Photo provided to Hangzhoufeel
Seasonal Treat
By Zhu Jingning
On May 11, the annual Tangqi Loquat Festival commenced in Hangzhou’s Linping District, with over 14 markets gathering at Tangqi Town for the sale of this seasonal fruit.
Low in calories and abundant in vitamins, Tangqi loquat has a cultivation history of more than 1,400 years and has been listed as a tribute since the Tang Dynasty. According to the pulp color, the fruit can be divided into two varieties, Baisha and Hongsha. The town boasts the rarest Ruantiao Baisha, known for its juicier and sweeter taste.
Loquat fruit wine, loquat jam, loquat nectar, loquat flower tea... After thousands of years of cultivation and integration, loquat has deeply influenced the local table culture and formed a unique food custom. Here are four loquat specialties:
Glazed loquat rice cake
The time-honored Fagen Food, located in Tangqi Ancient Town, is known for making traditional Chinese pastries and snacks. The pastry cooks of Fagen Food combine steamed pastry-making skills with loquat and developed new products such as “glazed loquat rice cake” and “loquat jelly,” inspired by Japanese pastry raindrop cake, giving the local specialty a new life.
Pork stewed with loquat
As a dish in the Tangqi loquat banquet, it represents the childhood taste of Tangqi locals and was deeply loved by the Kangxi Emperor in the Qing Dynasty and other people from ancient times. The sweet and sour taste of loquat injects soul into the braised meat, removing all the grease, and making it more appetizing and delicious. Wang Yuanxing Restaurant in Tangqi Ancient Town still retains this dish today.
White fungus soup with loquat and lily
Stew the delicious loquat fruit, lily, and white fungus together into a soup, then add some rock sugar and Lycium chinensis, and you will soon get a refreshing soup. Fresh and sweet, it is a real quencher, not only relieving heat and thirst in summer but also improving appetite and digestion.
Loquat drinks
Mix loquats with honey and lemon juice in warm water to create refreshing loquat honey water. Mixing loquat with other fruits into juice can not only retain the nutrients but also highlight the flavor of different fruits. If fresh loquats are soaked in baijiu, a unique fruit wine will be brewed after some time.