🍽️ Fried Pork with Black Fungus

Pork flash-fried with fungus and garlic sprouts, savory-tangy.

Fried Pork with Black Fungus is the classic dish of Taiyuan, Shanxi, often called the foremost flavor of Shanxi cuisine. Pork tenderloin is sliced thin, coated in egg-white starch and flash-fried until tender, then stir-fried with wood ear, garlic sprouts and bamboo shoots, lightly thickened. The slices are golden and smooth, savory with a subtle vinegar tang, the toppings crisp. Shanxi cooking relies on vinegar, and this dish balances saltiness and sourness as its signature. Taiyuanites order it with rice when entertaining; the craft lies in battering and flash-frying for tender, non-dry meat. As the house dish of Taiyuan and Shanxi cuisine, savory, lightly sour and smooth, it is the first must-try for visitors exploring Shanxi local cooking.