Jinyu Facai

Jinyu Facai (golden fish, and a kind of fungus that grows in the desert near the Yellow River) is a classic dish in Gansu province. There is no golden fish in the dish; the name comes from the shape. The facai is soaked in water until it is soft and then kneaded until it is round. Minced chicken flavored with salt, egg white, sesame oil and cooking wine is used to stuff the facai so it looks like a golden fish. The “fish” is steamed until it is cooked and then served in a dish surrounded with bree, giving it the look of a “golden fish swimming in water”. This popular Lanzhou dish goes well with wine.