It's West Gate of Jiangxi, bordering Hunan, with a Lotus Blood Duck that Amazes the World
Jiangxi, in everyone's eyes, is the 'most low-key Southern province,' but in fact, it has always been 'Dry Viet Land,' 'Wu Head Chu Tail, Yue Hut Min Ting,' and is a very beautiful place. You really have to experience it yourself to understand how worthwhile traveling in it is! There are many tourist attractions, diverse food, and surprises along the way.
During my travels, after leaving Fujian, I headed northwest to Jiangxi, and along the way, I fully experienced the charm of the 'Red Culture Cradle.' During the trip, there were also various delicacies to enjoy! Today, let's talk about a dish that's unforgettable once you've tried it – Lotus Blood Duck!
Lotus, in Jiangxi, is not only lotus flowers but also the only county-level city in China named after a flower. The entire county's lotus planting area reaches over 3000 acres. It belongs to Jiangxi Province's Pingshan City, which borders Hunan. I was originally just passing through Pingshan, planning to stay for one night, but I was completely captivated by the blooming lotus flowers and completely 'bought' by the Lotus Blood Duck.
Lotus Blood Duck belongs to the Ganzhou cuisine of Pingshan, and is a signature dish of Pingshan County, Jiangxi Province. Lotus Blood Duck is characterized by its 'color, taste, aroma, and tenderness,' and is one of the 'Top 10 Ganzhou Dishes.' To taste the most authentic blood duck, you can't do it outside of the Lotus Mountains. It must be ducks raised in the Lotus Mountains, known for their crispiness, Lotus Mountain's clear and fragrant tea oil, Lotus Mountain's fragrant liquor, Lotus's cool well water, and Lotus's fields' red peppers – all are indispensable.
There is an old street in Lotus County, filled with blood duck restaurants. These restaurants are very down-to-earth, and some don't even have menus hanging. You can simply pick one at random to satisfy your restless heart. After ordering, the duck is freshly slaughtered and cut, everything happens before the eyes of the diners, and the auntie boss chats with the neighbors while skillfully cutting the duck into pieces.
Freshly cut and freshly stir-fried, the aroma is intoxicating! A whole plate is served on the table, incredibly tempting. The liquor is rich and the blood is wrapped around the duck meat, creating a unique taste. The duck meat is small pieces, and the auntie boss said, 'You must chew slowly to taste the deeper flavors.'
Lotus Blood Duck truly lives up to its name – color, taste, aroma, and tenderness, the method of first stir-frying and then adding blood is ingenious! Once you try it, you'll never forget it. How delicious is this dish, often referred to as a 'national banquet' delicacy? It was successfully declared a provincial intangible cultural heritage in 2009, and was ranked as one of 'China's 10 Classic Dishes of Jiangxi' in 2018, and is a recommended dish for countless food shows!
With the 'Jiangxi Filling the Guang Province' migration in Chinese immigration history, this dish of stir-fried blood duck was also passed on to Yongzhou, Qianzhou, and Ningyuan in Hunan and Guangxi, resulting in Yongzhou Blood Duck, Qianzhou Blood Duck, and Ningyuan Blood Duck variations. Have you ever tried blood duck? Which place's flavor do you like best?
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