Gansi, a type of shredded dried tofu (CFP Photo)
On a typical weekend morning, the Haitangchun Teahouse on Taizhou Old Street is bustling with customers. Local resident Zhao Suzhen, 78, and her husband are among the teahouse's loyal patrons, favoring gansi (a type of shredded dried tofu), fish soup noodles and steamed buns. For them, zaocha, or early breakfast tea, is not just a breakfast but a cherished part of their daily rituals.
Fish soup noodles and wonton (CFP Photo)
There are numerous ways to get to know a city, and food is perhaps one of the easiest and most direct. To explore local life in Taizhou City, a great start is its zaocha.
This early-morning meal always includes delicious treats, such as gansi and fish soup noodles, ensuring a day starting on a high note.
A bowl of lotus root powder balls (CFP Photo)
Taizhou's zaocha culture dates back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, according to food writer Li Jin. Located in the fertile Jianghuai Plain, Taizhou was a vital stop along the Grand Canal. During the Qing Dynasty, nearly 3,000 grain houses, oil mills and inns lined the city's Daohe River. As a regional center of salt and grain transport, Taizhou became a vibrant hub for merchants, who frequented teahouses for good tea and snacks while reaching a business deal.
Tourists enjoy zaocha on Taizhou Old Street. (CFP Photo)
Over centuries, Taizhou's zaocha typically featured tea, gansi, three standard dishes (crab-roe soup bun, steamed dumpling, and shumai), and the signature fish soup noodles. It has become a lifestyle tradition, passing down through generations. Along the 600-metres Taizhou Old Street are various popular zaocha restaurants. Small and exquisite zaocha stores also dot the city's old downtown and residential areas, attracting crowds during holidays.
During the recent Spring Festival holiday, the total revenue of zaocha stores under Taizhou Culture and Tourism Group surged by 218% year-on-year, and the number of customers grew by 179% year-on-year.
Additionally, data from the Zaocha Museum on the street, the first of its kind in China, shows that zaocha businesses employ around 100,000 people in the city, with daily consumption of about 100,000 kg of flour and 50,000 kg of gansi. As a plate of gansi costs about 5-6 yuan, a bowl of noodles about 8 yuan, and with an optional bun, the total cost is typically under 20 yuan, making it affordable.
"People will remember a place, and fall in love with a city because of its food," said Wang Liang, general manager of Taizhou Culture and Tourism Group.
