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Jinggang Rice Noodles 靖港米粉
Once serving as an important water transport port, Jinggang welcomed different kinds of people always on the move, who would land and experience delicious food of Jinggang and bring in food of all varieties from other places and the processing method of rice noodles to Jinggang.靖港作为曾经的重要水运口岸，南来北往的各色人等势必登岸入镇，饱尝靖港的美味佳肴，同时也把外地的各类吃食以及米粉的加工制作方法推介给了靖港。
Jinggang rice noodles have a history of hundreds of years. The most famous rice noodle restaurant in Jinggang – Yuchun Restaurant was built in the period under the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty. Previously, dozens of rice noodle restaurants opened along Beizheng Street, Xichang Street and Taiping Street in Changsha were run by Jinggang natives. Back then, many famous rice noodle restaurants in Changsha, Ningxiang, Xiangyin and Tongguan on the opposite side of the river bought rice noodle processed in Jinggang by water as only rice noodle processed in Jinggang exquisitely with the moistening of “Luhuashui” (waves stirred up in Lujiang River as beautiful as reed catkins) can make their business grow and prosper.靖港米粉，算来已有数百年历史。旧时靖港最有名的米粉馆玉春楼便始创于清朝乾隆年间，而从前长沙的北正街、西长街、太平街的数十家米粉店，便是靖港人开的。当时长沙、宁乡、湘阴以及对河铜官的许多招牌米粉店，皆通过船运购买靖港加工的米粉皮，经过了“芦花水”的滋润和精工细作的靖港米粉皮，才能撑起他们的招牌而生意兴隆。
In old days, rice used to make Jinggang rice noodles was early season rice as noodle produced therefrom is tender with good stickiness and proper tenacity. Rice must be cleaned up without any sediment and residual bran. It’s said that famous rice noodle restaurants, such as Yuchun Restaurant and Changchun Restaurant, arranged dedicated staff to pick and choose grains which couldn’t be washed away, in an effort to ensure pure white and flawless rice noodles. Cooking steps are as follows: raise flawless rice, mix rice with certain leftover, wet grind to powder and then steam. Exclusive aluminum steamer which has round bottom, shallow edge like a gong, was used. There are strict requirements on steaming. If under-steamed, the sheet jelly is fragile; if over-steamed, the sheet jelly will not be tender any more. Then, tear off sheets of steamed sheet jelly when they are hot; put them on bamboo spar so that the vapour water will be volatilized, thus, making the sheet jelly freezing yet non-sticky. A good slicing technique is necessary to slice the sheet jelly. First, roll the sheet jelly into a strip and slice it. If every noodle is made even in width, the one must be a master-hand. If not, when noodles are put in the soup bowl, it will be not that beautiful and will affect appetite.旧时，靖港米粉所用稻米要早稻粒谷米，磨出的粉，细嫩，粘性好，韧度适中，为加工米粉之最佳。米要淘洗得无丝毫泥沙和残留糠皮，干干净净。从前玉春楼、长春阁等靖港知名米粉馆，还有专人挑拣米中无法淘洗掉的谷粒，以确保米粉的洁白无瑕。无了瑕疵的米用清水泡发，掺适量现饭，湿磨成粉，再蒸。蒸有专用的蒸盘，为铝制品，圆底浅边，像是一面锣。蒸的要求也十分严格，过生则粉皮易碎，过熟则粉皮不嫩。蒸熟后的粉皮还要趁热从蒸盘中一张张揭下来，搭在竹篙上，使其汽水挥发，凝固而不粘。把粉皮切成粉丝则需刀功，先把粉皮卷成条状，一刀刀切下去，每根粉丝皆宽窄一致方为高手，若切得宽窄不一，夹到汤碗里后，外观上首先就打了折扣，而且影响食欲。
The soup of Jinggang rice noodles is the most tasteful. White rice noodles are tasteless and inedible without fresh soup. Boiled with swine bone, fresh soup is called “original soup”. All of the swine bones of every slaughter house in Jinggang were ordered by rice noodle restaurants. Alongside the brick kitchen range of various restaurants, casserole was placed exclusively for boiling bone soup. Milky soup is boiling in the pot, sending tempting fragrance. The service steps as: scoop up a spoon of original soup into the bowl, with soy, salt, chopped green onion, and Chinese parsley put in advance, pick up hot rice noodle into bowl, when the fresh soup and fragrant green onion penetrate into rice noodles, the tasteless food immediately become delicious and tasty gourmet. In addition, there are shredded additions for you to choose, such as sauce, beef, beef offal, seafood, pork trotter, shredded pig bag, bouilli, among others.