Hainan cuisine

Hainan's special cuisine prepared with local products is known far and wide and deservedly so. Dishes such as Qiongzhou Coconut Milk Dish and Hainan Chicken in Coconut Milk have won gold and silver medals in culinary competitions.

Wenchang Chicken, Jiaji Duck, Dongan Lamb and Hele Crab are the four great dishes of Hainan and are known throughout Southeast Asia. Naturally, the seafood on this tropical Island is superb with incredibly value for money. Various local snacks, full of unique Hainan flavors, include Hainan Noodles, Hainan Chicken Rice, and Dongshan Pancakes.

The Four Hainan Specialities

Wenchang Chicken

First a Wenchang Chicken is boiled then cut into pieces. The diced chicken is dipped in mixtures of chopped ginger, salt and other spices then eaten. Wenchang chickens are small, fed a diet of coconut and peanut bran, and raised in coops high above the ground. As a result the meat is tender and succulent with smooth skin. Plump but not greasy, Wenchang Chicken served with fragrant Hainan Chicken Rice is a tasty delicacy.

Jiaji Duck

Jiaji Ducks are raised along the Wanquan River in Jiaji Town, Qionghai County. As they grow this special breed is kept in coops and fed with rice grain, sweet potato, and chaff. This means the duck develops thick meat, thin skin, soft bones and little fat. The traditional way to prepare the duck is to boil it in water, dice it, then eat with mixture of vinegar, chopped ginger and sesame oil. Jiaji Duck stewed with Chinese caterpillar fungus is said to make one strong and healthy.

Hele Crab

Hele Carb is found in the inland sea in Hele Town, Wanning. It is in season all year round. The crab is known for its delicious, tender crispy taste.

Dongshan Mutton

Dongshan Mutton, from the mountain of the same name near Wanning City, has black skin and lacks the normal smell associated with mutton. The delicacy is known for its tender meat and savoury soup. Various cooking methods are employed in making the dish including stewing, roasting or braising in coconut milk.

Chinese food

Unlike the West, where everyone has their own plate of food, in China the dishes are placed in the centre of the table and everybody shares.

If a Chinese host invites you to dine be prepared for a ton of food! The Chinese are very proud of their cuisine and will do their best to show their hospitality. Sometimes the host will serve dishes with his or her own chopsticks to guests to show his or her hospitality. This is a sign of politeness.

The appropriate thing to do is to eat the whatever-it-is and say how delicious it is. If you feel uncomfortable with this, you can just say a polite "thank you" and leave the food there without eating it. There some other rules that are suggested you follow to make your stay in China happier though you will be forgiven if you have no idea of what they are.

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Table manners
1. Never stick your chopsticks upright in the rice bowl instead laid them across your dish without pointing them at anyone. The reason for this taboo is that when somebody dies in China, the shrine to them contains a bowl of sand or rice with two sticks of incense stuck upright in it. So if you stick your chopsticks in the rice bowl, it looks like the shrine and is equivalent to wishing death upon a person at the table.

2. Make sure the spout of the teapot is not facing anyone. It is impolite to set the teapot down where the spout is facing towards somebody. The spout should always be directed to where nobody is sitting, usually just outward from the table.

3. Don't tap on your bowl with your chopsticks, since that will be deemed an insult to the host or the chef. Beggars tap on their bowls and when the food is too slow in coming at a restaurant people tap their bowls to show their impatience. If you are in someone's home it is the same as insulting the host or the cook.

4. Never try to turn a fish over and debone it yourself, since the separation of the fish skeleton from the lower half of the flesh will usually be performed by the host or a waiter. Superstitious people deem bad luck will ensue and a fishing boat will capsize if you do so. This is especially true for southerners in China (specifically, in Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian provinces), since traditionally, southerners are fishermen by trade.
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