Basic Introduction to Luotian Chestnuts
Luotian is located at the southern foot of Dabie Mountain, with its main peak towering within its territory. Here, forests are dense and the natural environment is beautiful, making it one of the first places in China named as a chestnut hometown. The total cultivation area for chestnuts in Luotian spans 40,000 hectares, yielding over 20,000 tons annually. In 2006, the production reached as high as 30 million kilograms, leading the country in both production volume and area. The product is renowned for its large size (with extra-large chestnuts having no more than 40 per kilogram), excellent quality (the chestnuts have bright colors, rich nutrition, and excellent storability), and affordable price (ranging from 5-10 yuan per kilogram, sold according to grade and quality). Additionally, they are available on the market for an extended period, generally from late August to mid-November, with high-quality seedlings also available for sale.
Nutritional Value
The chestnuts from Luotian are abundant and of high quality. Many other regions do not have chestnuts on such a scale, nor do they have chestnuts as large as those from Luotian.
Preparation Method
Chestnut-Braised Chicken
Ingredients: Four taels of Luotian chestnuts, one young hen (about two catties in weight), half a catty of sesame oil (approximately one and a half tael consumed), one tael of lard, one catty and two taels of eggs, half a tael of monosodium glutamate, three tael of sugar, four tael of wet starch, half a tael of nitrate solution, one tael of soy sauce, three fen of fine salt, and half a tael of garlic stalks.
Preparation: Clean the young hen after slaughtering, plucking, and removing the internal organs, head, and claws. Cut off the neck and split the bird into halves. Cut the breast and wings into six pieces and the rest of the body into eight-fen square blocks. Halve the chicken legs and cut the neck into one-inch segments. Score the chicken liver with small square patterns.
Place the chestnuts in boiling water and cook over a vigorous fire for five minutes. Remove them from the shells and skins. Place a wok over high heat and add the sesame oil until it reaches seven-tenths hot. Add the chicken pieces and fry for five minutes, then scoop out using a slotted spoon.
Drain any remaining oil in the wok, then add chicken broth, chestnuts, soy sauce, essence oil, fine salt, sugar, and the chicken liver. Cook over a vigorous fire for ten minutes, until the meat is tender and the chestnuts are soft and glutinous. Then add lard, monosodium glutamate, and garlic stalks, and thicken the sauce with wet starch. Serve when done.
This dish has a golden color, the chicken is tender and chewy, and the chestnuts are sweet and glutinous, making for a delicious taste.