I. Qingyan Braised Pig's Trotters
The braising liquid for these pig's trotters is made from over ten kinds of precious Chinese medicinal herbs, simmered over a low flame. After cooking, it's served with local specialty Shuanghua vinegar, creating a truly authentic Qingyan pig's trotter experience. The trotters are incredibly fragrant and tender, rich yet not greasy. Qingyan braised pig's trotters have a long history, dating back over a hundred years, and are also known as "Zhuangyuan Trotters" (Scholar's Trotters).
II. Huang Family Rose Sugar
Qingyan Huang Family Rose Sugar originated in Jiangxi and was introduced to Qingyan during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. It is made using a traditional Huang family recipe, now improved by Huang Linsheng, the tenth-generation inheritor. Using high-quality ingredients such as malt, glutinous rice, and rose petals, it undergoes thirteen meticulous processes with spring water. The result is a sweet and refreshing drink with the soft, chewy texture of malt and the delicate fragrance of rose honey, making it an excellent choice for tourist souvenirs.
III. Prickly Pear Glutinous Rice Wine
Prickly pears are a popular food, but their uses extend beyond just eating them directly; they can also be used to make wine. The people of Qingyan Ancient Town all know that wine brewed from prickly pears is exceptionally fragrant and mellow, with a unique flavor and texture. It is precisely because of this that prickly pear glutinous rice wine has become a major specialty of Qingyan Ancient Town, attracting a constant stream of visitors every year. Prickly pear glutinous rice wine not only tastes delicious but is also very beneficial to health. It is rich in various amino acids, vitamins, and active substances beneficial to human health, and has effects such as anti-cancer, anti-epidemic, cholesterol-lowering, and prevention of coronary heart disease.
IV. Qingyan Chicken Chili Peppers
Because freshly cooked chicken chili peppers don't taste as good as cold ones, they have now been developed into a convenient food product. Produced in bulk, customers can pick them up as they arrive, which is both convenient and quick, and the taste is even better than freshly cooked chicken chili peppers.
Besides the above-mentioned delicacies, Qingyan boasts many other unique and delicious snacks, such as Yangjia Salted Vegetables from the Ancient Town, Iced Yangmei (Chinese bayberry), Wooden Hammer Crisp, Guizhou Bull Demon King (a type of pastry), as well as Lao Tusi Filled Cake, Miwang Shanlan Crisp, Qingyan Tofu, Tofu Fruit, Tofu Balls, and many more, too numerous to mention.
V. Lao Tusi Filled Cake
This is a traditional Han Chinese snack from Guizhou, a customary food for the Qingming Festival. The history of making this cake dates back over 100 years, with many specialized stalls operating throughout Guizhou before and after the liberation. Early cakes were shaped like mooncakes, with fillings including ham, red bean paste, rose petals, and white sugar. They were pan-fried in a little lard over low heat until both sides were slightly golden brown, resulting in a fragrant, crispy, and sweet treat. Today, the varieties of cakes in Guizhou vary greatly depending on the fillings, and their flavors and shapes are also diverse.
VI. Wooden Hammer Pastry
Wooden hammer pastry is made by mixing cooked sugar syrup with roasted dried fruit, placing the mixture on a homemade work surface, and then quickly pounding it with wooden hammers by two strong men until it forms a thin, crumbly paste. It is then cut while still hot. It is fragrant, crispy, and sweet but not cloying. The dried fruit used is made from carefully selected green ingredients such as osmanthus, monk fruit, walnuts, peanuts, and sesame seeds.