Qinghe "Eight Bowls"

Qinghe "Eight Bowls"

      Although there is no historical record of when the Eight Bowls were introduced to Qinghe, the legend has been around for a long time. Wang Si told reporters that this is also a tradition passed down from previous generations. It is said that during the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, after soldiers at the front won a battle, the delighted emperor decided to reward the troops. In addition to generous gold and silver rewards, he had imperial chefs go to the front lines to cook. Due to limited ingredients at the front, they simply made the "Eight Bowls," which were very popular among the soldiers. One of the soldiers gave his reward money to the imperial chef in exchange for the secret recipe of the dish. Since then, the "Qinghe Eight Bowls" came into being.

　　 The Qinghe "Eight Bowls" is a local signature dish of Qinghe. The "Eight Bowls" cuisine includes fifteen dishes such as chicken, fish, pork, beef, lamb, lotus root sandwich, tofu sandwich, goose neck, braised meatballs, poached meatballs, vegetarian meatballs, mock dishes, wood ear mushrooms, eggs, shredded kelp, and gluten. The combination of meat and vegetable dishes is adjusted based on the customer's flavor preferences.

　　 【Playing the Trumpet】

　　 The dish is made by baking a large flatbread. Its characteristics are that it is as thin as paper and as large as a pot lid, with a golden color. It is coated inside and out with small mill sesame oil and wrapped with Nangong smoked meat, wild boar meat, pork offal, scrambled eggs, etc., then rolled into a trumpet shape. Because it resembles playing a trumpet when eaten, it is commonly known as "Playing the Trumpet." This snack is crispy outside and tender inside, and is convenient to eat.

　　 【Nangong Smoked Meat】

　　 It is made from high-quality pork, with fresh eggs, pure mung bean starch, shredded ginger, and small mill sesame oil added in proportion, stirred into a porridge-like mixture, and then stuffed into casings.

　　 Afterward, it is boiled in a broth seasoned with spices, then smoked over sawdust fire until it turns purplish-red. The outer skin is coated with sesame oil, resulting in a fragrant taste without any fishiness. It does not spoil even after a few days and is very popular among the public.

　　 【Longevity Vegetable】

　　 Characteristics: The mushrooms are soft and tender, with a delicious and fragrant taste. Ingredients: 500g soaked shiitake mushrooms, 50g cleaned winter bamboo shoots, 20g soy sauce, 5g sugar, 1g monosodium glutamate, 30g peanut oil, 15g sesame oil, 3g wet starch, 150g fresh soup.

　　 Preparation process: 1. Remove the stems of the mushrooms and wash them repeatedly with clean water. Cut the winter bamboo shoots into thin slices 4 cm long. 2. Heat the pan, add oil, and heat to 60–70% hot. Add the bamboo shoot slices and stir-fry, then add the mushrooms, along with soy sauce, sugar, monosodium glutamate, and 150g of fresh soup. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes until the mushrooms are soft, have absorbed the sauce, and plumped up. Then increase to high heat to reduce the sauce, thicken with wet starch, stir a few times, drizzle with sesame oil, and serve. Key points: Choose medium-thickness mushrooms with ample flesh. They should be soaked until soft and fully rehydrated. Cook using low heat to simmer so they absorb enough sauce, making them deliciously fragrant when eaten.

　　 【Three-No-Stick】　　

　　 Ingredients: 5 egg yolks, 125g sugar, 30g wet starch, appropriate amount of lard. Preparation: Mix the egg yolks, sugar, and wet starch with 35g of water using chopsticks, then mix again with an additional 125g of water.

　　 Place the pan over high heat, heat it up, add lard, swirl to coat the pan, then pour out the excess oil. Immediately pour in the mixed egg yolk mixture. Stir continuously with a spatula for two minutes, then drizzle 25g of lard in 3–4 batches while continuing to stir. When it turns golden yellow and no oil marks are visible, it can be taken out and plated. This dish is golden yellow, sweet and fragrant. It doesn’t stick to the pan, spatula, plate, or chopsticks during cooking or eating, hence the name “Three-No-Stick.”

　　 【Tomato Lamb Loin】

　　 Characteristics: The meat is soft and tender, with a sweet and sour flavor. Ingredients: Cleaned lamb loin (also called lamb tenderloin), soaked yulan slices, cucumber, cooked ham (or char siu), tomato sauce, flour, eggs, wet starch, chicken broth, sugar, vinegar, cooking wine, salt, monosodium glutamate, cooked lard, peanut oil.

　　 Preparation process: Cut the lamb loin horizontally into two sections. Make diagonal cuts on the front side and straight cuts on the back of each section. Coat with a layer of flour. Dice the yulan slices, cucumber, and ham. Place the tomato sauce in a bowl and add chicken broth, sugar, cooking wine, vinegar, monosodium glutamate, salt, wet starch, and water to make a sauce. Beat the eggs in a bowl and coat the floured lamb loin. Heat peanut oil in a wok over low heat until it is about to smoke, then add the egg-coated lamb loin and deep-fry until cooked (about 3 minutes). Remove and drain the oil, then slice into 0.33 cm thick pieces, arranging them overlapping in a plate. Heat the wok over high heat, add cooked lard. Once the oil is hot, stir-fry the cucumber dices, yulan dices, and ham dices. Pour in the sauce, and once the sauce is cooked, pour it over the lamb loin slices and serve.