After Tang succeeded to the throne, he gradually neglected his wife, the troubled queen Wang. One day, Queen Wang said to Tang, "Saburo, have you forgotten that on your birthday, I took off my new purple vest and replaced it with a bucket of flour to make soup cakes?" This story reflects that people in the Tang Dynasty ate "soup cakes" on their birthdays. Soup cake is also called "water introduction", that is, noodle soup, but the custom of eating noodle soup on birthday has a long history.
Legend of Sichuan style pork
Sichuan cuisine: Sichuan famous dish, also known as boiled shredded pork. It is said that this dish is the main course of Sichuanese on the first and fifteenth day of the first lunar month (to improve their lives). At that time, the practice was mostly to cook in white and then stir-fry. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, there was an academician named Ling in Chengdu, who lived in seclusion at home because of his frustrated career and devoted himself to studying cooking. He changed the original cooked fried pork to remove the smell of pork, steamed it in an impermeable container and then fried it into a dish. Because it is steamed early to maturity, the loss of soluble protein is reduced, and the meat is rich, delicious, original and bright red. Since then, Jincheng's famous early steamed meat has spread.
The origin of "lion's head"
"Lion Head" is called "Big Meatball" or "Four Happiness Meeting Ball" in Yangzhou dialect. It is said that its "distant ancestor" is the "jumping pill roasting" recorded in the Food Classic of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (see Qi Shu. Baking method eighty "). 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. A hundred miles in a state, land and water are extremely rare "("Zi Tongzhi Jian "). 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 Yangzhou famous chefs, the royal chefs finally made four dishes: sweet and sour mandarin fish, money shrimp cake, sliced chicken with elephant buds and sunflower minced meat. After Yang Guang tasted it, he was very happy, so he hosted a banquet for his ministers and once dumped Huaiyang cuisine in the ruling and opposition.
In the Tang Dynasty, with the prosperity of economy, officials and dignitaries also paid more attention to diet. On one occasion, Qi Huangong Wei Li hosted a banquet, and Wei Juyuan, a famous chef of the imperial court, also cooked four famous Yangzhou dishes, which were accompanied by delicacies and delicacies, which amazed the guests at the table. When the dish "Sunflower Cut Meat" was served, I saw that the sunflower heart made of huge meat balls was exquisite, like a lion's head. The guest took the opportunity to persuade the wine: "I have been a military horse for half my life and deserve the handsome seal of a lion." Wei Li happily raised his glass and gulped it down, saying, "In order to commemorate today's great event, it is better to change the name of' Sunflower Chopped Meat' to' Lion Head'." After a shout, Yangzhou added a famous dish "Lion Head".
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 chopped into pills, and the vegetable oil is fried into sunflower yellow, commonly known as sunflower balls." His poem said: "The guest chef is diligent in breaking silk, and the sunflower is fresh. Think about the sun when you are full, and the meat will be eaten one after another. "
Origin of "chop suey"
"Chowder" is a famous traditional food, which was made in ancient and modern China. The ingredients of this dish are "miscellaneous", including animals and plants, high-grade, ordinary, vegetarian and mixed. The dishes are diverse, dazzling, soft, tender and crisp, with good color, fragrance and taste. Whether it is an official banquet or a folk banquet, it is a favorite delicacy.
"Chowder", as its name implies, is a dish made of several raw materials with a long history and many rumors. In the cooking history of China, the earliest inventor of chop suey was Lou Hu of Qilu Gang, named Jun Qing. He was a member of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and once worked as a Zhao official in Beijing. At that time, Louhu often traveled to and from the homes of five "Five Hous" who were sealed at the same time, such as Wang Tan, Wang Gen, Wang Li, Wang Shang and Wang Feng, so he created the "Five Hous Mackerel" food. Mackerel is a hodgepodge made of fish, meat and delicacies, that is, a "five-Hou hodgepodge". "Miscellanies of Xijing" Volume II: "The five marquis can't be combined, and guests can't come and go. Louhu, who is full of eloquence, divided the food among five Hou people, each got his own heart and won a wonderful meal. The wet nurse thought it was a shark, and the world called it a five-Hou shark, which was strange. " Later, it was used to refer to delicacies, which had a wide influence.
