Luoyang Water Banquet is a traditional banquet specialty of Luoyang, Henan Province, and belongs to the Henan cuisine style. Originating in the Tang Dynasty, it boasts a history of over 1,000 years, making it one of the oldest surviving banquets in China.
Luoyang Water Banquet has two meanings: First, all hot dishes are served with soup—soup and water; second, after each hot dish is served, it is replaced by another, like a continuous stream of water. Luoyang Water Banquet is characterized by its inclusion of both meat and vegetables, a wide selection of ingredients, and the ability to be simple or complex, with a diverse flavor profile, offering a variety of sour, spicy, sweet, and salty flavors, all for a comfortable and delicious experience.
On September 10, 2018, the "Chinese Cuisine" was officially released, and the "Luoyang Water Banquet" was named one of Henan's Top Ten Themed Banquets.
Luoyang Shuixi banquets are categorized into high-end, mid-range, and low-end offerings. High-end Shuixi banquets include sea cucumber, shark fin, and tripe; mid-range Shuixi banquets include chicken, fish, and meat; and low-end Shuixi banquets are for the general public, primarily featuring meat, vermicelli noodles, and vegetables. Luoyang Shuixi banquets are characterized by their unique flavors, featuring a savory, sweet, sour, and spicy fusion, each dish distinct in its own way. From delicacies from the wild and the sea to vermicelli noodles and radishes, they can all be prepared to suit the needs of diverse diners. This is why Luoyang Shuixi banquets have endured for millennia and remain popular.
Luoyang has significantly improved the Shuixi banquet's sophistication by adding dishes such as "Spicy Fish Slices," "Stir-fried Eight Treasure Rice," "Sweet Wine Mountain Slag," and "Boiled Meatballs," adding seafood, soft-shelled turtle, and snake soup. The Luoyang Hotel has boldly revamped the Shuixi banquet, selecting representative dishes such as "Peony Bird's Nest" and "Pork Slices in Soup" from its 24-dish menu to create a 16-dish revamped Shuixi banquet. Luoyang Xuangong Mansion is offering a Peony Water Banquet. The "National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance" cold dish features six authentic peony-shaped dishes in red, green, yellow, and white, reminiscent of blooming peonies. Hot dishes are also shaped like peonies, with the soup filled with colorful "peony flowers." If it's peony season, you can even savor the chef's water banquet, prepared with peony blossoms.