Where is Minnan?

Minnan is in the south of Fujian. Minnan includes Quanzhou, Xiamen and Zhangzhou, as well as Longyan zhangping city and xinluo district (the two places originally belonged to ancient Zhangzhou), and also includes Datian County and Youxi County. Fuzhou and Putian in the north, Guangdong in the south and the former Tingzhou government in the west.

Quanzhou Port in southern Fujian was the largest port in the world during the Song and Yuan Dynasties. Minnan people are widely distributed, and many people at home and abroad use Minnan language. Many local ethnic groups and Malays influenced by Minnan people also use Minnan language.

The word Minnan dialect was put forward by Fujian dialect experts in the second half of the 20th century. Prior to this, Minnan people moved to other places and called themselves Fujian people. People from other provinces such as Southeast Asia, Guangdong and Guangxi, as well as outsiders, are also called Minnan people and Fujian people.

The development and inheritance of Minnan cuisine also has a gradual process. Originated in Quanzhou, it spread to southern Fujian cultural circles such as Zhangzhou, Taiwan Province and Xiamen. After Quanzhou people came to Nanyang, due to frequent exchanges, foreign exchanges expanded, and the exchange and integration of food culture became closer. In this way, the flavor of Minnan cuisine not only affected Zhangzhou, Xiamen, Chaoshan and Taiwan Province Strait, but also exported to the vast Southeast Asia.

Many people who travel to Southeast Asia will be surprised to find that the food they eat is the flavor of their hometown, and the food stalls on the street can also eat oysters, rolls and jiaozi with minced meat. Many foreign cuisines have settled in Quanzhou, and some overseas Chinese have returned to their hometowns to open restaurants. Quanzhou people can eat authentic Indonesian food, Vietnamese food, Myanmar food and Singapore food when they go to the streets.