22 Innovative Dishes That Will Make Your Mouth Water!

The top ten innovative dishes of the 2025 "Taste Zhejiang · Bowls from A Hundred Counties" provincial innovative dish challenge were officially announced on October 17th. Dishes like Winter Melon with Fresh Scallop Ball, Lamb and Fish Pearl Meatball, Taizhou Yellow Croaker and Tofu Pudding, Stuffed Chicken Wing with Da Hong Pao Robe Dried Radish, Traditional Rice Field Eel, Shengsi Crab Floss, Golden Orange and Crab 'Vegetarian Swallow Nest', Stuffed Seafood 'Lucky Bag', Braised Eel with Black Truffle and Golden Garlic, and Lotus Root Meets Blooms stood out from numerous entries, showcasing the innovative spirit and diverse local culinary characteristics of Zhejiang cuisine.

Provincial Famous Restaurants and Chefs Compete with Original Creations

This competition brought together the culinary strengths from across the province, including Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Wenzhou. Establishments like Hangzhou Junrun Minglan Hotel, Ningbo Xijie Catering, and Wenzhou Ouzhengwei Catering brought their original dishes, while local contestants from Taizhou also showcased their specialties. Shunji Pujiang Hui presented Taizhou Yellow Croaker and Tofu Pudding, and Xinglong Catering Group brought 'Surfing' Hand-Smashed Fish Noodles, competing alongside dishes from other regions.

The event's core highlight was its "fully original" nature, with all 22 competing dishes being publicly unveiled for the first time. From ingredient fusion to cultural expression, the competition was guided by the principles of "innovation, integration, and promotability," aiming to unearth new Zhejiang-style dishes with "high visual appeal, strong storytelling potential, and easy dissemination."

Hong Lie, a chef from Hangzhou Xiaoshan Kaiyuan Xingchuhui, presented a dish named "Stuffed Chicken Wing with Da Hong Pao Robe Dried Radish." He chose his hometown specialty, Xiaoshan dried radish, as the core ingredient. This preserved side dish, with a century of history and recognized as a provincial intangible cultural heritage item, evokes hometown memories for many from Xiaoshan.

"I simply wanted to create an innovative dish bearing the mark of my hometown, and use this competition to promote Hangzhou's flavors and ideas across the province," Hong Lie said. He deboned chicken wing tips and stuffed them with the dried radish filling, using this technique to experiment with the clash of ingredient flavors, offering a new expression of home-style cooking.

Food Bloggers Praise Taizhou Flavors

When it comes to judging the dishes, the diners have the final say. A panel of judges, comprising professional judges, food influencers, and Dianping star raters, meticulously scored the dishes across nine dimensions, including naming, raw materials, and technique.

"'Surfing' Hand-Smashed Fish Noodles are incredibly fresh, and Taizhou Yellow Croaker and Tofu Pudding really understands young people's tastes!" exclaimed Douyin blogger Zhuoyue Brothers, recording the details of the dishes with his phone. As a native of Shaoxing who has visited Taizhou over five times, he is very familiar with local Taizhou delicacies: "The 'Pao Xia' (fried stuffed dough) are crispy outside and tender inside, along with various chewy snacks – I make sure to try them every time I visit."

"The Fish and Lamb Pearl Meatball is highly creative, and the Stuffed Chicken Wing with Da Hong Pao Robe Dried Radish both replicates and innovates – it even bursts with juice when you take a bite!" said Douyin influencer with millions of followers, Tianxi Luckily, who was particularly impressed by these two dishes from the competition. As a Taizhou city food ambassador, she sees Taizhou cuisine as combining "chewy, fresh, and sweet" flavors, being highly inclusive. "No matter who visits, they can find a taste that suits their palate," she said.

Food blogger Zhi Chi Shi (Mr. Food) Jiang Tianfan preferred the dishes with a local touch: "'Surfing' Hand-Smashed Fish Noodles moved me the most. The texture achieved through hand-pounding is full of Taizhou character – it's both craftsmanship and authentic flavor." This was his second time in Jiaojiang, and the rice cakes soaked in the delicious sauce from the Braised Yellow Croaker with Rice Cakes left a lasting impression. "Jiaojiang is a food city full of surprises. After the competition, I want to explore slowly and discover more unique Taizhou flavors."

Leveraging the Competition to Boost Building the 'World City of Gastronomy'

For a long time, Jiaojiang District has positioned the "Bowls from A Hundred Counties" project as a core driver of cultural and tourism integration, having accumulated a solid foundation through practice. Currently, Jiaojiang has established 21 provincial and municipal "Bowls from A Hundred Counties" featured restaurants (including 1 provincial flagship store and 8 experience stores). Local delicacies like Ginger Noodle Soup and Jianmin Braised Duck have repeatedly achieved excellent results in provincial competitions. Initiatives such as issuing millions of consumption vouchers and organizing 11 "Six Into" activities have boosted culinary spending. Leveraging platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu, online exposure has exceeded 20 million views, with the topic "Travel in Taizhou, Dine in Jiaojiang" surpassing 330 million reads.

Organized by the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and hosted by Jiaojiang District, this provincial competition, themed "New Force of Zhejiang Flavor, New Trend on the Tip of the Tongue," served as an innovative stage for cuisines from across Zhejiang, injecting new vitality into the "Taste Zhejiang" brand. Furthermore, using food as a bridge, it aims to let the vibrant culinary atmosphere of Jiaojiang spread across the province, steadily advancing Taizhou towards its goal of becoming a "World City of Gastronomy."

Translator：Jiayang Lin