell“Almond Pastry”and named the store“Juxiangyuan”after the host's surname.The almond pastry,which was actually made from mung beans,enjoyed great popularity at that time.

In accordance with consumers' tastes,Juxiangyuan has invented varieties of products,such as cookies,egg rolls,Cantonese-style mooncakes,etc.,which are loved by people of all ages.Conventionally,these pastries are beautifully packaged to present to relatives or friends during the Spring Festival or at any other traditional Chinese festivals.Gradually,it gathered its fame in Guangdong and Macao,even at home and abroad.

Nowadays,combining its traditional recipe with modern technology,Juxiangyuan has developed into a successful and competitive food enterprise,featuring“Zhongshan's Authentic Specialties”.As a leading food industry in Zhongshan,Juxiangyuan reflects the wisdom and diligence of Chinese working people,significantly influencing the next generation.Pan's story goes however time passes by.Not only do her marvelous skills deeply impress us,but also her innovative spirit inspires us to work harder to be the pioneers of the time.

花動菊城，風起香山。以菊花入饌，品饕餮盛宴！

Chrysanthemum Banquet

幽幽菊花清香，濃濃中山美味

廣東 冼濼茵

指導老師 王 思

Located in Zhongshan,Xiaolan Town is known as“the City of Chrysanthemum”（菊城）.People in this town have been planting chrysanthemums and cooking food with it for hundreds of years.

The history of growing chrysanthemums is long in Xiaolan Town.Making full use of the natural conditions,such as the climate and the soil,people here successfully cultivated a kind of yellow chrysanthemum,which was eatable.With the present from nature,industrious and intelligent people created a variety of tasty foods,which are now known as Chrysanthemum Banquet.There are many traditional foods in Chrysanthemum Banquet,among which Chrysanthemum Fish Ball,Chrysanthemum Pork,Chrysanthemum Wine and Chrysanthemum Eight Treasure Rice are the most famous.Each dish is a mixture of the flavor of meat and the fragrance of chrysanthemums.

The methods of cooking foods with chrysanthemums are varied.For instance,Chrysanthemum Bran(菊花糠) is made of chrysanthemums and sugar.People gather the fresh chrysanthemum petals (花瓣) and dry them in the open air,following which they heat dried petals,sugar and little water together into a paste,then cool it and smash it into pieces.Chrysanthemum Bran is a traditional snack popular with people of all ages,which will leave a lingering fragrance in your mouth once you have a bite of it.It is also a basic ingredient in other chrysanthemum foods.

Chrysanthemum Banquet is not only the enjoyment of taste buds,but also a visual feast.So it has become popular among Chinese and foreign tourists,who can enjoy the rare Chrysanthemum Banquet while admiring varieties of chrysanthemums during the golden autumn.

沙溪涼茶，老牌茶飲，消暑散熱、生津止渴兩相宜。

Warmth-filled tea—Shaxi Herbal Tea

一杯涼茶，一片情懷

廣東 陳德賢

指導老師 陳麗芳

It is extensively acknowledged that herbal tea is a must for many Cantonese (廣 東 人).Nowadays,there are many kinds of herbal tea circulating in the market.Shaxi Herbal Tea is one of them,which is mainly used for treating flu.

The inventor of Shaxi Hebal Tea,Huang Hui,was born in Tayuan Village,Shaxi Town.In his childhood,he was extremely fond of collecting a variety of herbal medicines.Meanwhile,he devoted himself to treating the poor.Due to his considerate behavior,he received a large amount of praise from villagers.In 1885,Huang Hui concluded and arranged a prescription for the treatment of a cold.From then on,the first generation of Shaxi Herbal Tea was born.Nevertheless,it wasn't familiar to many Chinese people until the People's Republic of China was set up.

With its popularity gradually developing,in order to meet huge needs,Shaxi Herbal Tea Factory came into being in 1978.And since then,Shaxi Herbal Tea has begun to get its popularity around the world.In recent years,COVID-19 has continuously attacked humans.During this tough time,Shaxi Herbal Tea seems to play an essential role.Although it cannot be used for treating COVID-19 patients directly,it is able to strengthen our immunity.As a consequence,it will assist us to better fight against the virus.

In my view,as a local snack in Shaxi,Shaxi Herbal Tea is not only a medicine,but also an exclusive carrier of memory to Shaxi residents.It always brings us warmth.

覆著黃金衣，鮮香酥脆滑。石岐乳鴿，傳承百年技藝，香滿天下。

Shiqi Squab satisfies your taste buds

石岐乳鴿，滿足你的味蕾

廣東 宋希杰

指導老師 張 燕

It is said that if you don't eat the toasted squab in Zhongshan,you will fail to reach Zhongshan.It can not only catch your eyes,but also amaze your taste buds.As we all know,the squab is a common ingredient in many dishes.However,Shiqi Squab turns into a luminous star that rises in all cuisines because of its tender meat and its special cooking techniques.

According to Zhongshan Record,there were many overseas Chinese bringing in pigeons from all over the world in 1915.Then they interbred them with native pigeons and bred a new kind of pigeon whose meat is thick and tender.

The first time I tasted this delicacy was on my birthday at a restaurant with my family.As soon as we got the menu,my dad immediately ordered a Shiqi Squab.Not until we tried it did we find it so impressive.Later,learning from the head chef,we knew that Shiqi Squab is cooked in a special and complicated way.Firstly,the squab needs to be marinated three times and then it should be dried for 40 to 60 minutes before being fried twice.It takes a long time to finish this delectable food.No wonder it's really a delicious dish.So not only do the local people love it,but also countless foreigners come to try it,which is really crispy,juicy and impressive!

Take a bite of Shiqi Squab and you will surely fall in love with it.