Jinhu Traditional Meat Soup Introduction
Lin Jyu, affectionately known as "Ah Jyu Grandma," was born in 1951. When her son was in the 4th grade, she and her husband started a stall selling water-fried buns to supplement their family income. Later, they shifted to selling meat soup, meat dumplings, and milkfish soup, eventually gaining fame for their traditional meat soup, becoming a local culinary specialty in the Jinhu area. "Ah Jyu Grandma's" meat soup recipe consists of two parts: the pork and the soup. For the pork, it is shredded, mixed with seasonings and fish paste, and then boiled in chunks until cooked and cooled for later use. The soup is made by adding shredded bamboo shoots, seasonings, rock sugar, dried fish, and crispy garlic to boiling water, finishing it with beaten egg. If bamboo shoots are unavailable, Shandong cabbage is used as a substitute. When customers order, the prepared pork is briefly heated in the soup pot, then ladled into a bowl and served with vinegar. The soup noodles are made by spooning the meat soup over blanched fried noodles. In addition to meat soup, "Ah Jyu Grandma" also sells meat dumplings and milkfish soup. The filling for the meat dumplings consists of pork, green onions, and glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves. The milkfish is locally sourced, and "Ah Jyu Grandma" personally removes the bones, ensuring that her milkfish soup is bone-free.
