Tianin has recently welcomed its first snow of 2016, and weather in the city are becoming colder and colder. It is just the time to have a taste of the local Tianjin food to warm up and to appreciate the charm of Tianjin cuisine.

Suanshazixie -- purple crabs

It is a dish made with a kind of purple crab found only in the Tianjin area.

The dish is a traditional ethic Han food and has been one of most popular Tianjin treats for years, particularly in late autumn and early winter. The marinade tastes sour-sweet with a little spicy flavor and the crab is fresh and tender, which makes the dish totally delicious.

The purple crab is the same size as a coin and actually is purple in color.

The local Tianjin dish -- Suanshazixie. [Photo/people.com.cn]

Zengbengliyu -- jumping carps

The name of the dish means a carp jumps out of a fishing net.

This traditional Tianjin dish is made with a carp from which the scales have not been removed. The fish looks like it’s alive and jumping out of a net; hence the name. The dish is sweet and sour, with the fish scales and bones crispy and the fish meat fresh and smooth.

Different from other dishes, the marinade is poured onto the fish after it is served at the dinner table. Diners always appreciate the great aroma and happy memory of this local specialty.

Local Tianjin dish Zengbengliyu, which means a carp jumps out of a fishing net. [Photo/people/com.cn]

Dumianjin -- wheat gluten

This originally Muslim dish has become one that every Tianjiner knows. The material for the dish is a kind of fried gluten puff which can only be found in Tianjin. The dish is golden in color and the gluten tastes crispy.

The gluten are ripped by hand into smaller slices, which swell when put into hot water. After being fried and marinated, the dish is served immediately, and should be eaten quickly before it gets cold.

Dumianjin needs to be tasted before it becomes cold. [Photo/people.com.cn]

Bazhen Tofu

This dish is a must-order in local Tianjin restaurants. The fried tofu is smooth and soft and is cooked with fresh bazhen -- which means eight kinds of food materials.

Different people might prefer different ingredients for the dish -- some chefs may use top grade ones such as abalone, sashimi and dried scallops, while local Tianjiners may include any materials they like.

For local people, this dish is at the center of Tianjin family cuisine culture – it expresses the love of family and the hope for family reunion.

There is a different Bazhen Tofu dish in every Tianjiner's mind. [Photo/people.com.cn]