Tasting specialty food is an integral part of traveling, especially when you find yourself in a place noted for its delicacies. A tour of Mount Huangshan, Anhui Province, would not be complete without tasting some of the most notable dishes in Anhui cuisine, one of the Eight Culinary Traditions of Chinese cuisine.

Anhui cuisine, or Hui cuisine, is known for its use of wild herbs, taken from both land and sea, and simple methods of preparation. Braising and stewing are common cooking techniques. Frying and stir-frying are used much less frequently. Anhui features ample uncultivated fields and forests, so the wild herbs used in the regional cuisine are readily available. The culinary tradition features a mild, slightly sweet and oily flavor based on thick, poultry-based soups and smoked freshwater fish.

Below are some of the best-recommended specialty dishes you can either eat in Mount Huangshan Scenic Area or in such cities like Huangshan and Hefei in Anhui Province before heading over to Mount Huangshan.

-- Huangshan Chukar Stewed with Gyrophora (黃山雙石)

 

Huangshan Chukar Stewed with Gyrophora

Chukar and Gyrophora are all ingredients found in the mountainous area. The dish, with a light flavor, makes for a good appetizer. It is also said to have a tonic effect on the body.