Yao meat, as the first of the three eccentrics in Zhenjiang, is synonymous with pig's trotters. It is also called "crystal vegetable hoof" because of its clear red and white meat color, transparent brine, delicate texture and crystal clear shape. Yaorou is made from pig's front hoof fat. Take out claws and bones, soak them in refined salt and three thousandths of nitrate water for three to four days, and then take them out of the jar when the meat turns red. Soak in clear water to remove astringency and saltpeter components, take out and scrape off dirt, and then wash with warm water. Then add water to boil together with seasonings such as onion slices, ginger slices, cooking wine, pepper, star anise, etc., simmer for three hours until crisp and rotten, then take out, wash the meat with broth while it is hot, filter off fat and turbid substances, move it into the refrigerator for freezing, and slice and plate it when eating. It has four characteristics: fragrant, crisp, fresh and tender. Its lean meat is crisp, fat meat is not greasy, and ginger and Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar are served with it, which has a unique flavor. Therefore, it has become a well-known food at home and abroad.

According to legend, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, there was a "Jingkou Restaurant" on Jiuhai Street in Zhenjiang. The husband is both a chef and a waiter, and the wife is both a boss and a bookkeeper. One summer, my husband went to the street and saw that pig's trotters were cheap, so he bought four pig's trotters and prepared to eat them in a few days. Because the weather is hot and easy to deteriorate, pig's trotters are all salted. But he mistakenly pickled the hoof fat and the nitrate his wife bought for his father-in-law and made firecrackers. The next day, he found that when he quickly opened the pickling tank, not only the meat quality changed, but also it was hard and delicious, with ruddy color and whiter hoof skin. But I'm afraid it's poisonous and I can't bear to throw it away. So the couple discussed it, soaked it in salt water several times, and then cooked it for a while with a small fire, ready to leave it for themselves to eat. Stewed with spiced spices for an hour, Zhang was invited by the Queen Mother to ride a donkey backwards to catch a flat peach party in Yaochi, passed by Zhenjiang, smelled the smell of "nitrate meat", immediately got off the donkey, turned into an old man, came to earth and ate nitrate meat in the "Jingkou Hotel". He has fat hooves, ginger and balsamic vinegar, and he is full of praise while eating. After eating, I walked out of the shop, got on the donkey with a smile and drove away. Forgot to catch the flat peach party, which shows the beauty of its taste.