Taste is said to carry the longest memory. As the Spring Festival is approaching, traditional local delicacies in various parts of Jiangsu province are ushering in the peak sales season. The goose meat in Changzhou, the cured meat in Taicang, and the roast chicken in Donghai. The most traditional cooking techniques have turned out to be the New Year's taste and nostalgia pursued by people residing in other places far away from their hometowns.
One early morning in winter, before the frost melted, the villagers in Xiangu Village at the foot of Maoshan Hill began to get busy, preparing to pickle the traditional Xiangu old goose.
They cleaned the local free-range geese, evenly sprinkled them with coarse salt, rubbed them, and then placed them in a jar layer by layer for pickling.
Before the sun rose, they hang the marinated old geese in rows. The villagers then tie red silk on the pickled goose, looking forward to a prosperous year.
The sun-dried cured bacon is the most unforgettable "hometown flavor" for Taicang people.
Select a good pork belly, cut it into strips of equal size, add a small amount of cooking wine, rub it with an appropriate amount of salt, and a simple process of bacon marinating is completed.
The marinated meat is then tied with rope knots and hung in a sunny and ventilated place for a week.
Shen Wen, Staff reporter in Taicang
Stewing a pot of freshly marinated bacon
by adding some fresh pork ribs
and winter bamboo shoots
you can enjoy the pure and delicious soup
Pickled meat with fresh delicacies
is an indispensable dish
on the New Year's Eve dinner table
for the Taicang people
In Taolin Town, Donghai County, roast chicken is an essential dish on the table. Taolin roast chicken cooking embodies the craftsmanship inherited from generation to generation, and is loved by consumers for its unique taste and tenderness.
In an old-fashioned roast chicken restaurant, the villagers were busy shopping for New Year's goods, and a pot of roast chicken was quickly sold out.
Ma Ming, Villager
I would buy a lot of roast chicken
every Mid-Autumn Festival and Spring Festival
I bought more than 20 today
For Sihong people who live by the water, a hairy crab is indispensable on the table during the Spring Festival.
In the past two days, local farmers have been catching crabs in the ponds. Boxes of live crabs are packed and delivered to tables across the country.
Duan Guangyu, Crab farmer
Orders for hairy crabs are in short supply
Customers placed order for more than
300 boxes of crabs
increasing the yield by about
2,000 yuan per mu
and the income is very good
