Jinhua Food

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Jinhua Food (金华美食) covers the food traditions of Jinhua's two urban districts and seven county-level cities and counties in central Zhejiang. The best-known regional specialties include Jinhua ham, crisp baked snacks, rice-based sweets, hand-pulled noodles, local brown sugar, yellow wine and tea. Many foods are associated with a particular town or county, so this page groups them by place and food type rather than treating them as one fixed menu.[1][2]

Jinhua Food by Area

Jinhua administers Wucheng and Jindong districts, Lanxi, Dongyang, Yiwu and Yongkang county-level cities, and Pujiang, Wuyi and Pan'an counties.[1]

• Wucheng and Jindong: The central city is associated with Jinhua ham and Jinhua crispy cake. The Tangxi fermented cabbage and tofu dish is tied to Tangxi town in the Jindong area.[2][3]
• Yiwu: Yiwu brown sugar is made from locally grown sugar cane. The traditional process also produces brown-sugar twists and pastries.[4]
• Dongyang: Dongyang maci is a chewy glutinous-rice sweet traditionally served with brown sugar and sesame.[5]
• Yongkang: Yongkang meat patties are a savory local specialty, traditionally made for harvest celebrations.[6]
• Pujiang: Pujiang one noodle is hand-pulled into a single, very long strand; the stretching technique is listed as Zhejiang provincial intangible cultural heritage.[7]
• Pan'an: Herbal cuisine is part of local food culture. Documented examples include Polygonatum pig's trotters and Dendrobium buns.[8]
• Lanxi and Wuyi: These areas are part of Jinhua's food geography. Specific dishes can be added to this directory as reliable local documentation is identified.[1]

Representative Dishes and Specialties

• Jinhua ham (金华火腿): Made from the hind legs of local pigs, the ham is cured through salting, shaping, turning, washing, sun-drying, fermentation and air-drying. The curing tradition is listed as national intangible cultural heritage. Ham is eaten on its own and used in steaming and soups.[2]
• Jinhua crispy cake (金华酥饼): A traditional baked snack with a crisp, layered golden crust, sesame on top and a savory filling. Its preparation technique is listed as Zhejiang provincial intangible cultural heritage.[2]
• Tangxi fermented cabbage and tofu: This dish combines fermented cabbage, tofu and chili. Gaojiaobai cabbage and Yangbu white chili are identified with the Tangxi area. The tradition was included in Zhejiang's intangible cultural heritage list in 2022; a 2026 report described its bid for national recognition.[3]
• Yongkang meat patty: A juicy, chewy savory patty associated with Yongkang and harvest-season celebrations.[6]
• Dongyang maci (东阳麻糍): Steamed glutinous rice is pounded into a soft, elastic paste, cut into pieces and served with brown sugar and sesame. The snack is associated with Yao village in Nanma town.[5]
• Pan'an herbal dishes: Contemporary restaurant menus include dishes such as Polygonatum pig's trotters and Dendrobium buns, reflecting the county's local herbal ingredients and food practices.[8]

Street Food, Breakfast and Sweets

Jinhua's documented snack traditions include baked pastries, rice-based sweets and filled or savory foods. Availability and recipes vary among local markets and towns.

• Jinhua crispy cake, a layered baked pastry with sesame and savory filling[2]
• Dongyang maci with brown sugar and sesame[5]
• Yiwu brown sugar and derivative sweets, including brown-sugar twists and pastries[4]
• Yongkang meat patties, a savory street and local-food specialty[6]
• Tangxi fermented cabbage and tofu, a strongly flavored regional dish[3]

Noodles, Rice and Flour Foods

Pujiang one noodle (浦江一根面) is made by stretching dough into one continuous strand. Local accounts describe it as long, thin, elastic and smooth; it is served for celebrations and to welcome guests. The hand-stretching technique is on Zhejiang's provincial intangible cultural heritage list.[7]

Glutinous rice is used in Dongyang maci, while wheat flour is central to Pujiang one noodle and Jinhua's baked pastries. Jinhua ham is also used as a flavoring ingredient in soups and steamed dishes.[2][5][7]

Tea, Drinks and Alcohol

Wuzhou Juyan tea (婺州举岩) is a green tea associated with the Beishan and Shuanglong Cave area of Jinhua. Its tea-making technique was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2008.[9]

Jinhua wine (金华酒), a traditional huangjiu, is made from grains including rice and glutinous rice. The traditional brewing technique was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2008.[10]

Ingredients, Food Craft and Local Products

• Cured pork: Jinhua ham curing involves a sequence of salting, shaping, drying and fermentation, and the finished ham is used in soups and steamed preparations.[2]
• Sugar cane and brown sugar: Yiwu's traditional method presses local green-skin sugar cane and boils the juice in iron pans. The process includes selecting cane, pressing, boiling and drying, and is listed as national intangible cultural heritage.[4]
• Fermentation: Tangxi's cabbage-and-tofu dish demonstrates a local fermented-food tradition; its characteristic vegetables and chili are linked to the area's agriculture.[3]
• Tea and brewing: Wuzhou Juyan tea processing and Jinhua huangjiu brewing are documented craft traditions with national intangible cultural heritage status.[9][10]

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