# Ou cuisine

Ou cuisine, alternatively known as Wenzhou cuisine, is one of the four schools of Zhejiang cuisine, whereas Zhejiang cuisine is one of the eight major cuisines in China. The ancient name of Wenzhou is Dong'ou. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, in order to improve the popularity of Wenzhou cuisine, catering experts has renamed the cuisine with its ancient name, as “Ou cai”. The major elements in ou cuisine are seafood, which tastes fresh, light, and not bland. During the cooking process, it emphasizes "two light and a heavy," that is, light oil, light thickening, and heavy knife action, and it has a noticeable distinctive style.

## Origin

According to a historical Records Huozhi Biography, "In the land of Chu and Yue, rice and fish, fruits, vegetables, and clams..." It demonstrates that people at the period not only cooked fish soup using raw fish but also ate "fruit and veggies with clams." "People in the southeast consume aquatic fish, mussels, snails, and clams as delicacy, but don't recognize it's fishy," according to Zhang Hua's "Natural History." "The Beauty of Food" and "Qiou Wen Mirage" are references to the people of Ouyue at the period, who lived off snakes and clams and believed them to be high-quality treasures. The dietary practices were further developed and enhanced, and cuisine was gradually evolved, which is now known as Ou cuisine. (simplified Chinese: 史记·货殖传》载)

