Songyang salt-baked chicken. [Photo/Lishui Daily]

At a common prosperity workshop in Lishui's Songyang county, Zhejiang province, the aroma of Songyang salt-baked chicken rises from earthen stoves.

The golden, crispy skin and salt-infused meat offer a rich yet non-greasy taste. When the chicken is pulled apart, the steaming meat releases a savory aroma.

The rich flavors — salty, slightly sweet skin; tender, clean-tasting meat; and soft shiitake mushrooms stuffed inside that absorb the juices — create a harmonious dish that is fresh, moderately salty, and tender.

This specialty relies on coarse salt and precise heat control, without heavy seasonings, to preserve the chicken's natural taste. The traditional method uses only coarse salt, cooking wine, mushrooms, and scallions, slow-simmered in earthen stoves.

Master artisans carefully control the salt ratio and cooking time to maintain the authentic taste. The dish has gained popularity, with daily sales peaking at over 1,000 units at the workshop since early this year and reaching customers in Hangzhou, Shanghai, Xizang, and Heilongjiang.

Wang Jinwei, an inheritor of this intangible cultural heritage with over 20 years of experience, has standardized the process to ensure consistent quality and mass production.

Local efforts now include village stores, skills training for villagers, and applications for provincial heritage status and collective trademarks, alongside plans for franchising and derivative products.

From a humble home-cooked dish to a standardized iconic food, Songyang salt-baked chicken preserves its original taste while advancing craftsmanship and industrial innovation, becoming a signature driver of rural vitalization and spreading its 600-year-old flavor to wider markets.