Legend has it that Yue Fei, a famous anti-gold star in the Southern Song Dynasty, was framed by the traitor Qin Gui and died. At that time, a chef in Fuzhou cooked a dish called chop suey with a variety of raw materials. Once, the government received a big official from Kyoto and specially tasted the "chop suey" dishes of famous chefs. When the guest asked what the name of the dish "chop suey" was? The chef boldly replied, "Little people don't know much about literacy. I only heard people say that miscellaneous is miscellaneous, and the cypress in Qin Gui is stewed, and the word wood is replaced by the word fire. " Although the official from Kyoto was scared, he didn't know whether he was drunk or hated Qin Gui. He just bluffed and shouted, "get out!" Since then, the word "chop suey" has spread from Fuzhou to various places.
It is also said that during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, there was a Lantern Festival, and the whole country held Lantern Festival. Every household was decorated with lanterns, especially the capital, with bright lights, firecrackers and fireworks. On this day, the emperor got up and sent the news out of the palace. Empresses, princes, ministers and others took to the streets to watch the lights and enjoy themselves with the people. Until he returned to the palace late at night, the emperor, queen and prince all felt hungry, and the eunuch quickly handed the rice. Because the original royal meal was cold, the royal chef was caught off guard, so he had to put all kinds of delicious cold meat into the pot and cook it into steaming dishes to offer. Because of the complex taste and mellow taste, Ming Di was particularly happy and asked, "What's the name of this meal?" When the chef saw the emperor's family eating together, he used his quick wits to answer, "This is a family photo." Ming Di was so happy that he decided on this name, which has been passed down to this day. "Family photo", that is, "assorted hodgepodge".
It is also said that at the end of the Qing Dynasty, that is, in the 21st year of Guangxu 1896, the Qing government sent Li Hongzhang, Minister of Westernization, to Russia to attend the coronation ceremony of Nicholas II, and then went to the United States. One day, Li Hongzhang gave a banquet in honor of senior American officials with Chinese food. It was delicious and full of praise. When American officials asked about the name of the dish, the unprofessional translator answered "chop suey", so westerners called delicious Chinese food "chop suey" and it spread all over the United States at once. Since then, the transliteration of "chop suey" has appeared in the English dictionary, and even the restaurant opened by overseas Chinese in Chinatown in the United States has been renamed "chop suey" restaurant. Then on the menu of the chop suey museum, Li Hongzhang chop suey was mentioned, and sure enough, the name "chop suey" was greatly improved. Chopsticks and chop suey are two names of a dish, so they are also called "Li Hongzhang chop suey". Mr. Zhang Boju from China Literature and History Museum also wrote "Li Hongzhang Chowder", calling it "famous overseas". Every restaurant in China in Europe and America has such a dish. ”。
"Chowder" is a well-known popular dish with a wide range of legends and records in many historical books. Because of its delicious taste, it is very popular with people, so it is generally made everywhere. Well-known chefs include "Li Hongzhang Chowder" in Anhui, "Family Portrait" in Hubei, "Braised Chowder" in Sichuan and "Baked Chowder" in Guizhou. Because recipes are different and tastes are different, they are all written on the banquet. The famous "chop suey" is also mentioned in the novels of Qing Dynasty, such as The Scholars, Three Heroes and Five Righteousnesses, and Lu Xun's Letters.
It seems that "chop suey", a famous dish that appeals to both refined and popular tastes, has been handed down to this day. It is not only mellow and delicious, but also contains perfect meaning, so it is very popular among diners at home and abroad.
Family portrait, a well-known traditional braised dish in Chuxiang, Hubei Province, commonly known as "assorted hodgepodge". This delicious dish, which was introduced from the imperial cuisine in Ming Dynasty, has become a common dish in local festive banquets, and has also been listed as a famous dish in China since the founding of the People's Republic of China. This cuisine takes the "four treasures" among the "eight treasures", namely sea cucumber, abalone, fish maw and shark fin, as the main ingredients, and chicken breast, cinnamon fish, mushrooms, mushrooms, fresh shrimp and pig's trotters as the ingredients. The specific cooking method is: put the wok on the fire, add a proper amount of cooked lard and heat it to 60% heat. First, oil the starched fish fillets and shrimps separately, and then drain the water. Then put the prepared sea cucumber, fish maw, tendon, chicken breast slices, shiitake mushrooms and dried shiitake mushrooms into a boiling water pot and rinse them with clear water. Then, put the cooked lard into a wok, add onion ginger juice, broth, refined salt and monosodium glutamate to boil, pour in various raw materials, stew and thicken, and pour in chicken oil.
