Food
Fuzhou's cuisine is a delightful blend of subtle flavors, fresh ingredients, and local traditions. Known for its light, slightly sweet, and savory taste, the city offers a variety of unique dishes that reflect its coastal location and rich history. From tender Fuzhou fish balls and delicate lychee pork to the comforting taro cakes and fragrant soups, every bite tells a story of the city's culinary culture. Street markets and traditional eateries alike provide opportunities to explore seasonal ingredients, while local teas and snacks add an extra layer to the Fuzhou dining experience. Whether enjoying a casual meal or indulging in a banquet, tasting Fuzhou's food is a journey through both flavor and tradition.
Local Dishes
Oyster Cakes
A traditional Fuzhou snack made by frying a rice-soy flour batter mixed with oysters, pork, and vegetables.
Oyster Cakes
Batter ratio: Soybeans:Rice:Salt=3:7:0.2
Filling: Oysters, lean pork, seaweed, cabbage, celery
Step:
- Soak rice and soybeans for 2 hours, then drain and grind with water into a batter. Mix in salt.
- Heat plenty of peanut oil over medium heat (about 60% hot).
- In a ladle, add a layer of batter, then pork, seaweed, cabbage, celery, and oysters. Cover with more batter.
- Fry until golden brown, then drain.
Some versions place oysters on top as garnish.
Fish Balls
A common snack made from fish meat mixed with starch. They are usually round but can also come in other shapes.
Fish Balls
Ingredients: Fish meat (eel or shark preferred), sweet potato starch, ground
pork, water, white rice vinegar, scallions, white pepper
Step:
- Skin and debone the fish, chop into a paste, and mix with starch to form a smooth fish batter.
- Place some fish paste in your hand, add a bit of pork filling, and squeeze into a round ball.
- Cook the balls in boiling soup until they float.
- Season the soup with vinegar, scallions, and white pepper.
A classic Fuzhou snack known for its stuffed center.
Ban Mian Bian Rou
Ban mian is a classic Sha County dish. It is often served with bian rou (pork dumplings), a pairing called the “couple set.”
Ban Mian & Bian Rou
Ingredients: Flat noodles, pork-bone broth, peanut butter, lard, salt & MSG
Bian rou (pork dumplings)
Optional: scallions for garnish
Step:
- Cook flat noodles in pork-bone broth until tender.
- In a bowl, mix peanut butter, lard, salt, and MSG.
- Add cooked noodles to the bowl and toss to coat evenly.
- Serve with cooked bian rou on the side or mixed in.
- Garnish with scallions if desired.
Lo Hua
A famous rice noodle dish made with fine Xinghua rice noodles. Served in pork or beef bone broth and seafood.
Lao Hua
Ingredients: Xinghua rice noodles, pork or beef bone broth, pork blood,
intestines, tripe, kidneys, assorted seafood
Step:
- Cook rice noodles until just tender.
- Prepare broth with pork or beef bones.
- Add pork blood, offal, and seafood to the broth.
- Combine noodles with the hot broth and serve immediately.
Lychee Pork
A classic dish known for its bright color, sweet-sour flavor, and tender texture.
Lychee Pork
Ingredients: Pork loin, egg, cornstarch (or potato starch), salt
oil, sugar, white vinegar, ketchup (optional but adds color), soy sauce water
Step:
- Season the pork pieces with salt. Add the egg and cornstarch, mixing until each piece is evenly coated.
- Heat oil to medium-high. Fry the pork pieces until they puff up and turn golden. Remove and drain, then fry a second time for extra crispiness.
- In a small pan, combine sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and water. Heat over medium heat until the sauce becomes glossy and slightly thick.
- Add the fried pork to the sauce. Stir quickly so every piece is evenly coated.
- Serve immediately. The pork should look round and slightly curled—similar to lychee fruit—with a sweet and tangy flavor.
Where to Eat...
Daming Food Street, located across from the main entrance of the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, is not a traditional old food street—this makes it more flexible, lively, and diverse. Known for its night-market snacks, it brings together classics like fish balls and meat swallows and stays open late, making it a great spot for evening dining. The entire street is lined with mobile food carts: during the day, the carts themselves create a charming scene, and at night they transform into busy mini kitchens, filling the whole street with rich, mouthwatering aromas.
The Three Lanes and Seven Alleys is not only a window into Fuzhou’s history but also a gathering place for local flavors. Walking through the old streets, you’ll find countless traditional snacks—Fuzhou fish balls, meat swallows, taro paste, taro cakes, oyster cakes, and more—each carrying the taste of home-style Fujian cooking. Small teahouses, dessert shops, and street-side stalls blend seamlessly with the ancient architecture, making it easy to enjoy a warm bowl of soup or a freshly fried snack while exploring the historic alleys. Here, food is part of the scenery, and every bite feels like a connection to Fuzhou’s past.
In Fuzhou's Taijiang District, Dadao Street—once a small riverside pier—has become a lively neighborhood full of everyday charm. Hidden deep inside this narrow street is an unassuming old shop that always has a long line at the door. People come for one reason: a bowl of Fuzhou's beloved “beef slurry” (niú huá). Made from finely minced beef whipped until smooth, it cooks instantly in hot broth and becomes incredibly tender and silky. Simple, warm, and deeply satisfying, this melt-in-your-mouth dish is one of the city's most comforting local flavors.
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