Many celebrities in Chinese history are "gourmets", such as Su Dongpo, Zhang Daqian, Lu Xun, and Li Hongzhang, a famous official in the late Qing Dynasty.

There is a saying in China that "food is the first necessity of the people". No matter how powerful people are, they still have to survive by eating. Many classic Chinese delicacies have become household names and highly sought after due to the promotion of celebrities.

Feng Jicai wrote a very classic collection of short stories called "Strange People in the World", which contains the story of Li Hongzhang going to Tianjin to taste Yang's tea soup.

With Li Hongzhang's blessing, Yangjia Tea Soup became famous in Tianjin and was sought after by everyone, which shows Li Hongzhang's influence at that time.

This influence also spread overseas. When Li Hongzhang went to the United States in 1896, people's curiosity about him remained high.

When he arrived in New York on the St. Louis, many people put down their work and rushed to watch the "Prime Minister" from the East. Some newspapers solemnly introduced Li Hongzhang's life, status, and...

Ruling population size?.

Li Hongzhang had also been on a diplomatic mission to Western European countries before, without causing much splash, but this time it was different after he landed ashore.

The crowd of onlookers packed the pier into an airtight place. No matter what purpose Li Hongzhang had at the time, he would feel treated with courtesy when he saw this scene.

Chinese people pay attention to courtesy, so after Li Hongzhang had almost completed all the affairs, he asked his men to go to Chinatown to book a grand banquet, intending to invite foreigners from all walks of life to dinner. The delicacies at the banquet were mainly Chinese dishes.

In the past, Chinatown, which was full of Chinese style, served authentic Chinese food, but not many Americans visited it.

Li Hongzhang was not used to eating Western food when he went out, so he would go to Chinatown to eat from time to time, attracting many American people to come here after hearing the news.

This grand Chinese banquet hosted by Li Hongzhang even led to the birth of a classic dish, and the reason was quite unexpected.

It turned out that few of the people present had ever eaten authentic Chinese food. They were very curious about everything. As a result, the banquet lasted too long. Halfway through the meal, everyone was still unfinished. But Li Hongzhang’s people quietly told him that there were not enough ingredients in the kitchen.

.

After Li Hongzhang heard this, he didn't want to tell everyone that there wasn't enough food to call the meeting, so he had to ask the chef to mix the leftover vegetables and scattered ingredients and cook them.

After it was cooked and served on the table, the foreigners felt it was very delicious when they tasted it. They asked Li Hongzhang excitedly, why do Chinese people like to stew all their food together?

Western food is usually prepared separately.

Li Hongzhang said with a smile: "Chinese food has a unique flavor, please enjoy it."

?Unexpectedly, someone asked him again, this dish is the most special among all the dishes. What is its name?

Li Hongzhang couldn't answer for a while, so he just said: "It's delicious! Eat more!"

Eat more delicious food!

As a result, everyone present heard the English word "hotch-potch" and thought this dish was called "hotch-potch".

No one expected that Li Hongzhang's celebrity effect would make "Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge" popular in the United States for a hundred years. Any leftovers at home were mixed and stir-fried to become a famous dish.

After Li Hongzhang left, many Chinese-owned restaurants seized the business opportunity and began to launch various dishes in Li Hongzhang's name. It is said that during the gold rush era, there were Chinese chefs who sold Li Hongzhang's delicacies to miners and made profits from them.

What’s even more interesting is that when Li Hongzhang saw chicken at the table, he tore it up the way Chinese people eat it. Everyone present was dumbfounded, but they still followed his example and ate it, finding it to have a different flavor? This is Li Hongzhang’s contribution to the history of the food industry.

Contributed.