This family portrait dish is famous all over the country because of its high-grade materials, fine production, rich color, crisp and smooth, rich flavor and high value.
The legend of moon cakes
According to legend, in ancient China, the emperor had a system of offering sacrifices to the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. In the folk, every Mid-Autumn Festival in August, there is also a custom about Yue Bai or offering sacrifices to the moon. The famous proverb "The moon is full on August 15th, and the Mid-Autumn moon cake is sweet and fragrant" tells the custom of urban and rural people to eat moon cakes on Mid-Autumn night. At first, moon cakes were used to worship the moon god. Later, people gradually regarded Mid-Autumn Festival as a symbol of family reunion, and mooncakes gradually became holiday gifts. Moon cakes originally originated from Zhu Jie food in the Tang Dynasty. During the reign of Tang Gaozu, General Li Jing conquered the Huns and returned home in triumph on August 15. Turpan people who were doing business at that time presented cakes to the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Gao Zu Li Yuan took the gorgeous cake box, took out the round cake, smiled at the bright moon in the sky and said, "Please invite toad with Hu cake." After that, share the cake with the ministers.
The word "moon cake" has been used in Wu's Dream of the Liang Lu in the Southern Song Dynasty, but the description of enjoying the moon and eating moon cakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival is recorded in the West Lake Travel Agency in the Ming Dynasty: "August 15th is called the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people use moon cakes to get together". In the Qing Dynasty, there were more records about moon cakes, and the production became more and more elaborate.
With the development of moon cakes today, there are more varieties and different tastes. Among them, Beijing-style, Soviet-style, Cantonese-style and Chaozhou-style moon cakes are deeply loved by people all over the country.
Moon cakes symbolize reunion and are a must-eat food for the Mid-Autumn Festival. On holiday nights, people also like to eat some reunion fruits, such as watermelons and fruits, and wish their families a happy, sweet and safe life. Moon cakes symbolize reunion and are a must-eat food for the Mid-Autumn Festival. On holiday nights, people also like to eat some reunion fruits, such as watermelons and fruits, and wish their families a happy, sweet and safe life. The 15th day of the eighth lunar month is the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival in China and the second largest traditional festival in China after the Spring Festival. August 15th is in the middle of autumn, so it is called Mid-Autumn Festival. The ancient calendar in China called August in the middle of autumn "Mid-Autumn Festival", so the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called "Mid-Autumn Festival".
On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, the moonlight is bright. The ancients regarded the full moon as a symbol of reunion, so August 15 was also called "Reunion Festival". Throughout the ages, people often describe "joys and sorrows" as "the moon is full and the moon is absent", and the wanderers living in other places rely on the moon to express their deep affection. Li Bai, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, wrote poems such as "Looking up, it's moonlight, then leaning back, suddenly thinking about hometown", "Knowing that the dew is frost tonight, the moonlight at home is bright!" Du Fu's "Spring Breeze is Green in Jiang Nanan" and Wang Anshi's "When Will the Moon Shine on Me" in the Song Dynasty are all timeless masterpieces.
Mid-Autumn Festival is an ancient festival, and it is an important custom to offer sacrifices and enjoy the moon. Ancient emperors had a social system of offering sacrifices to the moon in spring, and folks also had the custom of offering sacrifices to the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. Later, it was more important to enjoy the moon than to sacrifice it, and serious sacrifice turned into light entertainment. The custom of enjoying the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival prevailed in the Tang Dynasty, and many poets wrote poems about the moon in their masterpieces. In the Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties, Yue Bai's court and folk activities to enjoy the moon were even larger. So far, there are many historical sites in China, such as Yue Bai Altar, Moon Pavilion and Moon Tower.
