S: Hello, everyone, this is The foodie road podcast. We are Sunny and ~

L：Lucia！

S: How time flies! When we first planned our podcast, it was the beginning of the new semester, but it’s already mid-term week now! 

L: Oh,yes!! That's great! This means that the winter holiday is coming soon! (All I want for Christmas is you~~~ ) Hahahahaha.

S: Lucia, have you made any plans about where to go during the winter vacation?

L: Yes, sure! I am planning to go to my mother’s hometown——Fujian Province for the Spring Festival.

S: Oh! My grandma's siblings are all settled permanently in Fujian. Maybe I should also make a plan to visit there.

L: What a coincidence! Both of us have relatives there, then why don't we introduce the cuisine of Fujian this time?!

S: Excellent! Guys! If you are fans of seafood and traditional Chinese local snacks, be sure to pay attention this time!

L: That's right! Fujian is quite famous for its delicious seafood! China has a vast territory, so there is a huge cultural difference between the north and the south China, especially the difference in eating habit, which has been a hot topic of discussion on the Internet. Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, netizens will show their city’s iconic rice- dumplings, aka Zongzi, on the Weibo. It is generally divided into two factions - sweet Zongzi and salty Zongzi.

S: Yes. As a southerner, we usually choose Zongzi filled with egg yolk and pork, but most people in the north part of China are found of eating Zongzi filled with bean paste or candied dates. However, as a coastal city, Fujian prefers to wrap seafood in Zongzi as stuffing. Such as prawns, abalone, oysters, etc., they all can be seen in Zongzi. Thanks to the salty flavor of seafood and the combination of the unique herbal fragrance of bamboo leaves, the palate is full of complex layers of flavor. In addition, seafood Zongzi has a lot of fillings, so people can eat different seafood with each bite. Unlike traditional Zongzi, the stuffing is only in the core of Zongzi.

L: In that case, I must buy it and try it this time!! I am really looking forward to its taste haha! By the way, Fujian's fish balls are also well-known! Sunny, have you tried it before?

S: That goes without saying! We will receive a large box of fish balls from relatives in Fujian every year! Fuzhou Fish Ball is a traditional local dish in Fujian Province, belonging to the Fujian cuisine and the preferred gift for locals. Whether it is cooked in soups or served as a side dish for hot pot, both are excellent choices! Making fish ball, you need to separate the fish meat from the fish bones first. Then, put the fish meat and egg white into a blender and stir. Add sweet potato powder halfway through and crush it into mud. Then, pinch the shape of the balls by hand and cook them in a pot to enjoy. The outer skin of fish balls is made from eel or mackerel, so the color is mostly light gray or light yellow. And some fish balls contain pig meat filling, while others do not contain anything. You can purchase them according to your preferences. Moreover, guys! If the fish balls you buy are very white in color, you may have bought unauthentic fish balls!

L: This is really a useful tip! In addition to fish balls, Fujian has another dish that is very, very famous, which is ——

Together: Oyster pancakes!!

S: Hahahaha! That's right! This local snack is really famous!

L: After washing the oyster, mix it with egg, flour, spring onion and other ingredients, add chives to enhance the taste, and finally fry it in oil until both sides are golden and crispy. After first bite, you can feel the delicious oyster, egg mellow, flour taste interwoven together, as if in the mouth to carry out a delicious carnival. As far as I know, there are two ways to cook this dish. The first is to fry it into a whole cake, which will have a crisper taste, and the other is to cook it like a stir-fry, which will have a sticky taste. Authentic oyster frying used are all small oysters, and if you choose large ones will result in a significant loss of freshness, sweetness, texture and taste.

S: The charm of oyster frying lies not only in its delicious taste, but also in its rich nutritional value. Oysters are rich in zinc, protein and a variety of vitamins, which can nourish the body and enhance immunity. Eggs, on the other hand, provide a wealth of high-quality protein and vitamins, with oysters together, offered double flavour and nutritious, whether the elderly or children, it can be a perfect choice for them!

L: I can't wait to add these must-have foods to my itinerary! Let's finish it quickly! If it's any later, I may forget!

S: Ha ha ha ha! Okay dokey! it seems you really can't wait! So, guys, that's the end of today's podcast! See you next time! Goodbye!

L: Bye! See U!

Intro/Outro music: Blue Bossa by Jazz at Mladost Clubhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jazz_at_Mladost_Club/Jazz_Night/Blue_bossa/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcode