Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) February 16th, Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve, at 7 PM, the kitchen of Beicheng Xiyan Restaurant in Xining City, Qinghai Province, was filled with delicious aromas as more than a dozen chefs busily worked around the stoves.
"Tonight we have over 60 tables of guests. Our private rooms were booked out two months ago. During the Spring Festival, we expect to serve an average of 50 tables per day, and we also offer delivery service," said Wang You, the restaurant's general manager. He added that with the continued popularity of the "Qinghai Family Banquet" brand, the restaurant has launched a variety of New Year's Eve dinner packages this year, attracting many customers.
As a distinctive culinary IP, "Qinghai Family Banquet" originated from an exchange and exhibition of Qinghai organic ingredients in Hong Kong. Adhering to the innovative concept of "Qinghai vegetables cooked in Cantonese style," the ingredients are provided by Qinghai agricultural and livestock enterprises, and the restaurant is developed and crafted by Hong Kong companies. It blends pure highland ingredients with centuries-old Hong Kong techniques and will debut in Hong Kong in February 2025.
Now, this "highland delicacy," which has crossed mountains and seas and wafted its aroma to Hong Kong and Macau, is returning to the New Year's Eve tables of its hometown people. The ingredients for the "Qinghai Family Banquet" New Year's Eve dinner are all locally sourced, featuring both the traditional "Eight Dishes" (a set of eight main dishes) and light, refreshing "New Green Vegetables."
The traditional Qinghai "Eight Dishes" include beef and mutton stew, fried pastries, and home-style stews, and can be traced back to the Sui Dynasty, over 1400 years ago. During the reign of Emperor Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty, the famous general Nian Gengyao was stationed in Qinghai, and his cooks prepared "Eight Hot and Cold Dishes," which subsequently became popular among the people.
Zhao Bangming, a folk custom expert from Qinghai in his seventies, recalled the "New Year's flavor" of old Xining in the 1950s: starting from the Little New Year in northern China, people steamed, fried, and baked pastries, slaughtered pigs for the New Year, and on New Year's Eve, they mainly ate auspicious and meaningful noodles such as "bianshi" (dumplings) and "lanzui mianpian" (noodles for catching mouths). Whether for personal consumption or as gifts for guests, "it was always about having something substantial and presentable."
Now, the "Qinghai Family Banquet" New Year's Eve dinner, after integration and improvement, brings both "novelty" and "symbolism" to the table. The signature dish, "Dragon and Sheep Herding Fish," is elegantly presented. A base of green scallion oil, thin wrappers made with hot water dough mixed with carrot juice, filled with frozen trout and fresh shrimp, are carefully shaped, resembling koi swimming in clear water, taking center stage on the table.
In 2025, Qinghai ranked first in the country in frozen trout exports. According to a reporter from China News Service, this dish incorporates techniques from Cantonese dim sum, innovatively processing high-end green and organic ingredients from Longyangxia in Qinghai, pursuing health and low oil content while allowing diners to experience the unique flavors of the plateau.
Meanwhile, the set menu also features local green pepper stir-fried pork reminiscent of "mom's cooking," simple and refreshing wild deer antler vegetables, "embroidered salmon" cleverly combining "freshness" with "Qinghai embroidery" culture, and freshly fried Hehuang pork tenderloin at the table, creating a rich sense of "ritual."
"The ingredients, cooking techniques, and banquet culture of various ethnic groups in Qinghai are all integrated into a family feast, creating a relaxed and nostalgic 'reunion flavor'," said Wang You.
Yu Manting, a post-90s Qinghai woman, returned to her hometown for the Spring Festival after two years, hosting a family feast with her husband. "We can usually enjoy fresh and rare ingredients, but during the Lunar New Year, I crave the long-missed 'old flavors'," said Manting.
"Rather than having the whole family spend time and effort 'studying' in the kitchen, I'd rather reward myself after a year of hard work and spend time with family and friends." Manting believes that cherishing family time is about both "pleasing oneself" and "expressing affection." (End)
