This like is a lion head, which is a special effect of Douyin platform, which means good luck in the Year of the Tiger.

The origin of lion head

"Lion head" is "big meatball" in Yangzhou dialect, and "big meatball" or "Sixi meatball" in northern dialect. It is said that its "distant ancestor" is "Tiao Wan Zhi" recorded in the "Shi Jing" of the Southern and Northern Dynasties ("Qi Min Yao Shu. Zhi Method 80").

Historical records record that when Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, accompanied by his concubines and his entourage, rode a dragon boat and thousands of ships south along the Grand Canal, "every state and county he passed through was ordered to offer food within 500 miles." To Baiyu, it is extremely rare on land and water" ("Zi Zhi Tong Jian"). Yang Guang saw the Qionghua in Yangzhou and was particularly nostalgic for the four famous scenic spots in Yangzhou: Wansong Mountain, Qianqian Dun, Ivory Forest and Sunflower Hill. After returning to the palace, he ordered the imperial chef to prepare four dishes based on the above four scenes. Under the guidance of Yangzhou famous chefs, the imperial chefs worked hard to finally make four dishes: squirrel mandarin fish, money shrimp cakes, elephant bud chicken strips and sunflower chopped meat. After Yang Guang tasted it, he was very happy, so he gave the officials a banquet. For a time, Huaiyang cuisine became popular in both the government and the public.

In the Tang Dynasty, with the economic prosperity, officials and dignitaries also began to pay attention to their diet. Once, Duke Wei Zhi of the State of Xi hosted a banquet for guests. The famous chef Wei Juyuan also cooked these four famous dishes from Yangzhou, accompanied by delicacies from mountains and seas, and rare delicacies from land and water, which amazed the guests. When the dish "Sunflower Chopped Pork" was served, the sunflower heart made of huge meat dumplings was exquisite, like a lion's head. The guests took the opportunity to persuade the guests to drink: "The Duke of Xi has spent half his life in the army and has made brilliant military achievements. He should wear the lion seal." Wei Zhi happily raised his wine glass and drank it down in one gulp. "Lion's head." "Lion's head" became a famous dish in Yangzhou from then on.

In the Qing Dynasty, when Qianlong went to the south of the Yangtze River, he brought this delicacy to Kyoto and made it one of the Qing palace dishes. During the Jiaqing period, Lin Lanchi from Ganquan also sang about Yangzhou's "Sunflower Meatballs" in "Three Songs of Hanjiang". The preface says: "The meat is finely chopped and coarsely chopped into balls, and fried in meat and vegetable oil until it becomes sunflower yellow, which is commonly known as sunflower meatballs." His poem goes: "The guest chef has cut it frequently, and the sunflower balls are made fresh. A full stomach should also be used Thinking about the sun, I eat meat one after another."

After Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty went to Yangzhou to see Qionghua, he stayed in the south of the Yangtze River and saw countless beautiful scenery. After he visited the four famous scenic spots in Yangzhou, Wansong Mountain, Qianqian Dun, Ivory Forest, and Sunflower Hill, he admired the garden scenery so much that he personally renamed the four famous scenic spots Qianjin Mountain, Maoer Dun, Pingshan Hall, and Qiongshan Hall. Flower view. After returning to the palace, he summoned the imperial chef and asked them to prepare four dishes to commemorate their trip to Yangzhou in the south of the Yangtze River. (In ancient times, it was a custom to use dishes to imitate the scenic garden scenery.) The imperial chef worked hard, Four famous dishes were made. The four dishes include 1 squirrel mandarin fish, 2 golden shrimp cakes, 3 ivory chicken strips, and 4 sunflower meat. After Yang Guang tasted it, he was very happy, so he gave it to all the ministers and it became a delicacy that spread throughout the south of the Yangtze River. When officials and dignitaries entertain guests at banquets, they are all proud of having these four dishes and treat them as treasures.

In the Tang Dynasty, there were even golden dishes and jade dumplings, and all the delicacies were on display. On this day, the Duke of Xi hosted a banquet and ordered the famous chef Wei Juyuan to prepare four famous dishes: squirrel mandarin fish, golden shrimp cakes, ivory chicken strips, and sunflower meat, accompanied by delicacies from the mountains and seas, land and water. The guests were all amazed. When the sunflower meat dish was served, I saw the sunflower heart made of huge meat balls, which was so beautiful that it really looked like the head of a lion. The Duke of Xi spent half his life in the army and made brilliant achievements in war. The guests advised him to drink: "You should wear the nine-headed lion seal." The Duke of Xi raised his glass and drank it in one gulp, saying, "To commemorate this evening's meeting, why not change the name of sunflower meat to 'lion head'" '." Since then, Weiyang's famous dishes have added "lion's head", which is braised and steamed and is very popular.