Unlocking the secrets of Huaiyang Cuisine

Among China’s Four Great Traditions of cuisine — Chuan (Sichuan), Lu (Shandong), Yue (Cantonese), and Huaiyang — it the latter that embodies an understated elegance. Representing the flavours of East China, Huaiyang cuisine is renowned for its meticulous knife skills, refined techniques like braising and steaming, and an emphasis on the natural flavours of high-quality, seasonal ingredients. However, compared to Sichuan’s fiery heat or Cantonese’s global ubiquity, Huaiyang cuisine remains lesser known. The roots of Huaiyang cuisine lie in Jiangsu province, originating in the areas around the lower Huai and Yangtze rivers. Dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), which reunified China after the civil war, the cuisine holds significant historical and cultural importance. Huaiyang cuisine is renowned for its subtlety and elegance, which resonated with the scholars…