Xiaoshan Dongpo Pork

Xiaoshan Dongpo Pork

　　Xiaoshan Dongpo Pork

　　The "Dongpo Pork" has a very touching legend. During the Yuanyou era of the Song Dynasty (around 1090 AD), the great literary figure Su Dongpo served as an official in Hangzhou. At that time, West Lake had been largely covered by overgrown weeds. He mobilized tens of thousands of laborers to dredge the lake, and the mud that was excavated was used to build a long causeway, which later became one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake known as "Spring Dawn at Su Causeway." Su Dongpo's achievements in managing West Lake were highly praised by the common people.

　　Su Dongpo loved cooking and was especially skilled at making red braised pork. He once shared his technique in a poem: “Keep the fire low, use little water, and when the timing is right, the taste will be perfect on its own.” The locals knew that Su Dongpo enjoyed eating meat, so during the Spring Festival that year, they all spontaneously sent him pork and Shaoxing wine. Having received so much meat and wine, Su Dongpo felt it should be shared with the tens of thousands of laborers who had helped dredge the lake. He instructed his family to cook the pork and, together with the wine, give it back to the workers. His family misunderstood and cooked the pork along with the wine, resulting in an exceptionally fragrant and delicious dish — a story that quickly became widely celebrated. People spoke highly of Su Dongpo’s character and began imitating his unique cooking method. From then on, the "Dongpo Pork," named after this great literary figure, became a traditional famous dish of Hangzhou.