The "Moon Altar" in Beijing was built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, and was used for royal sacrifice to the moon. Whenever the moon rises in the Mid-Autumn Festival, a box is set up in the open air, and fruits such as moon cakes, pomegranates and dates are placed on the console table. After Yue Bai, the family sat around the dining table, chatting while eating and enjoying the moon together. Now, the activities of offering sacrifices to the moon in Yue Bai have been replaced by large-scale and colorful activities of enjoying the moon by the masses.
Eating moon cakes is another custom of festivals, symbolizing reunion. Since the Tang Dynasty, the making of moon cakes has become more and more exquisite. Su Dongpo wrote in a poem: "Small cakes are like chewing the moon, and there is pulp in the cake", and Yang Guang copied in Qing Dynasty: "Moon cakes are filled with peach meat and ice cream is sugar paste". It seems that the moon cakes at that time were quite similar to those now.
Moon cakes are traditional food for Mid-Autumn Festival. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, people not only sacrifice the moon with moon cakes, but also give them to relatives and friends. Moon cakes have become a symbol of Mid-Autumn Festival.
There is no exact record in the history books about the formation of the custom of eating moon cakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival. But many folklore tells the origin of eating moon cakes in Mid-Autumn Festival. Among many legends, the most popular one is the saying that "moon cakes convey information". According to legend, before the Yuan Dynasty, the brutal rule of the rulers aroused the general hatred of the broad masses of the people, and uprisings and rebellions were brewing everywhere. In order to maintain his rule and prevent people from rebelling, the ruler stipulated that people were not allowed to hide iron, and only ten families were allowed to share a kitchen knife. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhang Shicheng, the leader of the peasant uprising, wrote the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival uprising on a piece of paper and gave it to all households in moon cakes. When people opened the moon cakes and saw the note, they picked up kitchen knives and gathered for an uprising, which set off a climax against the oppression of the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty. To commemorate the uprising, people eat moon cakes every August 15. Another legend is that Emperor Taizong conquered the northern Turks and returned to Beijing triumphantly on August 15th, and Chang 'an was full of joy. There is a bud vomiting in Chang 'an. He presented round cakes to Emperor Taizong to celebrate his victory. Emperor Taizong was overjoyed. He took out the round cakes from the beautifully decorated cake box, pointed to the bright moon hanging in the sky and said with a smile, "We should invite toads with Hu cakes." . Later, Tang Taizong and Guan Bai shared moon cakes, and the custom of eating moon cakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival was formed. In addition, there is a legend that when Emperor Ming of Tang visited the Moon Palace, he ate the fairy cake made by Chang 'e, which was unforgettable when he returned to the Palace, so he ordered someone to make it and ate it on August 15th.
Most of the records of eating moon cakes in Mid-Autumn Festival began in Ming and Qing Dynasties. Tian Rucheng, an Amin scholar, said in the The Journey to the West: "August 15th is called Mid-Autumn Festival, and people leave moon cakes as a symbol of reunion." Because the ancients called Mid-Autumn Festival "Reunion Festival", moon cakes were also called "Reunion Cake".
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the custom of eating moon cakes on Mid-Autumn Festival was quite popular. Fu Cha Dunchong of Qing Dynasty said in the book "Yanjing Year": "Mid-Autumn moon cakes are the first in the capital, but there is not enough food elsewhere. There are moon cakes everywhere, ranging in size from feet to feet, depicting the shapes of toads and rabbits in the Moon Palace. Those who eat after the sacrifice and eat on New Year's Eve are called reunion cakes. " Moon cakes are not only essential food for Mid-Autumn Festival, but also holiday gifts for relatives and friends. With the passage of time, moon cakes gradually changed from home-made to professional production, with increasing varieties and improving quality, and developed into a traditional pastry form in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
"On the basis of inheriting the traditional forms of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, modern moon cakes are more refined and have richer tastes. Moon cakes in different regions have won people's favor with their unique characteristics: Cantonese moon cakes are thin, soft, sweet and delicious; Su-style moon cakes are crisp, fragrant, sweet and salty; Chaozhou moon cakes are filled with sugar wax gourd, which is moist and crisp. In addition to the traditional circle symbolizing reunion, moon cakes are square, octagonal, triangular and rectangular. There are dozens of fillings in it, such as rock sugar, bean paste, lotus seed paste, five kernels, one hundred fruits, jujube paste, ham, egg yolk and barbecued pork. As food for the Mid-Autumn Festival, moon cakes have moon-related patterns, such as the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon, Moon Palace Toad Rabbit, Yinhe jathyapple, San Tan Yin Yue and Xi Shizui Yue. Exquisite patterns not only set off the peaceful atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival, but also add poetry to the festival.
