Wuhu dietary taboos

There are no rigid dietary taboos in Wuhu that are uniform and must be strictly observed by the people. The commonly mentioned relevant regulations are mainly divided into three categories: the etiquette established by traditional occasions, the safety red lines for the consumption of ingredients, and the controversial taste preferences of different food schools. There are no one-size-fits-all rules such as "You are not allowed to dip Xiaolong soup dumplings in vinegar" and "No Wuhu people eat spicy food" as rumored on the Internet.

The last time I went to eat with my grandmother from Wuhu, my grandmother steamed a basket of shrimp roe soup dumplings. I picked up the vinegar dish and was about to pour it out, but a thief stopped me. She told me, "My grandma hates people dipping soup dumplings in vinegar. She said we added shrimp roe, fresh soy sauce, and skin jelly when we mixed the stuffing. They were all made by old hens, and dipping them in vinegar will completely cover up the freshness. It's a waste of natural resources." But then we went to Geng Fuxing for morning tea. A kid in school uniform at the table next to him put a full spoonful of spicy oil on the vinegar plate, dipping the soup dumplings into them and eating them deliciously. The waiter stood by and wiped the table without saying anything. I asked Master Wang, who has been making soup dumplings in the store for more than 30 years, and he said that there is actually no right or wrong in this matter. The old-school soup dumpling makers really pursue the original taste and do not recommend adding seasonings to compete with the taste. But now customers can add whatever they like. There is no reason to stop the business. There is no taboo. It is just a matter of taste choice.

If you catch up with Wuhu locals to hold a banquet, there are a few little things that the older generation cares about. It's not that what will happen if you break it, but it will make you less embarrassed if you know it. For example, when you are sitting at a table, if you have finished eating the whole fish on the table, do not turn over the fish bones. Especially if you have a boat or aquaculture business at home, "turning the fish" is the most taboo, as it is considered to be the same as "capsulating the boat", which is unlucky. ； There are also banquets for weddings. The last dish will never be served with pickles, which means that the days should be sweet, not bitter or salty. ； When entertaining guests, you will not only serve three dishes. As the old saying goes, "three dishes are prison food", which is unlucky. However, most of these particularities are only popular among elders over the age of 50 or 60. Young people no longer have so many rules when it comes to hosting banquets. I attended a friend’s wedding in Wuhu last year, and the last dish was salty pork with dried plums and vegetables, and no one said anything.

Don’t think that these are just some unnecessary details. Wuhu is close to the river, and there are real safety red lines in the rules for eating river delicacies. In the past, restaurants along the Wuhu River had specialized licensed chefs to cook puffer fish. After cooking, the chef would serve a bowl of puffer fish himself and wait for 20 minutes if there was no response before he dared to serve it to the guests. This was not a show, but he was really afraid of killing people. Nowadays, wild pufferfish has long been listed as a national protected animal, and it is strictly prohibited to catch and sell it. All that can be eaten on the market are farmed and low-toxic species. Even so, you have to find regular restaurants to eat it. Don't buy pufferfish from unknown sources and cook it at home. Tetrodotoxin is heat-resistant and cannot be destroyed by ordinary cooking. It is thousands of times more toxic than potassium cyanide. There are very few special medicines for poisoning. Don't make fun of your life. There are also many tourists from other places who like to buy stinky dried seeds and edamame from roadside stalls. If you have a weak stomach, don’t eat too much on an empty stomach. Last time I didn’t believe in evil and bought three skewers of freshly fried stinky dried seeds in an old alley in Yijiang District. I drank them with ice soda to show off. I played in Fangte in the afternoon. I had to go to the toilet four times. Later, the aunt who ran the stall told me that their smelly dried seeds are naturally fermented and have relatively active bacterial flora. If you eat them on an empty stomach and then fill them with ice, people with weak stomachs will most likely not be able to handle them. This is probably a "hidden taboo" tacitly accepted by the locals.

Many people on the Internet say that Wuhu cuisine is sweet and should not be spicy. If it is spicy, it is not authentic. This is pure nonsense. If you take a walk on Dongjiao Road, the spicy oil from the Malatang stalls is so fragrant that it can float half the street. Many locals add two spoons of spicy food to eat Malatang, and they won't stop even if they are sweating. The old Wuhu cuisine is indeed fresh, salty and slightly sweet, especially the braised dishes with a little bit of sugar added to enhance the freshness. But now the restaurants opened by the younger generation are doing more fusion dishes, with spicy and sesame dishes. There is no such thing as "no spicy food allowed". They are all false taboos spread around.

Generally speaking, you don’t need to be too nervous or have any taboos when eating in Wuhu. Except for the red line that involves safety, don’t touch the pufferfish. For the rest, just listen to what the elders say and don’t take it too seriously. After all, when it comes to eating, the most important thing is to taste it and be happy with it.