Qianlong and the first dish in the world
“The first dish in the world” is a famous dish in the south of the Yangtze River. This dish is called “the first dish in the world”, and it was sealed by Emperor Qianlong himself. According to legend, once Emperor Qianlong paid a private visit, he ate at a small restaurant in Suzhou. The cook in the shop fried the crispy rice with rice noodles, and then boiled it with shredded chicken, shrimp, and chicken soup to make a sauce. Pour it on the pot, and in an instant, the fragrance is everywhere. Qianlong saw that the soup of this dish was bright, the rice was golden and delicious, so he immediately took a piece and put it in his mouth. After eating it, I felt that the taste of this dish was unique. I opened my mouth and said, “This dish can be called the best in the world.” The words of Emperor Qianlong spread to the people, and people began to pay more attention to the fried rice and shrimp. The reputation of this “first dish in the world” also spread all over the country, and gradually became a traditional famous dish in the south of the Yangtze River.
Ding Baozhen and “Kung Pao Chicken”
As a delicious dish, “Kung Pao Chicken” has not only become a famous name in China for a long time Eating, and it has also become famous all over the world and is well known to the world. There are many interesting topics in history about this dish.
Kung Pao Chicken is a famous dish in Sichuan, Guizhou, Shandong and other places. When making this dish, you need to choose diced juvenile chicken with tender meat, and then add the good peppers and peanuts as accessories. The chicken in this dish is tender, the peanuts are crispy and delicious, fat but not greasy, spicy but not dry, which is deeply loved by the world. In 1986, when China participated in the 5th Luxembourg Food Exhibition and the World Cup Cooking Competition for the first time, it took the lead with the dish of Kung Pao Chicken, which won praise and praise. Since then, Kung Pao Chicken has gone global and has become a must-have reserved dish in Chinese restaurants around the world.
The name of “Kung Pao Chicken”
Kung Pao Chicken The name is related to Jinshi Ding Baozhen during the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty. Gongbao is an official name in ancient China, also known as Prince Shaobao, an official who tutors the prince. Ding Baozhen, a native of Pingyuan, Guizhou, was a Jinshi in the third year of Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty. Pingyuan, Guizhou has always been known for its fried chicken. It is said that Ding Baozhen liked to eat dishes made with chicken and peppers since he was a child, especially the spicy chicken made by home chefs, which is fresh, spicy, tender and unique.
When he was working in Shandong, he often ordered his family’s cooks to make dishes such as “Sauce Fried Chicken”. After he became the Governor of Sichuan, he especially liked fried chicken made with Tianfu peanuts, tender chicken and chili peppers. Every time there is a banquet, he will let the chef cook this dish. Even when he returned to his hometown of Guizhou Province, he asked his family members: “You don’t have to spend money, just serve fried chicken.” And he asked his family to fry peppers and peanuts together. Gradually, Ding Baozhen’s habit of eating chicken was well known.
Because of Ding Baozhen’s official residence as the governor, people at that time respected him as “Gong Bao”, and he was awarded the title of “Kung Pao” when he was appointed as an inspector in Shandong. With the title of “Prince Shaobao”, people call Ding Baozhen’s favorite dish “Kung Pao Chicken”. This dish was already famous in the province when Ding Baozhen was the governor of Sichuan. In the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, this dish was even more popular in China. Because Ding Baozhen used to be an official in many places, Sichuan, Shandong and Guizhou have included this dish in the local cuisine.