It is said that in the Qing Dynasty, there was a rich man named Chen Xiucai in Zhao 'an, who lived under one roof for four generations and was in charge of his grandmother. The food and drink of the whole family of 20 people, old and young, are handled by Yang, the wife of the eldest grandson Chen Youde. Yang abides by the rules of "three obedience and four virtues" and big family, and works all day. Three meals serve the elders and men at home, and he eats leftovers. Chen Youde saw it in his eyes and felt pain in his heart, so he had a plan. He often hides some fresh fish, shrimp and fresh meat. When everyone finished eating, he mixed these fresh ingredients with leftovers and cooked porridge for Yang. One day, Chen Youde was caught by his grandmother while mixing rice and fresh ingredients. He used his quick wits to lie that he was stirring porridge for the cat, coping with grandma's questioning and hiding the truth.
Soon, Chen Xiucai separated. After Chen Youde started his own business, Yang's body needed nourishment, so he offered delicious cat porridge, and Chen Youde readily agreed. Every time he cooks porridge, he personally goes to the market to carefully buy fresh ingredients, taking three or four pieces of turtle, three or four pieces of shrimp, three or four pieces of chicken breast, three or four pieces of fish, a small amount of lean meat and a little winter vegetables, carefully blending them with soy sauce and pouring them into a small pot of bone soup; Then pour in the prepared white rice and mix well, sprinkle with Yan and Sui, and serve it to Yang while it is hot. Yang thanked her husband for his kindness and often praised Chen Youde's skill in cooking cat porridge in front of his neighbors, so this authentic cat porridge spread.
Cat porridge has been developed and popularized by chefs, and has become a famous snack with unique flavor in Zhaoan. The present cat porridge not only maintains the original flavor, but also makes some innovations. Blended with clear soup, smooth porridge and rice, and soft accessories, it smells sweet and refreshing and delicious. The cooking method of cat porridge is constantly innovating, and now it is cooked in a single pot and a bowl, which is fast and fierce. In the past, a small air furnace was used to burn charcoal, but now a liquefied gas furnace is used, which has greater firepower and better effect. When cooking, first put a spoonful of water in a small pot, put a spoonful of steamed rice on the gas stove, and turn on the fire. Then, put a proper amount of delicious shrimp, mullet, squid, sliced meat, delicacies, blessings and fish fillets into a small dish, add a little soy sauce, salt, monosodium glutamate and pepper, and rub it with the five fingers of the washed right hand, which looks like a cat grabbing food. After the water in the pot is boiled, add the auxiliary materials and cook it, then sprinkle with fried garlic and radish. A big bowl of steaming and fragrant cat porridge is appetizing. The stalls selling cat porridge are all placed on the street at night, lit a lamp and sold at two or three in the morning. The booth is like a cat that keeps watch.