Caohe donkey meat barbecue is a local specialty of Baoding. According to Xushui County Records, Xushui small donkey meat was famous in the Qing Dynasty during the Yongzheng period (1723-1735). Caohe donkey meat is well-made, tender in color, pure meat and rich in flavor; the roasted meat is kneaded by hand and then branded and baked, crispy outside and tender inside. With the hot barbecue clip small donkey meat, nutritious, easy to carry, easy to eat, is the best mass fast food.
The birthplace of Caohe donkey meat barbecue is Caohe Town, Xushui County, Baoding City. Caohe is the name of the river in Xushui County, Baoding City, Hebei Province, and Caohe Town is named after Caohe. Caohe donkey meat barbecue has a long history. According to legend, there were two gangs in Caohe dock in Song Dynasty: Cao Gang and Salt Gang. The Cao Gang was in the business of grain transportation and the Salt Gang was in the business of salt transportation. The two gangs often fought for the domination of the wharf, and the Cao Gang finally won the battle. When the Cao Gang captured the donkeys of the Salt Gang, they could not handle them, so they slaughtered and stewed them, and set up a feast to celebrate the victory; and then they ate the meat in the locally made roasted meat, which was even more tasty. Since then, the donkey meat in Caohe has become a famous food. From then on, the local custom of eating donkey meat was formed, and a set of exquisite processing techniques of cooking donkey meat was gradually explored. After the death of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, his descendants were in the same room. Zhu Yuanzhang's fourth son, Yan Wang Zhu Di, sent troops to war with Zhu Hui Di, the successor of Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Yun炆(朱允炆), the Emperor of Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yunbao sent his general Li Jinglong to fight with Zhu Di in a fierce battle along the Baigou River. Li Jinglong was defeated and retreated to the town of Caohe in Xushui. Li Jinglong had no choice but to order his soldiers to kill the horses and horses to satisfy his hunger. The local people had the custom of eating donkey meat, so the cooking of horse meat was especially fragrant. Since then, cooking horses for food has become a custom in Caohe Town of Xushui, and the flavor of the horse meat made is more beautiful. In the Qing Dynasty, Kang Xi emphasized on agriculture and mulberry, and prohibited the slaughtering of cattle and horses, so the people around Caohe changed the custom of eating horse meat, and only consumed donkey meat; and donkeys were cheaper than horses, so people specialized in raising donkeys for consumption. The local branded roasted meat is burnt on the outside and tender on the inside, and the donkey meat cooked on the roasted meat has become a famous local food.
Legend has it that Emperor Kangxi, once on a private visit out of Beijing, ate a meal in Zhuozhou, the first state in the world, and then came to Caohe Town along the main road. At this time he felt belly meat hungry, see the roadside small restaurants are vigorously selling donkey meat barbecue. Kangxi did not know why donkey meat barbecue food? He had to be very curious, then asked the accompanying eunuchs to buy donkey meat roast hunger. Kangxi in the palace the whole day in the sea of delicacies, which ate the donkey roast? After he consumed the donkey roast, think that tender meat, crispy and soft roast exceptionally tasty, said it tastes delicious. Kangxi returned to the capital in the palace still can not forget to eat in the town of Caohe the flavor of the donkey roast. He called the palace chef for him to specialize in donkey roast. Imperial kitchen carefully for Kang Xi did a few times, Kang Xi think how is not he ate in the town of Caohe that donkey roast a flavor; not as good as he ate in the town of Caohe that donkey roast fresh. Kang Xi had to send someone to Caohe to buy donkey meat roast in Caohe. Since then, Xushui Caohe's donkey meat hot pot roast is famous in the capital.