Lu is a pot-stewed food shop in Suzhou. There is a well-known story about its origin.
According to legend, during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, there was a small pot-stewed food shop in Suzhou, whose owner was Lu Er. His father is a great cook, and there is a secret recipe handed down from generation to generation in his family. Lu er studied with her father since childhood and mastered exquisite cooking. However, due to poor management, the store has not been able to become bigger and stronger.
One day, a distinguished guest who claimed to be from Beijing tasted Lu Er's braised dishes and was full of praise. He told Lu Er that these pot-stewed dishes are not only delicious, but also have the function of medicated diet, which can treat many diseases. The honored guest revealed that he was the bodyguard of the emperor of the dynasty and was entrusted by the emperor to look around for delicious food. Passing through Suzhou this time, I accidentally tasted Lu Er's pot-stewed food, which was very suitable for the emperor's taste.
Your guest made a request, hoping that Lu Er could present a batch of pot-stewed dishes for the emperor to taste. Lu Er readily agreed, and carefully selected the first-class ingredients, carefully made pot-stewed dishes. Soon, Lu Er was called to Beijing and received by the emperor. After the emperor tasted his stew, he greatly appreciated it and gave him a gold-lettered signboard of "Lu Manuscript Recommendation".
It turns out that this distinguished guest is a trusted minister around the emperor. After he tasted Lu Er's pot-stewed dishes, he thought they were very suitable for the emperor's taste. So he suggested that the emperor summoned Lu Er to taste the pot-stewed dishes he cooked. In recognition of Lu Er's exquisite skills and contribution to the imperial court, the emperor specially gave him a gold-lettered signboard of "Lu Manuscript Recommendation".
From then on, the brand Lu Shouchao became famous all over the world and became one of the representatives of Suzhou braised dishes. The descendants of Lujia inherit the secret recipe and exquisite skills, and manage this century-old shop with heart. Nowadays, "Lu manuscript recommendation" has become a part of Suzhou food culture, attracting countless tourists to taste it.