Du Fu and mullet
Galla Chinensis is a famous dish in Sichuan, which has been widely known since the Tang and Song Dynasties. Speaking of "mullet", it has something to do with Du Fu, an ancient poet in China!
Du Fu in the Tang Dynasty met the "An Shi Rebellion" when he was nearly fifty years old, and the whole Tang Dynasty went downhill from then on. Tang fled to Sichuan and hanged himself at Maweipo. Du Fu also drifted southwest to escape the war. When he arrived in Chengdu, he found a beautiful place in the ancient suburb of Chengdu, called Huanhua River Bank, built a thatched cottage and settled down. And wrote many poems here. Farmhouse huts are sometimes blown down by strong winds. At this time, his life was very poor. From his own experience and poverty, he often thinks of the poor and the poor in the world and expresses a lot of sympathy. He lives on vegetarian food and grass fruit every day, and the locals call him "the old man with a stomachache".
It is said that one day he invited some friends to write poems in the thatched cottage. He was so happy that it was almost noon. He was so worried that he was about to have lunch, but he had nothing. How should he entertain these guests? He was in a hurry when he suddenly saw his family catch a fish from Huanhuaxi and was overjoyed. I think, please try this fish! He went to the stove and made his own fish. When his friends saw him cooking fish, they were all surprised. Some people said suspiciously, "Lao Du, this is something new. Can you write poetry and cook fish? " Du Fu smiled and said, "Wait, I'll cook for you today." After he gutted the fish and washed it, he put the seasoning in the pot and steamed it. After steaming, stir-fry the local sweet noodle sauce, add pepper, onion, ginger and soup in sizhou pickle, dress it up with good lake water, beat it into juice, pour it on the fish while it is hot, and then remove the coriander.
Everyone sat down happily and saw Du Fu bring the fish up and stretch his chopsticks. It's really delicious. All the friends talked while eating. After a while, a fish was eaten up, but the fish didn't have a name yet! So everyone remembered the name of the fish. Some said, "This fish is called Happy Fish!" Some said, "Old Du Yu is appropriate." Finally, Du Fu said, "Mr. Tao Yuanming is a saint we admire. This fish is covered with colorful silk, much like willow leaves. Let's call it Wulingyuan! " After that, everyone agreed and thought the name was very interesting. In this way, mullet barked and became a famous Sichuan dish, which has been circulated for more than 1000 years.
Chen Mapo and Mapo Tofu
180 years ago, a young man named Chen Chunfu and his wife Liu opened a small restaurant specializing in vegetarian dishes in Wanfuqiao, a suburb of Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Pedestrians and vendors who come to Chengdu from Pengxian, Xinfan and other places near Chengdu like to stop for dinner and tea at Wanfuqiao. Liu always smiles and warmly receives guests. The tofu made by Liu is golden and crisp, and both sides are tender and smooth, which the guests like very much. Sometimes, when a greedy customer asks for something with meat, she will go to the vendor across the street to buy back beef and slice it into beef and tofu for the guests to eat.
Liu is smart and eager to learn, listening to customers' opinions with an open mind and improving cooking methods, such as cutting tofu into small pieces, blanching with light salt water and then cooking to make tofu more tender. Beef was cut into pieces and reduced to fine grains. When cooking this dish, Liu not only pays attention to the collocation of seasonings, but also pays more attention to the mastery of heat. The beef tofu she made has the characteristics of hemp, spicy, fragrant, spicy, tender and crisp. Many people feel sweaty and want to eat it, which attracts many repeat customers.
