Huochetou Restaurant

Huochetou (locomotive) Restaurant’s signature dish is braised soft-shell turtle (Trionyx sinensis).

The turtles are produced in Hanshou County of Changde City, which was selected as the “hometown of Chinese soft-shelled turtles in China” in 1995. The turtles in Hanshou are of extremely high quality due to the local soil, humid climate, unique geography, and good aquaculture waters.

In 2022, the founder of the restaurant brought back selected 3 to 5-year-old Hanshou turtles and cooking standards from the Hanshou turtle base.

At the restaurant, turtles have tight meat without fat. After cutting it into pieces, turtle meat is stir fried to remove fishy smell, then spices are added to enhance the aroma. Finally, it is stewed with well water till the nutrients of turtle shells blend into the soup.

Turtles have high edible value and are rich in nutrients such as animal glue, linoleic acid, keratin, copper, and vitamin D, with the effects of lowering blood pressure and lipids, beautifying skin, tonifying deficiency and strengthening yang.

Turtles contain linoleic acid, which can alleviate cholesterol deposition and prevent arteriosclerosis, and are beneficial for patients with hypertension and coronary heart disease. After a long period of stewing, the soup contains turtle shell glue in the turtle shell, full of macromolecular collagen and amino acids needed by the skin.

Chinese source: official Wechat account of Chenzhou cultural tourism