## Notable Dishes

In order to promote the construction of "Poetic Painting Zhejiang & Hundred counties and thousand bowls" (simplified Chinese: 诗画浙江·百县千碗), recently, hosted by Wenzhou Culture, Radio, Film and Tourism Bureau, Wenzhou Restaurant and Catering Industry Association, the 2021 "hundred counties and thousand bowls - Ou cuisine top ten series of dishes" selection results are available. There were a total of evaluation of 2021 "Ou cuisine top ten hot dishes" "Ou cuisine top ten cold dishes" "Ou cuisine top ten snacks" "Ou cuisine top ten desserts " and "Ou cuisine top ten fashion dishes".
Ou Cuisine Top Ten Hot Dishes 2021 :
| English | Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Notes |
| Three Wire Knock Fish | 三丝敲鱼 | 三絲敲魚 | Sān sī qiāo yú | For this dish, use offshore fish or fresh yellow croaker, remove the head, tail, and skin of the fish, cut into needle slices, dip them in dry starch, and slowly knock them into thin slices with a mallet, and cook them in boiling water. |
| Scallion Oil Yellow Fish | 葱油黄鱼 | 蔥油黃魚 | Cōng yóu huángyú | Pour heated oil over steamed yellow fish |
| Hibiscus mud crab | 芙蓉蝤蠓 | 芙蓉蝤蠓 | fúróng qiú měng | |
| Roasted Duck with Dendrobium | 石斛烧老鸭 | 石斛燒老鴨 | shíhú shāo lǎo yā | |
| Net tide jumping fish | 网潮跳鱼 | 網潮跳魚 | wǎng cháo tiào yú | |
| Yongjia Tianyu | 永嘉田鱼 | 永嘉田魚 | yǒngjiā tián yú | |
| Berwyn Pork Knuckle | 伯温猪脚 | 伯溫豬腳 | bó wēn zhū jiǎo | Select local pig's feet, add wine, salt, mushrooms, angelica and other raw materials, put them in a clay pot and simmer them over a charcoal fire |
| Ginger wine jellyfish blood | 姜酒海蜇血 | 姜酒海蜇血 | jiāng jiǔ hǎizhē xuè | |
| Fried Rice Cake with River Crab | 江蟹炒年糕 | 江蟹炒年糕 | jiāng xiè chǎo niángāo | |
| Braised river eel | 酒炖河鳗 | 酒燉河鰻 | jiǔ dùn hé mán | |
Ou Cuisine Top Ten Cold Dishes 2021 :
| English | Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Notes |
| Wenzhou fish cake | 温州鱼饼 | 溫州魚餅 | Wēnzhōu yú bǐng | |
| Wenzhou duck tongue | 温州鸭舌 | 溫州鴨舌 | wēnzhōu yā shé | The duck tongue is marinated, airy to semi-dry, chewy in the mouth, very chewy |
| Wenzhou River Crab | 温州江蟹生 | 溫州江蟹生 | wēnzhōu jiāng xiè shēng | |
| Yongqiang Garlic Jelly | 永强泥蒜冻 | 永強泥蒜凍 | yǒngqiáng ní suàn dòng | |
| Hijiki salad | 凉拌羊栖菜 | 涼拌羊栖菜 | liángbàn yáng qī cài | |
| Eel | 鳗鲞 | 鰻鯗 | mán xiǎng | |
| Ruian Zhayang | 瑞安扎羊 | 瑞安扎羊 | ruì'ān zhā yáng | sliced lamb |
| Raw vegetable dish | 盘菜生 | 盤菜生 | pán cài shēng | |
| Wenzhou Roast Goose | 温州烧鹅 | 溫州燒鵝 | wēnzhōu shāo é | |
| Wenzhou Lomei | 温州卤味 | 溫州滷味 | wēnzhōu lǔwèi | |
Ou Cuisine Top Ten Snacks 2021 :
| English | Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Notes |
| Wenzhou wonton | 温州馄饨 | 溫州餛飩 | Wēnzhōu húntún | |
| Wenzhou Fish Balls | 温州鱼丸 | 溫州魚丸 | wēnzhōu yú wán | |
| Pig Dirty Powder | 猪脏粉 | 豬臟粉 | zhū zàng fěn | |
| Wenzhou glutinous rice | 温州糯米饭 | 溫州糯米飯 | wēnzhōu nuòmǐ fàn | It is made of steamed glutinous rice, sprinkled with minced fritters or chunks of fritters and minced meat soup. It is a special breakfast in Wenzhou and the first choice for all Wenzhou people. |
| Ginger Wine Plain Noodles | 姜酒素面 | 姜酒素面 | jiāng jiǔ sùmiàn | |
| Ginger cat ears | 姜丝猫耳朵 | 薑絲貓耳朵 | jiāng sī māo ěrduǒ | |
| Qingjiang Three Fresh Noodles | 清江三鲜面 | 清江三鮮面 | qīngjiāng sān xiān miàn | |
| Tengjiao five spice dried | 腾蛟五香干 | 騰蛟五香乾 | téng jiāo wǔxiāng qián | |
| Wenzhou Fried Noodles | 温州炒粉干 | 溫州炒粉乾 | wēnzhōu chǎo fěn qián | |
| Wenzhou jelly | 温州胶冻 | 溫州膠凍 | wēnzhōu jiāo dòng | Most of the raw materials are yellow fish maw or mink fish maw, boiled with water to form a thick liquid, and then naturally cooled to form a "jelly" |
Ou Cuisine Top Ten Desserts 2021 :
| English | Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Descriptions |
| Layer cake | 九层糕 | 九層糕 | Jiǔ céng gāo | A cake has 9 separate layers |
| Lard cake | 猪油糕 | 豬油糕 | zhū yóu gāo | The lard cake is made from glutinous rice and sugar, and then fried in lard |
| Lamp cake | 灯盏糕 | 燈盞糕 | dēngzhǎn gāo | |
| Jinfen Dumpling | 锦粉饺 | 錦粉餃 | jǐn fěn jiǎo | |
| Sponge cake | 松糕 | 鬆糕 | sōng gāo | |
| Ma Qiao | 麻巧 | 麻巧 | má qiǎo | |
| Bridge Pier Mooncake | 桥墩月饼 | 橋墩月餅 | qiáodūn yuèbǐng | It is stuffed with more than 10 kinds of materials such as fatty meat, peanuts, winter melon candy, longan, peanuts, cashews and egg yolks, and then sprinkles a layer of sesame seeds on the surface and bakes. |
| Yongjia Oatmeal | 永嘉麦饼 | 永嘉麥餅 | yǒngjiā mài bǐng | |
| Ryan's Double Cooking Cake | 瑞安双炊糕 | 瑞安雙炊糕 | ruì'ān shuāng chuī gāo | Created by Li Ruiqing in the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, it has a history of more than 100 years. |
| Japonica rice dumplings | 粳米糄儿 | 粳米糄兒 | jīngmǐ biǎn er | |