As for the lion's head, it is said that its "distant ancestor" is the "jumping pill roasting" recorded in the Food Classic of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (see the eightieth roasting method of Qi Shu). According to historical records, when Emperor Yang Di went south along the Grand Canal with his concubines and thousands of ships, "all the counties he passed were ordered to provide food within 500 miles. From one state to hundreds of places, land and water are extremely scarce (Jane Eyre). Yang Guang saw the Qionghua in Yangzhou, especially the four famous scenic spots in Yangzhou: Wansongshan, Qiandun, Ivory Forest and Sunflower Mountain. After returning to the palace, he ordered the chef to cook four dishes with the above four scenes as the theme. Under the guidance of famous chefs in Yangzhou, the chefs tried their best to make these four dishes: sweet and sour mandarin fish, money shrimp cake, ivory chicken strips and sunflower ribs. After Yang Guang tasted it, he was very happy, so he gave a banquet to entertain the ministers, and at that time all the people in and out of the government poured out Huaiyang cuisine. Officials and dignitaries are also proud of owning these four dishes and regard them as treasures.
In the Tang Dynasty, with the prosperity of economy, officials and dignitaries also paid more attention to diet. On one occasion, Wei Juyuan, a famous chef in the imperial court, also cooked these four famous dishes in Yangzhou, accompanied by delicacies and delicacies, which made the guests amazed. When the dish "Sunflower Chopped Meat" was served, I saw that the sunflower heart made of huge meat balls was exquisite, just like a lion's head. The guest took the opportunity to persuade him, "Qi Huangong has been an army horse for half his life, and he has made outstanding achievements. He should wear the beautiful seal of the lion. " Gulp a toast to frenzy, said; "In order to commemorate today's event, it is better to change the name of" Sunflower Chopped Meat "to" Lion's Head ". Since then, Yangzhou has added another famous dish "Lion Head", which is braised and steamed.
Excerpt from "Recipe Network"
In the Qing Dynasty, Qianlong went down to the south of the Yangtze River and brought this delicious food to Kyoto, which became one of the dishes of the Qing Dynasty. During the Jiaqing period, Lin Lan, a native of Ganquan, also sang Yangzhou's "sunflower balls" in Three Songs of Hanjiang River. Its preface says: "The meat is finely chopped and coarsely printed into pills, and the vegetable oil is fried into sunflower yellow, commonly known as sunflower balls. The poem says: "The guest chef has been cutting diligently, and the sunflower is being put out. Think about the sun when you are full, and the meat will be eaten one after another. "