When hearing about fotiaoqiang, or "Buddha Jumps over the Wall"- a variety of seafood soup featuring ingredients such as abalone and sea cucumber, many people are reminded of Cantonese cuisine, but few know that the renowned Fujian dish fotiaoqiang was created by Zhou Lian (1848-1920), a native of Rugao, Nantong.

Ingredients of Shihetai fotiaoqiang. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

Zhou was also the creator of the Shihetai-branded fotiaoqiang. With numerous rare ingredients, fotiaoqiang is regarded as a supreme tonic and helpful to maintaining beauty and delaying aging.

All the ingredients are combined and stewed on low heat for eight hours. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

Dozens of ingredients, including abalone, fish lip, dried fish maw, and dried scallop, are needed to cook the dish.

Well-cooked Shihetai fotiaoqiang smells good and tastes delicious. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

Shihetai fotiaoqiang is characterized by the unique way it's cooked, as all the ingredients are cooked separately and then stewed together with Rugao specialties, including five-year-old Rugao yellow chicken, marrow bone, ham, and Baipu yellow wine, for eight hours on low heat.