China News Service, Nanjing, February 8th: Youth from both sides of the Taiwan Strait showed off their cooking skills and shared a reunion dinner in Nanjing
China News Service reporter Zhu Xiaoying
As New Year's Eve of the Year of the Dragon approaches, the farmyards in Nanchaotianggong Street in the old city of Nanjing are decorated with lights and colorful lights, and guests are passing by. A large stove was set up in the center of the small courtyard, where chickens and fish were boiling, and the heat was steaming. Eight young people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait who have been working in Nanjing for a long time agreed to gather here and prepare a reunion dinner in the small courtyard.
On the eve of the Spring Festival in the Year of the Dragon, eight young people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait met to prepare a dish that best represents the New Year's flavor of their hometown. Photo by China News Network reporter Zhu Xiaoying
Shandong sweet and sour carp, Yangzhou lion head, Nanjing leek spring rolls, Taiwanese nine-story pagoda braised three-cup chicken, Taiwanese steamed fish with black bean... Although everyone rarely cooks, when they think about showing off their skills at the party, they are all gearing up and working hard, thinking Make the classic dishes that best represent the taste of your hometown in your childhood memories. Eight people reported the name of the dish on WeChat early and arranged to go to the local "Internet celebrity" Qijiawan Market to buy ingredients together.
"Are there any wildflowers in Taiwan?" "Yes, but they are relatively rare." Among the eight young people, four are from Jining, Shandong, Nanjing and Yangzhou, Jiangsu, and four are from all over Taiwan. They are engaged in traditional Chinese medicine, environmental protection, agricultural breeding, jewelry design, literature and art, and other industries. Some of them have work overlaps with each other, and some have never met, but they quickly became popular during the purchase of food ingredients at the market.
Young people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are making spring rolls. Photo by China News Network reporter Zhu Xiaoying
Back at the farmyard, everyone started busy. Xie Yunchao, who has a "social cow" physique, was the first to start the conversation. He is from Taichung, Taiwan and runs a traditional Chinese medicine clinic in Nanjing. "When I was a kid in Taiwan, the two things I looked forward to the most were receiving the New Year's money, and using the New Year's money to buy firecrackers. Water mandarin ducks, fairy sticks, little bees, and Zhuanzhuanle. Amidst the sound of firecrackers, the children ran, jumped and screamed. It was very exciting. Busy." He recalled while cooking Taiwanese-style steamed seabass with black bean sauce over a high fire: "Bass, seabass, like a fish in water. Eat fish, eat fish, and you will have more than you can eat every year."
When it comes to eating fish during the Spring Festival, Li Yuwen, a girl from Jining, Shandong Province, resonates with her. "During the New Year in Shandong, every household will eat the classic Shandong cuisine - sweet and sour carp. The carp must be shaped with its head held high and its tail raised high, which symbolizes that family members are leaping over the dragon's door academically and prospering in their careers." , she brought the carefully prepared sweet and sour carp to the table.
Taiwan's "post-90s" farmer Hsieh Cheng-en is simmering chicken soup in a large farm stove. Photo by China News Network reporter Zhu Xiaoying
Stewed chicken is another dish that will not be absent from the cross-strait reunion dinner table. Taiwanese "post-90s" farmer Xie Chengen, who runs a red label chicken farm in Nanjing, brought carefully selected chickens and cooked them with ginseng, angelica and astragalus soup. Because her father is doing business in mainland China, her memories of the Chinese New Year are divided equally between Taiwan and Nanjing. "My family has been raising chickens for generations. Whether our family has a reunion dinner in Taiwan or Nanjing, there must be chickens - there is no feast without chickens."
Xiao Kaijia, a Taiwanese youth who is engaged in environmental protection work, served his most famous nine-story pagoda braised three-cup chicken. "'Three Cups' refers to Taiwanese soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine. The aroma of the nine-story pagoda is the soul of Three Cups Chicken." Food and fireworks are the common elements for him to celebrate the Spring Festival on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Young people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait cooked together in Nanjing for a reunion dinner, toasted with blessings, and celebrated the New Year in the Year of the Dragon. Photo by China News Network reporter Zhu Xiaoying
Yang Yining, a young Taiwanese jewelry designer who has lived in Nanjing for many years, recalled: "My family and I used to celebrate the New Year in Liuhe, Nanjing. The pork head meat and live beads there were really amazing. The Liuhe head dish made with skin tripe, quail eggs, Chinese cabbage, etc. The food is also delicious. People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have the custom of attending lantern festivals and temple fairs during the Spring Festival, which is unforgettable."
Young people from Yangzhou, Yu Peixin, and young people from Nanjing, Fan Yuran and Yao Junpeng, respectively made Yangzhou lion heads, Nanjing leek spring rolls, and stir-fried artemisia. Finally, two large plates of dumplings and spring rolls made by eight young people were brought to the table. While chatting and laughing, everyone raised their glasses together: "Cheers to this cross-strait reunion dinner!" (End)