Liu had smallpox when he was a child, leaving a few pockmarked faces. When guests come and go, they make fun of her and call her Ma Sao. She never takes offense. Later when I was older, people changed their names to Mapo. She was famous for making beef tofu, so she became "Mapo tofu". This vegetable juice is delicious. It is one of the main representative dishes with spicy flavor in Sichuan cuisine. It is not only famous all over the country, but also famous for its spicy tofu in thousands of Chinese restaurants abroad, and its reputation sometimes even exceeds that of Beijing roast duck.
The origin of stinky tofu in Wang Zhihe
There are many old brands in Beijing. Speaking of "Wang Zhihe", everyone knows it. Speaking of stinky tofu in Wang Zhihe, everyone knows it. A word "smelly" became famous in Wan Li and spread all over China. With the continuous growth of production and operation, Wang Zhihe has developed from a small workshop to a large enterprise now. From the initial stone mill production to the current needle mill production, from the initial manual operation to the current mechanized production, Wang Zhihe enterprises are also constantly developing, perfecting and improving.
Wang Zhihe stinky tofu is made from high-quality and high-protein soybeans by soaking beans, grinding, filtering, debittering, pre-fermentation, pickling, soup filling and post-fermentation. Among them, curing is the key, and the amount of salt and seasoning will directly affect the quality of stinky tofu. If there is more salt, tofu will not stink. If there is less salt, it will easily lead to deterioration or even corruption of sufu. Wang Zhihe stinky tofu has a strange smell. It is a protease-producing mold, which decomposes protein and forms extremely rich amino acids, making the smell very delicious. This odor is mainly caused by hydrogen sulfide gas produced during the decomposition of protein. In addition, due to the use of yellow water, cold water, salt water, etc. in curing, the tofu blocks formed after late fermentation are bean blue.
So, what is the origin of this stinky tofu that smells bad and tastes good? According to legend, in the eighth year of Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty, Wang Zhihe, who came to Beijing from Anhui Province to take the exam, was at the bottom of the gold list. He lived in the guild hall and wanted to go back to his hometown. The traffic was inconvenient and there was no toll. I want to go to Beijing to study and prepare for another exam, which is far from the next exam period. Helpless, I had to make a living in Beijing for the time being. The Wangs are not rich. My father opened a tofu mill in his hometown. Wang Zhihe learned to make tofu when he was a child, so he rented several rooms near Anhui Guild Hall, bought some simple utensils, ground several liters of bean curd every day, and peddled them along the street. It's summer now, and sometimes the leftover tofu will soon become moldy and inedible, but it's hard to throw away. Thinking hard about the countermeasures, he cut the tofu into small pieces, dried it a little, found a small jar and salted it. After that, I closed my business and concentrated on my studies, and gradually forgot about it.
The autumn wind is cool, and Wang Zhihe wants to go back to his old job and make tofu to sell. Suddenly, I remembered the jar of pickled tofu, and I quickly opened the cylinder cover. A foul smell came to my nose. When I took it out, the tofu was blue-gray I tried it with my mouth and felt it contained a strong aroma. Although it is not delicious, it is also intriguing. I gave it to my neighbor and praised it.
Wang Zhihe failed many times, so he had to give up his studies to do business and process stinky tofu in the way he tried in the past. The price is cheap, it can be eaten with meals, and it is suitable for low-income workers. Therefore, the market is gradually opened and business is booming. After raising money, I bought a set of paved houses in Yanshou Street Middle Road, which was produced and sold by myself, and operated in wholesale and retail. According to the purchase contract, it was the winter of the seventeenth year of Kangxi. After Wang Zhihe's original creation of stinky tofu, after many improvements, he gradually explored a set of production technology of stinky tofu. The production scale is expanding, the quality is better and the reputation is higher. In the late Qing Dynasty, it was introduced into the court. Legend has it that Empress Dowager Cixi also likes to eat it in late autumn and early winter, and also lists it as imperial food, but because of its indecent name, it is named "Fang Qing" according to its blue and square characteristics.
During the more than 300 years from the Qing Dynasty to the founding of New China, although Wang Zhihe has undergone several generations of changes, it has always maintained the old name of "Wang Zhihe" and the traditional flavor of stinky tofu in Wang Zhihe.
Where did the ancient longevity noodles come from?
