Weihai Cuisine Shines! Many Dishes, Chefs And Neighborhoods Were Selected In The Province's Tourism Accommodation Industry Selection

Taste of Weihai: New charm of Shandong cuisine and fireworks in the streets between mountains and sea

In the territory of Shandong cuisine, Weihai's taste is unique and distinctive.

In recent days, the "Four Hundreds" selection results display event for the tourism and accommodation industry in Shandong Province was held in Jinan. In the announced list of "100 classic Shandong dishes, 100 Internet celebrity snacks, 100 famous Shandong chefs, and 100 famous food streets", Weihai showed the province the culinary charm of this coastal city with 5 dishes, 5 snacks, 6 famous chefs, and 6 blocks.

This is not only an affirmation of Weihai's local cuisine, but also a very vivid report on the inheritance and innovation of Shandong cuisine.

Weihai expression of classic Shandong cuisine

There are dishes from Weihai, which were selected into the "100 Classic Shandong Dishes", fully demonstrating the cooking wisdom of Jiaodong seafood.

The plump Rushan oysters are wrapped in a tempura-like coating and fried until they are golden and crispy. They look like a honeycomb and have a crispy outside and tender inside, locking in the original juice and sweetness of the oysters. The abalone is finely cut into a hydrangea shape. This is a work of art that involves knife skills and heat. After being simmered in stock, the texture becomes elastic and the shape is very elegant.

However, the four major seafood dishes in Jiaodong are warm sea sausage, warm conch, warm jellyfish, and warm sea cucumber. They are undoubtedly important manifestations of the taste code of Weihai people on the dining table.

They abandoned the thick oily red sauce and instead used the " warm mixing " technique. With just the right temperature, they stimulated the original taste of the seafood, and then used simple garlic paste and coriander to supplement it. It showed a salty and fresh taste in the mouth, with crispness and flexibility intertwined. This is the most extreme embodiment of the light branch of Shandong cuisine.

Internet celebrity snacks in the market fireworks

Assuming that classic Shandong cuisine plays an important role in the banquet, then the Internet celebrity snacks that have qualified for the selection are the most touching fireworks in the streets and alleys of Weihai.

There is a delicacy called Weihai wedding cake, and its other name is daughter-in-law cake. In local wedding customs, it is an indispensable symbol of sweetness. Its outer skin is golden and slightly crispy, but the inside is soft and sweet, with a perfect blend of egg and oil aromas. ; Sea vegetable buns and kelp dumplings are the gifts of the sea directly wrapped into the dough. The sea vegetables have a smooth and tender texture, and the kelp has a delicious taste. They complement each other well with the fat of the pork belly. Every bite reflects the Weihai people's skillful use of marine ingredients.

At the barbecue stalls at night, charcoal-grilled oysters are the undisputed protagonist. First, pry open the oyster shells, and then place them above the charcoal fire. Listen to the sizzling sound of the juice boiling, and then sprinkle with minced garlic and millet. The plump oyster meat is full of the scorched aroma of the charcoal fire. This is the most direct gift of the ocean.

And there is also the food called salted fish and vegetable cakes, which are golden corn tortillas that are baked and matured against the edge of the pot. They are paired with the pickled salted fish. The simple feeling of the whole grain itself and the mellow taste of the salted fish collide in the mouth. This is a homely taste that is unforgettable in the memory of Weihai people.

Celebrity chefs and neighborhood food ecology

Behind the delicious food is the persistence of the craftsmen.

This time, 6 chefs in Weihai were selected into the "Top 100 Shandong Cuisine Chefs". They are the guardians of Weihai's taste and are also innovators.

The tradition continues in their hands, and innovations are constantly emerging. In recent years, there have been dishes such as beef ribs braised with live abalone in red wine, braised sea sausage, shredded crab and fighting fish, and American ginseng and lion head. These innovative dishes are examples of combining local ingredients with Chinese and Western cooking concepts, and have injected new vitality into the development of Shandong cuisine.

What nourishes these delicacies are the neighborhoods with their own characteristics.

Whether it is the Hanlefang Korean Culture Theme Street with its rich Korean style, the Dongcheng Road Night Market with its rich fireworks atmosphere, or the Qixia Street that carries the memory of the city’s past, the six selected “Famous Food Streets” are not only a paradise for locals looking for delicious food, but also the best window for tourists to find the taste of Weihai.

In 2023, Weihai held the "Thousands of Miles of Mountains and Seas to Enjoy the Weihai Sea" selection event for the freshest food. In 2024, CCTV10's "Taste" column was compiled and a comprehensive and in-depth thematic promotion of Weihai's food was carried out in three consecutive phases. This series of measures not only brings Weihai cuisine to a broader display platform, but also enables user groups to understand the natural features of the city of Weihai and the humanistic and historical stories behind it through the use of taste bud sensory functions.