Dongbei's Three Delicacies
This is my idea of comfort food: hearty fried potatoes, eggplant and bell peppers glazed in an umami blanket of soy and oyster sauces. This dish would be welcome on any table—vegetarians can even omit the oyster sauce and it's still delish. Xueci Cheng gives us a little backstory on this Northeast China mainstay, as well as tips for getting it just right in your home kitchen.
"If you’re flipping through menus in Chinese restaurants, the term san xian (三鲜) can be confusing. Literally translated as “three delicacies” or “triple freshness,” it’s a flexible phrase whose meaning shifts with region and season. Originally tied to the pursuit of xiān (鲜), which can mean fresh and umami, it has countless variations. You might encounter sān xiān dumpling fillings with pork, shrimp and chives, or a vegetarian mix of egg, chives and shiitake mushrooms. There’s also shù sān xiān (树三鲜), a trio of summer fruits like loquats, mulberries and cherries, and shuǐ sān xiān (水三鲜), referring to seasonal freshwater fish or water-grown vegetables in Jiangnan.
"Many of these combinations are hyper-local and seasonal. But there is one use of this phrase that means the same thing wherever you go: Dì sān xiān (地三鲜), “three delicacies from the earth,” is always a combination of potato, eggplant and bell pepper....
"Interestingly, this phrase originally referred to a different trio: fava bean, amaranth and cucumber (or sometimes garlic scapes), a combination popularized in Southern China. But when the combination of san xian reached the Northeast, home cooks reimagined it. Lacking these types of vegetables, they turned to what they could grow locally and created a version that was hearty, satisfying and affordable. From these humble beginnings, di san xian rose to national popularity and is now one of the region’s most iconic dishes."
Featured ingredients: light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce
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