After Tang succeeded to the throne, he gradually neglected his wife, the troubled queen Wang. One day, Queen Wang said to Tang, "Saburo, have you forgotten that on your birthday, I took off my new purple vest and replaced it with a bucket of flour to make soup cakes?" This story reflects that people in the Tang Dynasty ate "soup cakes" on their birthdays. Soup cake is also called "water introduction", that is, noodle soup, but the custom of eating noodle soup on birthday has a long history.
Legend of Sichuan style pork
Sichuan cuisine: Sichuan famous dish, also known as boiled shredded pork. It is said that this dish is the main course of Sichuanese on the first and fifteenth day of the first lunar month (to improve their lives). At that time, the practice was mostly to cook in white and then stir-fry. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, there was an academician named Ling in Chengdu, who lived in seclusion at home because of his frustrated career and devoted himself to studying cooking. He changed the original cooked fried pork to remove the smell of pork, steamed it in an impermeable container and then fried it into a dish. Because it is steamed early to maturity, the loss of soluble protein is reduced, and the meat is rich, delicious, original and bright red. Since then, Jincheng's famous early steamed meat has spread.
The origin of "lion's head"
"Lion Head" is called "Big Meatball" or "Four Happiness Meeting Ball" in Yangzhou dialect. It is said that its "distant ancestor" is the "jumping pill roasting" recorded in the Food Classic of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (see Qi Shu. Baking method eighty "). 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. A hundred miles in a state, land and water are extremely rare "("Zi Tongzhi Jian "). 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 Yangzhou famous chefs, the royal chefs finally made four dishes: sweet and sour mandarin fish, money shrimp cake, sliced chicken with elephant buds and sunflower minced meat. After Yang Guang tasted it, he was very happy, so he hosted a banquet for his ministers and once dumped Huaiyang cuisine in the ruling and opposition.
In the Tang Dynasty, with the prosperity of economy, officials and dignitaries also paid more attention to diet. On one occasion, Qi Huangong Wei Li hosted a banquet, and Wei Juyuan, a famous chef of the imperial court, also cooked four famous Yangzhou dishes, which were accompanied by delicacies and delicacies, which amazed the guests at the table. When the dish "Sunflower Cut Meat" was served, I saw the sunflower heart made of huge meat balls was exquisite, like a lion's head. The guest took the opportunity to persuade the wine: "I have been a military horse for half my life and deserve the handsome seal of a lion." Wei Li happily raised his glass and gulped it down, saying, "In order to commemorate today's great event, it is better to change the name of' Sunflower Chopped Meat' to' Lion Head'." After a shout, Yangzhou added a famous dish "Lion Head".
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 chopped into pills, and the vegetable oil is fried into sunflower yellow, commonly known as sunflower balls." His poem said: "The guest chef is diligent in breaking silk, and the sunflower is fresh. Think about the sun when you are full, and the meat will be eaten one after another. "
Origin of "chop suey"
"Chowder" is a famous traditional food, which was made in ancient and modern China. The ingredients of this dish are "miscellaneous", including animals and plants, high-grade, ordinary, vegetarian and mixed. The dishes are diverse, dazzling, soft, tender and crisp, with good color, fragrance and taste. Whether it is an official banquet or a folk banquet, it is a favorite delicacy.
"Chowder", as its name implies, is a dish made of several raw materials with a long history and many rumors. In the cooking history of China, the earliest inventor of chop suey was Lou Hu of Qilu Gang, named Jun Qing. He was a member of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and once worked as a Zhao official in Beijing. At that time, Louhu often traveled to and from the homes of five "Five Hous" who were sealed at the same time, such as Wang Tan, Wang Gen, Wang Li, Wang Shang and Wang Feng, so he created the "Five Hous Mackerel" food. Mackerel is a hodgepodge made of fish, meat and delicacies, that is, a "five-Hou hodgepodge". "Miscellanies of Xijing" Volume II: "The five marquis can't be combined, and guests can't come and go. Louhu, who is full of eloquence, divided the food among five Hou people, each got his own heart and won a wonderful meal. The wet nurse thought it was a shark, and the world called it a five-Hou shark, which was strange. " Later, it was used to refer to delicacies, which had a wide influence.
