Dingzhou Stewed Pork is one of the most famous traditional snacks in Dingzhou City, Hebei Province. It is often referred to in the north as stewed meat on fire (驴肉火烧保定派的食物), which is in the form of jelly, and is accompanied by donkey meat to increase its flavor. But Dingzhou stew is not such, it is a kind of meat cooked food.

If you are the first time to see the casserole, see that thicker than the common round ham, taste you will immediately understand, the original is actually a meat sausage. It can be said that the casserole is the most representative food in Dingzhou City, and it is also an essential dish on the dinner table for entertaining guests. If you don't eat casserole, you won't have been to Dingzhou.

Legends and Stories

Dingzhou casserole is not only loved by people today, but also has a long history. According to legend, it was created in the Song Dynasty by Su Dongpo, a great writer who was the governor of Dingzhou.

Su Dongpo came to Dingzhou as a governor in October, 1093, the eighth year of the Yuanyou reign of Emperor Zhezong of the Song Dynasty. Before Su Dongpo's arrival, the counties around Dingzhou, such as Quyang, Wangdu, Tangxian, Xinle, and Wuji, had been experiencing no rain and a severe drought since the beginning of summer, and then flooded with rain in the fall. The disaster was severe twice a year.

Su Dongpo arrived, one side to the emperor to write to the amount of relief for the people, while personally leading people with food and meat, etc. deep into the villages to relieve the victims. Su Dongpo every place, will be for the victims of porridge cooking meat. But more victims, less meat, in order to let the victims can eat some meat, make up for the weak body, Su Dongpo looked at the cauldron cooking meat came up with a substitute.

He ordered people to use the broth to put a little minced meat, and then put into the local pronged noodles (buckwheat noodles) boiled into a block, and then cut into pieces and distributed to the victims. In this way, the limited amount of meat could be consumed by more victims. This kind of food played a big role in disaster relief, and its practice was passed down. Later, people called the food boiled with minced meat in broth and ribbed noodles or sweet potato starch and other noodles "casserole".