Zhangjiajie Specialty–Honey Bee Pupae
 2016-12-20 16:37:25   Zhangjiajie Tourism Information Website  

Having bountiful nutrition and a flavor of crispy and delicacy, honey bee pupae is really a pure natural ambrosia. In recent years, honey bee pupae has been sold for 400 RMB per Kg in Jishou and Zhangjiajie, Xiangxi. It has become another famous specialty that sends to friends and guests.

Honey bee pupae usually are the larva and pupa of some wilding bees, such as wasp, hornet, dark swarm and scoliid, belonging to insecta and hymenoptera. It grows for two to five generations round a year in Xiangxi mountainous areas. The best time for catching pupa is when the old larva becomes into pupa. As to the dishes made of pupa, except the fried cuisines, the majority is adopted dry process for storage and packaging.

As honey bee pupae is an ideal nutrition food with high protein, low fat, multivitamin and minor element. It can be treated as food as well as dietary supplements. There are several dishes adopted different cooking methods. If you are fascinated with the delicious foods, just go around ZJJ and feast yourself!

1.Fried bee pupa

The pupa of wasp is the main material for this cuisine (Vespa mandarinia is the optimal) Firstly, pick bee pupa from honeycomb, discard impurity and then wash it with clean water for filtering the water. Next, pour the bee pupa into the pan with oil fried for medium well, fry it with slow fire till it becomes yellow-golden. Finally, add some salt and the bee pupa cuisine is cooked well.

2.Steamed Bee Pupa

Wild bee pupa is the main material, but soil bee pupa, hornet pupae and wasp pupa are much better. When cooking, clean the bee pupa, add a bit of salt, pour into bowl and steam it in the wooden steamer. Finally, add some paprika powder and gourmet powder and then the dish is made.

3.Bee Pupa Sauce

Wild bee pupa is the main ingredient. Crush and pinch the pupa for taking its juice, finely chop the pupa, then mix it with cayenne pepper, paprika powder and sweet smartweed grass, finally add some salt and then you can have a good taste. Bee pupa sauce is fresh and sweet and is usually ate by dipping the sauce when eat uncooked vegetables.

By Crystal