Suzhou people are very particular and picky about food. There is always something to say about what kind of food to eat in what season. At the beginning of summer, we can see the "three fresh"; at Lesser Fullness, sweet lychee is ready for consumption; when the plum ripens, it rains a lot and it’s time for the three-shrimp noodles; in the Dragon Boat Festival, it’s time for the “five yellow” feast; in the three hottest periods of summer, people cook mung bean soup; and after the plum rains, people dry scriptures under the sun. These fresh and seasonal delicacies together make up a lively summer in Suzhou.
In early summer, it is time to savor the Taihu opossum shrimp, which is fresher than fish, more refreshing than crab. During this period, freshly caught opossum shrimps are delivered daily to the old restaurants that still make the three-shrimp noodles, and the old ladies there quickly separate the desired parts by their skillful hands.
The so-called "three shrimp" actually refers to the three parts of the shrimp: shrimp roe, shrimp brain, and shrimp meat, they are the most valuable parts of the shrimp. River shrimps are always available, but the shrimp brains and shrimp roe are not, and such painstaking separation makes all diners miserable to wait. Each shrimp is peeled by hand, leaving the best part for you, which is the most mouthwatering part of the three-shrimp noodles.
In addition to river shrimps, eels are the fattiest around the Slight Heat, no wonder there is a saying in Suzhou that "eels in the Slight Heat are better than ginseng". The most famous dish is the "Crackling Starchy Eels". If you use it as a topping, one serving may not be enough to satisfy your taste buds.
The shredded eels are stir-fried with various ingredients until it is golden in color, then smothered with starchy sauce and served with a sprinkling of green cilantro and chopped green onion, as well as garlic and pepper. The last step is a small cup of hot oil poured over the eels, and the umami of the eels is fully released with crackle, which is the essence of the "Crackling Starchy Eels".
In Suzhou, you may drink a bowl of interesting and refreshing summer beverage. There are three-shrimp noodles at the beginning of summer, Gorgon fruit at the end of summer, and what accompanies you throughout the summer in Suzhou is the mung bean soup.
No other place can surpass Suzhou in the variety of ingredients used in Suzhou-style mung bean soup: mung beans, glutinous rice, candied dates, green and red shredded orange peels, candied melon, sugar snap peas, raisins ... are all added into the bowl. As you have the first taste of the mung bean soup, cold and refreshing minty water slides into the throat, doubling the coolness on the tongue and spreading throughout the body. You instantly understand what it means by "getting rid of summer heat with a sip".
Most people believe that mutton is warming and hot, so it is often consumed in winter to drive away the cold. But in Suzhou and some regions the opposite is the case, people eat mutton in the dog days of summer. It’s like Chongqing people eating hot pot in summer "to combat heat with heat".
As summer comes to an end, Suzhou people eagerly await a bowl of fresh Gorgon fruit. Gorgon fruit, also known as chicken head meat, has the scientific name of Euryale ferox, which is the best of tonic. Boiling in water is the best way Suzhou people pay respect to fresh Gorgon fruit. Fresh Gorgon fruit is boiled in water for two minutes and served with soup, which can be enjoyed directly or made into Gorgon fruit sugar water by adding sugar cinnamon.
