Southern Putuo Vegetarian Dishes

Southern Putuo Vegetarian Dishes  is a traditional famous dish in Fujian Province. There are over 40 well-known dishes, mainly made from rice and flour, bean products, vegetables, mushrooms, and black fungus, etc. The vegetarian dishes in Nanputuo, Xiamen, pay great attention to shape, color and taste. Most of them are named after their shapes. Not only are they excellent in color, aroma, taste and shape, but each vegetarian dish also has its own unique flavor.
 

Development History 

Before the introduction of Buddhism, there were records of vegetarian dishes in China. Nanputuo Vegetarian Restaurant has a long history, dating back 100 years. However, originally, the vegetarian restaurant only simply provided food for pilgrims to have a vegetarian meal after worshipping Buddha here, such as stir-fried rice noodles and boiled tofu soup. With the opening up of Xiamen and the improvement of people's living standards throughout society, the demands of tourists and customers have been constantly rising, and vegetarian dishes have become increasingly popular among people.

The consumption of vegetarian dishes is closely related to the local social civilization and living standards. In the past, people's main concern was to have enough food and clothing. As the problem of food and clothing was solved, people began to pursue healthy and beauty-oriented diets. Therefore, vegetarian dishes emerged in response to the demands of the people's lives. This is a social need and a requirement of the times.
 

Famous dishes
Half moon sank into the river

Originally named "Angelica and Gluten Soup", in 1962, when Guo Moruo tasted it, he saw that it was composed of half a mushroom and half a gluten, resembling half a bright moon submerged in water. So he composed a poem and named it "Half Moon Submerged in the River". This dish is mainly made of shiitake mushrooms and gluten, and seasoned with Angelica sinensis, a traditional Chinese medicine. It tastes delicious.

Silk rain and wild clouds
Originally named "Er Dong Bai Xue", it was named by Zhao Puchu, the president of the Buddhist Association of China. This dish features thin vermicelli wrapped with mushrooms, complemented by a rich aroma. The vermicelli, drizzled with a thickening sauce, is delicious and was awarded the title of "Famous Chinese Dish" at the 4th China Food Festival in 2003.
"Trekking in the Snow to Seek Ginseng: This dish has an elegant shape. It is made of ginger to create a rockery and sprinkled with shredded coconut, creating an atmosphere of ice and snow." The filling inside is mainly composed of enoki mushrooms and the like. The fried parts are very crispy, while the filling is fresh and tender. The texture is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, with a rich ginseng flavor. It has won many honors, including the silver medal in the hot dish Competition of the 6th National Cooking Skills Competition in 2008.

Fragrant mud conceals treasures
The taro is made into a fragrant paste, filled with pine nuts, lotus seeds, water chestnuts, mushrooms, winter bamboo shoots, diced carrots and other fillings. It has a fine texture, is sweet and not greasy, and melts in the mouth. On the outside, a circle of fried shredded Chinese kale is wrapped around it as a lining, making it look beautiful.

The golden cage exudes fragrance


The taro slices are cut thinly, small holes are drilled in them, and they are fried until golden and crispy. Then, two fried taro slices are wrapped around the stir-fried seasonings. The process is meticulous and the taste is unique.
Bamboo Shadow Long-lasting: Cut abalone mushrooms, vegetarian shark fin, enoki mushrooms, carrots, winter bamboo shoots, etc. into thin shreds and stir-fry them. Add high soup for seasoning and then put them in bamboo tubes. Decorate with a few sections of cucumber carved into green bamboo. The taste is fresh and slightly spicy, with an excellent texture.

Luohan Studio
Traditional vegetarian dishes, made from a variety of vegetables, mushrooms and other ingredients such as straw mushrooms, mushrooms, water chestnuts and shiitake mushrooms, are carefully cooked to present rich textures and delicious flavors.

Nanputuo Vegetarian Restaurant

Nanputuo Temple is a famous ancient temple in Xiamen. It is located at the foot of Wulao Peak, surrounded by mountains and the sea, with charming scenery. It is not only a nationally renowned tourist attraction, but also a Buddhist sacred place with a long history. In addition, Nanputuo vegetarian cuisine is also a renowned vegetarian delicacy both at home and abroad. With its long history and profound cultural heritage, it has been listed as an intangible cultural heritage of Fujian Province. After visiting Nanputuo Temple, tourists might as well sit down at a vegetarian restaurant and taste the unique flavor of Nanputuo vegetarian dishes. It would also be a very good choice.

Nanputuo Vegetarian Restaurant is located within Nanputuo Temple. Its architectural style is also ancient and elegant, in harmony with the temple buildings. Its main entrance is shaded by green trees and crisscrossed with flower paths. The rockery, fountain and small building complement each other beautifully. The interior decoration is full of Zen flavor, giving people a relaxed and comfortable feeling. If you are tired from work, coming here for a visit will surely help you relax both physically and mentally and calm your mind.
 

Not only does the vegetarian restaurant offer serene and peaceful scenery, but it also has a variety of vegetarian delicacies that will surely delight your taste buds. The dish "Treading Snow to Seek Ginseng" won the silver medal in the hot dish category at the 6th National Culinary Skills Competition in 2008 and was awarded the title of "Famous Chinese Dish" at the 14th China Food Festival in 2013. This dish has an elegant and unique shape. However, don't be attracted by its appearance alone. Only after savoring it carefully can you know its mystery. Sprinkling shredded coconut on the artificial rockery made of ginger gives people a sense of being in a world of ice and snow, and using chopsticks to pick up food is like experiencing the joy of "treading on snow to search for ginseng". The fried parts are very crispy, and the filling inside is fresh and tender. Only after tasting this dish did I realize that enoki mushrooms can also be made so delicious. This dish has a crispy exterior and a moist interior, with a rich ginseng flavor. Both its presentation and taste are full of poetic charm.