After the King of Yue, Goujian, was defeated by the Wu State, he tried his best to seek revenge. He told his subordinates not to eat fish or anything with a sweet taste. As time goes by, Goujian’s body is getting thinner and thinner. The ministers in the DPRK and China were very worried. Minister Fan and the chef came up with a solution: supplementing Goujian with eggs. In order not to violate his prohibition of “sweet and not eating”, the famous Huangshan tea “Que Tong” was put in it to increase the bitterness. Gou Jian wanted to get angry when he saw the egg that came up, but he thought about it, the egg is not fish, there is a faint bitterness in the fragrance, and it can’t be said “Sweet”, I had to eat this food. Since then, this dish has become a common dish in Goujian. Later, the people followed suit one after another, and it became today’s “Golden Sparrow’s Tongue”.
Xiang Yu and “Farewell My Concubine”
Xiang Yu is a famous warrior in ancient China, and his love story with Concubine Yu It is also widely praised by people. In the Chinese food culture, classic dishes related to Xiang Yu were also born.
After Qin’s demise, the two main anti-Qin forces, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, got into a fight. In 206 BC, Xiang Yu proclaimed himself “The Overlord of Western Chu” and made Pengcheng the capital. Legend has it that Xiang Yu had a concubine, surnamed Yu, who was beautiful and virtuous. People called her Yu Ji. Yu Ji is not only good at singing and dancing, but also good at cooking. She accompanied Xiang Yu to the north and south, singing and dancing for Xiang Yu, and often cooking dishes for him.
The Overlord of Western Chu and “Boiled Chowder”
In northern Jiangsu, it has been popular to eat during feasts since ancient times The dietary custom of burning chowder. Regarding the source of the roasted chowder, the locals all believe that it is related to Xiang Yu, the overlord of the Western Chu Dynasty. According to legend, Xiang Yu has two characteristics as a person: there are no other concubines around him, and only Yu Ji is accompanied by him; he only eats one dish at each meal. Xiang Yu had to lead his troops to fight in the South and the North. In order to ensure that Xiang Yu had a strong physique, the cooks put chicken and fish together, cooked them carefully, and presented them to Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu was full of praise for this dish, and his appetite was widened, and he ate it all in an instant. Later, he gave orders, and in order to save time, the cooks cooked the dishes in this way of cooking. To keep the chowder from being monotonous, the chefs use different ingredients. Later, people often cook this dish at home in memory of Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu. “Boiled chowder” has gradually become popular among the people.
“Farewell My Concubine” tells goodbye
“Farewell My Concubine” is a dish cooked with turtle and hen as the main ingredients Anhui-style dishes are also classic dishes in Xuzhou. “Overlord” nail fish, “Yu Ji” refers to chicken. Farewell My Concubine originally refers to the tragic parting of Xiang Yu and his concubine Yu Ji after their defeat. In 202 BC, Xiang Yu was forced to Gaixia by Liu Bang, with few soldiers and no food. At night, Liu Bang’s army sang songs of Chu land on all sides. Xiang Yu was very surprised, thinking that Chu land had been completely occupied by Liu Bang, and he decided to break through. Xiang Yu was faced with a dilemma, should he take Yu Ji to go or not, should he break out of the encirclement or keep Yu Ji? In the last sentence of “Gaixia Song”, he said “Yu Xi Yu Xi Nai Ruo what”? Xiang Yu felt that the success of the breakthrough was still unknown. Xiang Yu sang a tragic song with impassioned enthusiasm, and Yu Ji also sang along. Xiang Gong’s tears kept streaming down, and the entourage on both sides cried. After the song was over, Yu Ji committed suicide.
Xiang Yu led the elite to break through, but Still trapped in the Wujiang River, he committed suicide. The final farewell of Xiang Yu and Concubine Yu became a poignant and beautiful sound that has been sung through the ages.
Since the creation idea of ”Farewell My Concubine” is related to Xiang Yu and Yu Ji, plus the “Bie” and “Ji” in the name of the dish are related to the “Farewell My Concubine” in the main ingredient. The homonyms of “turtle” and “chicken” (soft-shelled turtles are commonly known as turtles) add a profound meaning to this dish. This dish is famous all over the world for its unique shape, delicious taste, smooth texture and mellow soup. When people taste this dish, they will also think of the heroism of Chu Bawang and the beautiful sorrow of Yu Ji.
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