Jinhu Traditional Meat Soup Introduction
Lin Yu (born in 1951), affectionately known as "A-Jiao A-Ma", started selling water dumplings with her husband to support the family when her son was in the 4th grade. She later transitioned to selling meat thick soup, rice dumplings, and milkfish thick soup, ultimately gaining fame for her traditional meat thick soup, which became a specialty snack in the Jinhu area. A-Jiao A-Ma's meat thick soup is made in two parts: the pork part involves cutting pork into shreds, mixing it with seasonings and fish paste, and cooking pieces in boiling water until done, then cooling them for later use. The thick soup part is made by adding shredded bamboo shoots, seasonings, rock sugar, dried fish, and crispy garlic when the water boils, and finishing with a drizzle of egg drop. If bamboo shoots are unavailable, Shandong cabbage is used as a substitute. When a customer orders, the prepared meat is quickly heated in the thick soup pot, then ladled into a bowl, garnished with vinegar before being served. The thick noodles are created by adding meat thick soup over the blanched oily noodles. In addition to meat thick soup, A-Jiao A-Ma also sells rice dumplings and milkfish thick soup. The filling for the rice dumplings includes pork, scallions, and glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves. The milkfish is locally sourced, and A-Jiao A-Ma debones the fish herself, ensuring that her milkfish thick soup is bone-free.
