Whole Ox Feast of Yongding

Whole Ox Feast of Yongding

　　In the past, in places such as Meizhou and Huizhou in Guangdong, Hakka cuisine mainly featured pork, chicken, duck, and goose. However, in Yongding, Fujian, the Hakka people are famous for their Whole Ox Feast, which means eating every part of the ox from head to toe — truly comprehensive.

　　The Whole Ox Feast of Yongding actually has an interesting origin story. It’s said that when Emperor Qianlong traveled to the south of the Yangtze River, he went incognito and visited numerous villages around Yuanzhou. Wherever he went, he saw villagers who were all sallow and emaciated — except for one centenarian in Yelang Village, named Mi Luoduo, who had snow-white hair but a ruddy, glowing complexion and looked like an immortal. Emperor Qianlong was very curious, so he approached and bowed to ask the old man about his secret to longevity. Mi Luoduo laughed heartily and said, “When I was young, I was a butcher, spending all day slaughtering oxen and selling meat at Longxi Kou. I knew nothing about keeping healthy. All I did was sell the good meat to customers, while my family and I only ate the head, feet, offal, and I myself would chew on things like ox tails and tripe, using bones to make soup.” These few short words made Emperor Qianlong realize the truth behind it. After returning to the capital, he ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare over a hundred dishes from a whole ox for his enjoyment. Ever since he started eating the whole ox, Emperor Qianlong felt his memory greatly improved, and he had abundant energy at night. The emperor was so pleased that he wrote these sixteen characters: “南巡沅州，品醉全牛；百草健体，劲道十足。” (“On southern inspection to Yuanzhou, I savored the whole ox feast; herbs strengthened my body, vitality overflowed.”) This is the origin of the Whole Ox Feast.

　　The so-called “ox series” refers to a range of ox products starting from the tongue of the ox’s head, to the internal organs such as omasum, beef liver, beef heart, beef tripe, as well as beef tendons, penis, tail, blood, and even ox offal soup.