政府新闻
夏季羊肉与美酒回归餐桌 2023-07-09
A chef in Zhuanghang Town displays a newly cooked mutton dish.
Zhuanghang Town, in Shanghai's outlying Fengxian District, is bringing back a time-honored tradition known as the Fuyang feast, or eating mutton and liquor during the hottest period of the year.
The 16th Shanghai Zhuanghang Fuyang Festival opened on Sunday, inviting citizens and tourists to a unique eating experience of goat mutton plus liquor in early summer.
The Fuyang Festival, a traditional Han ethnic food festival, begins on the first of the three fu periods of the lunar calendar and lasts for a month.
It originated in the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers region and has a long history in the Yangtze River Delta. Eating mutton during the fu period is believed to benefit the body by generating heat and promoting sweating.
Zhuanghang Town has a rich history of more than 600 years related to the Fuyang culture, which is listed as an intangible cultural heritage in Shanghai. It is known as one of the oldest and most influential mutton cuisine festivals in Shanghai.
Villagers taste mutton and drink liquor for the annual Fuyang Festival.
During the festival, locals indulge in lamb dishes and soup. The festival showcases the craftsmanship of local chefs, with Zhuanghang mutton receiving widespread praise.
Jin Minghua, a 75-year-old resident of Malu Village in Zhuanghang, is known as the master chef of lamb cuisine in the area.
He said the most delicious ingredients often require the simplest cooking techniques.
For his mutton dish, all he needs is water, cooking wine and ginger. Usually, it takes at least three hours to cook, with half the time on high heat and the other half on low simmering heat.
The annual Fuyang festival, held annually since 2008, has not only revitalized the local economy and promoted consumption but also contributes to rural revitalization, agricultural efficiency and the well-being of farmers, according to the Fengxian government.
This year's festival aims to surpass previous records, inviting both Shanghai residents and tourists to experience the unique charm of Fuyang culture.
A large pot of mutton soup is cooked for customers to mark the beginning of the Fuyang Festival in Zhuanghang Town.
Source: Shanghai Daily
