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Food and Drinks
LifestyleFood & Drink

How Ningbo cuisine’s umami, salty and stinky flavours reveal a rich culinary heritage

We go on a culinary journey through Ningbo with the people behind Yong Fu Hong Kong to discover the region’s punchy and pungent flavours

Reading Time:6 minutes
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Ningbo-style marinated virgin crab is served at Zao Feng Lou in Cixi, Ningbo. The region’s unique cuisine, blending umami, salty and stinky flavours with innovative techniques, showcases its rich culinary heritage. Photo: Hei-kiu Au
Hei Kiu Au

It is 6am. I am usually still in bed at this hour, but today I am at Xianxiang Market, one of the best places in the Chinese port city of Ningbo for fresh seafood, according to Liu Zhen, my companion and a native of the city, who is also executive chef of Yong Fu Hong Kong, a one-Michelin-star restaurant focused on Ningbo cuisine in Hong Kong.

“We’re already late,” Liu says, amused. Unlike us, he is wide awake. “In Ningbo, fishermen typically go out by midnight, depending on the tide, environment and season. That’s especially true for catching the region’s most popular fish, the yellow croaker. It has to be caught in the dark to retain the golden hue of its skin.”

Located directly south of Shanghai across Hangzhou Bay, Ningbo is just a two-hour ride away from China’s biggest city on the high-speed rail. For many, the first thing that may come to mind is the city’s famous tangyuan (glutinous rice dumplings). But while pantries in the two cities may share a few key ingredients, Ningbo’s cuisine – blessed with a natural bounty from mountain, river and sea – reflects different flavours compared with its more famous neighbour.
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“Ningbo’s cuisine can be characterised by three main flavour profiles,” Liu explains as we take a brisk walk into the bustling market, hunting for the freshest seafood for our breakfast. “Umami, salty, stinky.”
Liu Zhen (left), executive chef of Yong Fu Hong Kong, checks fish at Xianxiang Market in Ningbo, China. Photo: Hei-kiu Au
Liu Zhen (left), executive chef of Yong Fu Hong Kong, checks fish at Xianxiang Market in Ningbo, China. Photo: Hei-kiu Au

A quick scan of the market immediately reveals why salty and umami are core flavours here.

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Rows of what locals call xiao xian or “small seafood” line the wet section: tiny octopuses, baby crabs, small yellow croakers and even smaller shrimps. Do not underestimate their size – they pack a powerful umami punch.

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