靖港米粉的汤最是讲究。白白的米粉本是淡而无味之物，若无鲜汤几乎难以下咽。鲜汤乃猪骨熬成，是为“原汤”。从前靖港街上各家屠行的猪骨，均被面粉馆订购了去。各米粉馆的大灶旁，都安置着专门用来熬骨头汤的砂锅，乳白色的汤汁在锅内微微地沸滚着，散发着诱人的鲜香。吃米粉的顾客来了，舀一勺原汤在预先放好酱油、盐、葱花、芫荽的碗里，然后把烫热的米粉夹到碗中，原汤之鲜和葱花之香渗入米粉丝中，淡而无味之物顿成鲜而爽口的美食。何况还有盖码：酱汁、牛肉、牛杂、三鲜、猪蹄、猪肚丝、红烧肉……任君选取。

Beijing Roast Duck 北京烤鸭
Beijing-style roast duck, or Peking duck, is now a world-famous delicacy. Generations of gastronomes have developed rules of eating Peking duck.北京烤鸭已是名扬世界的美食品，历代美食家吃北京烤鸭，吃出了许多讲究来，似乎非如此吃食，则不能体现出正宗风味。
To experience the genuine flavor, we must follow these four rules: 这些讲究归纳起来，主要有四个：
Seasons讲究季节：
In winter and spring, ducks in Beijing are fat and taste tender; in autumn, the weather is very clear. Hence, the temperature and humidity are just fine to roast ducks. Meanwhile, ducks in autumn are also very fat and strong. In summer, it is very hot and humid and ducks in Beijing are thin and of low quality.吃烤鸭必须在合适的季节里，季节不好则影响口味。品味者主张在冬、春、秋三季吃烤鸭其味最佳。原因是冬春二季的北京鸭，肉质肥嫩；秋天天高气爽，温度和湿度都特别适宜制作烤鸭，而此时的鸭子也比较肥壮。夏季气候炎热，空气湿度较大，此时的北京鸭肉少膘薄，质量较差，烤制后的鸭皮容易发艮(即不松脆)，所以口味相对较差。
Slicing skill讲究片法：
Good slicing skills improve the taste. After a duck is roasted, the skin and flesh of the sunken part on the chest should be sliced and served immediately, because at this time, the meat is crispy and tasty. Every slice should have a piece of skin with it and the pieces should be thin and complete. A single two-kilogram duck can produce more than 100 slices of meat of the size of clove leaves.因为片得好不仅菜肴造型更佳，而且口味更美。烤鸭烤制成后，要在鸭脯凹塌前及时片下皮肉装盘供食。此时的鸭肉吃在嘴里酥香味美。片鸭的方法也有讲究，一是趁热先片下鸭皮吃，酥脆香美；然后再片鸭肉吃。二是片片有皮带肉，薄而不碎。一只2公斤重的鸭子，能片出100余片鸭肉片，而且大小均匀如丁香叶口感则酥香鲜嫩，独具风味。
Condiments讲究佐料：
Three types of condiments with different flavors are available for different demands of guests. The first type consists of plum sauce, shallot segments, cucumbers, or green turnips, which can help alleviate the oiliness. The second type is a garlic spread and soybean sauce. Sometimes cucumbers or green turnip bars are also served. The garlic spread is slightly spicy, which can also ease the oiliness. The third type consists of only white sugar, which is for guests who dislike shallots or garlic, especially young women. The first type is very common nowadays. The sweet fermented flour paste should be produced by “Liu Bi Ju” in Beijing; otherwise, it will reduce the genuineness of the taste.吃烤鸭的佐料有三种类型，它们各具不同风味，适应不同宾客的口味需好。一种是甜面酱加葱段，再配黄瓜条或青萝卜条等，以清口解腻；一种是蒜泥加酱油，也可配黄瓜条或青萝卜条等，蒜泥口感清香又带一丝辣意，也可解油腻，它是早年很受欢迎的一种佐料；还有一种是以白糖为佐料的甜食法，较受不喜葱蒜的顾客偏爱，尤受年青女性的欢迎。第一种佐料方式现在是最为常用的，其中所用甜面酱讲究用北京“六必居”出产的，不然口味就不能算作正宗。
Side Dishes 讲究佐食：
Two kinds of foods are available while eating Beijing Roast Duck: Lotus leaf shaped pancake and sesame seed cake. Lotus leaf shaped pancake can be sliced into two pieces to wrap the duck and vegetables. Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant serves congee with millet, barley and adzuki bean. The congee looks nice and tastes delicious. Having a bowl of such congee after eating Beijing Roast Duck will surely make you contented.常用的吃烤鸭的佐食品有二种，一为荷叶饼；一为空心芝麻烧饼。荷叶饼可一揭两片，每片抹上甜面酱再放葱段、黄瓜条、(或青萝卜条)、烤鸭片，或者抹上蒜泥、酱油、黄瓜条(或青萝卜、条)，再夹上烤鸭片卷起来吃。早年，全聚德烤鸭店还常、年备有一种、配以大麦米和红小豆熬制的小米粥。这种小米粥色泽美观，滑润爽口，吃完烤鸭后再喝上一小碗这种特制的小米粥，一定会给你带来无比的、舒畅感。