Legend has it that Yue Fei, a famous anti-gold star in the Southern Song Dynasty, was framed by the traitor Qin Gui and died. At that time, a chef in Fuzhou cooked a dish called chop suey with a variety of raw materials. Once, the government received a big official from Kyoto and specially tasted the "chop suey" dishes of famous chefs. When the guest asked what the name of the dish "chop suey" was? The chef boldly replied, "Little people don't know much about literacy. I only heard people say that miscellaneous is miscellaneous, and the cypress in Qin Gui is stewed, and the word wood is replaced by the word fire. " Although the official from Kyoto was scared, he didn't know whether he was drunk or hated Qin Gui. He just bluffed and shouted, "get out!" Since then, the word "chop suey" has spread from Fuzhou to various places.
It is also said that during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, there was a Lantern Festival, and the whole country held Lantern Festival. Every household was decorated with lanterns, especially the capital, with bright lights, firecrackers and fireworks. On this day, the emperor got up and sent the news out of the palace. Empresses, princes, ministers and others took to the streets to watch the lights and enjoy themselves with the people. Until he returned to the palace late at night, the emperor, queen and prince all felt hungry, and the eunuch quickly handed the rice. Because the original royal meal was cold, the royal chef was caught off guard, so he had to put all kinds of delicious cold meat into the pot and cook it into steaming dishes to offer. Because of the complex taste and mellow taste, Ming Di was particularly happy and asked, "What's the name of this meal?" When the chef saw the emperor's family eating together, he used his quick wits to answer, "This is a family photo." Ming Di was so happy that he decided on this name, which has been passed down to this day. "Family photo", that is, "assorted hodgepodge".
It is also said that at the end of the Qing Dynasty, that is, in the 21st year of Guangxu 1896, the Qing government sent Li Hongzhang, Minister of Westernization, to Russia to attend the coronation ceremony of Nicholas II, and then went to the United States. One day, Li Hongzhang gave a banquet in honor of senior American officials with Chinese food. It was delicious and full of praise. When American officials asked about the name of the dish, the unprofessional translator answered "chop suey", so westerners called delicious Chinese food "chop suey" and it spread all over the United States at once. Since then, the transliteration of "chop suey" has appeared in the English dictionary, and even the restaurant opened by overseas Chinese in Chinatown in the United States has been renamed "chop suey" restaurant. Then on the menu of the chop suey museum, Li Hongzhang chop suey was mentioned, and sure enough, the name "chop suey" was greatly improved. Chopsticks and chop suey are two names of a dish, so they are also called "Li Hongzhang chop suey". Mr. Zhang Boju from China Literature and History Museum also wrote "Li Hongzhang Chowder", calling it "famous overseas". Every restaurant in China in Europe and America has such a dish. ”。
"Chowder" is a well-known popular dish with a wide range of legends and records in many historical books. Because of its delicious taste, it is very popular with people, so it is generally made everywhere. Well-known chefs include "Li Hongzhang Chowder" in Anhui, "Family Portrait" in Hubei, "Braised Chowder" in Sichuan and "Baked Chowder" in Guizhou. Because recipes are different and tastes are different, they are all written on the banquet. The famous "chop suey" is also mentioned in the novels of Qing Dynasty, such as The Scholars, Three Heroes and Five Righteousnesses, and Lu Xun's Letters.
It seems that "chop suey", a famous dish that appeals to both refined and popular tastes, has been handed down to this day. It is not only mellow and delicious, but also contains perfect meaning, so it is very popular among diners at home and abroad.
Family portrait, a well-known traditional braised dish in Chuxiang, Hubei Province, commonly known as "assorted hodgepodge". This delicious dish, which was introduced from the imperial cuisine in Ming Dynasty, has become a common dish in local festive banquets, and has also been listed as a famous dish in China since the founding of the People's Republic of China. This cuisine takes the "four treasures" among the "eight treasures", namely sea cucumber, abalone, fish maw and shark fin, as the main ingredients, and chicken breast, cinnamon fish, mushrooms, mushrooms, fresh shrimp and pig's trotters as the ingredients. The specific preparation method is as follows: mixing