User:L.Toast/Chinese cuisine

Zhe Cuisine
Zhe cuisine, or Zhejiang cuisine, is one of the modern Eight Cuisines of China. It originated in the province of Zhejiang, which is located in the southeastern part of China. Most Zhejiang cuisine is light in flavor and retains the original flavor of the ingredients. Zhejiang cuisine usually focuses on fresh seafood, river food, and other ingredients. Longjing shrimp, Beggar’s chicken, and Dongpo pork are some well-known examples of Zhejiang cuisine.

Longjing shrimp
Longjing Shrimp is one of the most famous dishes in Zhejiang cuisine, and the use of Mingqian Longjing gives this dish a unique flavor. There are many versions of the origin story behind this dish, but one of the most common is when Emperor Qianlong was visiting Jiangnan, which refers to the areas in the south of the Yangtze River. He couldn't get enough of the flavor of Longjing tea, and when he gave the tea to the waiter at a local inn and wanted to have another cup of Longjing tea, the waiter realized the emperor's identity and told the chef, who was very shocked and accidentally put the tea into the shrimp that he was cooking, which was later complemented by the Emperor, and thus Longjing Shrimp has been passed down to the present day.

Because prawns from around Zhejiang Province and northern Jiangsu Province have a firmer texture than prawns from other places, they are the best choice for the shrimp portion of the Longjing Shrimp. Large live shrimps are cleaned and soaked in a marinade of egg whites and cornstarch, then soaked in Longjing tea leaves. The oil is heated, and the shrimps are placed in a wok for some time before the Longjing tea is added and cooked together. Longjing shrimp looks beautiful and tastes very refreshing with the white shrimp and the green Longjing tea leaves.

Beggar’s chicken
Beggar's Chicken, or clay-wrapped chicken, is a well-known cuisine that originated in Zhejiang province and has a long history that dates back to more than 300 years ago. It is the Chinese version of roast chicken, consisting of a whole chicken, and is also famous for its special preparation. There are many different versions of the story about the origin of the name of this dish. One of the most widely known is that a beggar caught a chicken but didn't have any cooking utensils or seasonings to cook it with, so he ended up wrapping it in lotus leaves and clay and roasting it over a fire. But when he cracked the shell and peeled off the leaves, he realized that the chicken was so delicious that he started selling chicken and made a lot of money, giving the dish its name, beggar's chicken.

The chicken is tightly wrapped in a lotus leaf and then wrapped in thick clay on the outside of the leaf. Finally, it is baked in a special oven or over an open fire, and then the shell is cracked with a hammer to give a whole roasted chicken with tender meat.

Dongpo pork
Dongpo pork, one of the most famous Zhejiang cuisines, is said to have been invented by an 11th-century Song dynasty statesman, poet, artist, calligrapher, and gourmet cook named Su Dongpo. The origin of the dish is attributed to the fact that during his tenure, Su Dongpo governed so well and was known by almost everyone as a pork lover that the residents showed their gratitude by presenting him with a lot of pork during the Chinese New Year. Su was so aware of the hard work of the workers that he had his family distribute stewed pork to the workers. The dish proved to be very delicious and was loved by many.

Pick a piece of evenly fatty and lean pork, cut it into a decent-sized square, and add the scallions, soy sauce, ginger, cooking wine, pork, and rock sugar to the pot. Dongpo pork tasted soft and oily, but not greasy.