Luyuan Royal Beggar's Chicken. [Photo/zjgonline.com.cn]
At the inaugural local agricultural products competition held in Suzhou, Jiangsu province on May 31, four outstanding agricultural enterprises from Zhangjiagang stood out from among 65 competitors to win awards.
Shazhou Youhuang yellow rice wine made by Zhangjiagang Brewery, a renowned company that has existed for over a century, won a gold medal. The company has the largest refreshing yellow rice wine brewing base in the country. It had an annual production capacity of 120,000 metric tons of yellow rice wine and sales revenue of 800 million yuan ($111.81 million) in 2022.
Pastries made by Zhangjiagang Fortune Bakery Food Co Ltd won silver, while Fenghuang peaches and Luyuan Royal Beggar's Chicken received excellence awards.
Fenghuang peaches are known for their large size, tender flesh, sweetness, juiciness, and easy-to-peel skin.
Luyuan Royal Beggar's Chicken is made with chicken from Luyuan in Zhangjiagang. After brushing it with a secret sauce, the chicken is mixed with ginger, diced chicken, lean pork, shrimp, ham, diced mushrooms, and other ingredients. The mixture is then wrapped in layers of lotus leaves, pork oil, and yellow clay. Finally, it is slowly stewed to perfection.
The recognition of Zhangjiagang's outstanding agricultural products demonstrates the city's commitment to promoting its unique culinary treasures and fostering economic growth in the agricultural sector.