Buddha Jumps Over the Wall

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall

　　“Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” is a high-end dish. Originally named "Fushouquan" (meaning “Prosperity and Longevity”), it was first created by the famous Fuzhou restaurant Juchunyuan during the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty. The dish primarily includes 28 ingredients such as abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, fish maw, fish lips, tendons, ham, scallops, mushrooms, and more, along with Shaoxing wine. These are stored in a wine jar, sealed with mud, and simmered over low heat for over 10 hours. It boasts an incredibly delicious taste and rich aroma, making it a fine dish for autumn and winter. No wonder a scholar in the Qing Dynasty once composed a poem praising it: “When the jar is opened, the rich fragrance wafts to neighbors; even the Buddha would abandon his meditation and leap over the wall.” Hence the name “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.”

　　Legend has it that during the late Qing Dynasty, the wife of the owner of the Guanqian Bank in Yangqiao Lane, Fuzhou, was from Zhejiang and had considerable expertise in cooking. One day, the bank owner hosted a banquet for the provincial governor Zhou Lian. The owner’s wife personally cooked a richly flavored dish using more than 20 ingredients, including chicken, duck, pork belly, pig trotters, lamb, and dried squid. She placed them all in a jar of Shaoxing wine, sealed the lid tightly, and simmered the dish over low heat. Zhou Lian praised it highly after tasting it. Later, Zhou Lian brought his personal chef Zheng Chunfa to learn the recipe. Under the guidance of the owner’s wife, Zheng Chunfa grasped the secrets of the cooking method. While imitating her technique, he adjusted the ingredients by using more seafood and less meat, resulting in a dish that was not greasy but even more flavorful and aromatic.

　　In 1865, Zheng Chunfa partnered with others to open the restaurant “San You Zhai” (later renamed “Juchunyuan” in 1905, which is the predecessor of today’s Juchunyuan Grand Hotel), where this dish was introduced to the public. One day, several literati gathered at Juchunyuan to drink and enjoy the dishes. When Zheng Chunfa presented this dish, as soon as the jar lid was lifted, the rich aroma filled the room, intoxicating everyone. The guests savored it with great relish and showered it with praise. A scholar asked, “What is the name of this dish?” Zheng replied, “It hasn’t been named yet.” The scholars, inspired, began composing poems. One of them recited: “When the jar is opened, the rich aroma drifts far and wide; even the Buddha would abandon his meditation and leap over the wall…” The literati applauded in amazement. Since then, this poetic abbreviation—“Buddha Jumps Over the Wall”—became the official name of the dish.

　　For over a hundred years, “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” has been continuously refined and innovated by generations of master chefs, becoming increasingly refined and widely loved. It is the signature dish of Fujian cuisine and has been highly praised by guests from home and abroad.

　　Preparation Method

　　● Clean the shark fin, arrange it neatly on a bamboo rack, and steam it with scallion segments, ginger slices, and Shaoxing wine over high heat for 2 hours. Then remove and drain the steaming liquid.

　　● Cut the fish maw into pieces, and boil it with scallion segments, Shaoxing wine, and ginger slices in boiling water for 10 minutes to remove the fishy smell. Then take it out and discard the scallions and ginger.

　　● Steam the money abalone over high heat until tender, slice each piece into two, score a crosshatch pattern, place in a small bowl, add bone broth and Shaoxing wine, then steam over high heat for 30 minutes. Drain the steaming liquid. Boil the pigeon eggs, then peel them.

　　● Chop off the heads, necks, and feet of the chicken and duck. Wash the pig’s trotters and sheep’s elbows. Cut each of these four ingredients into 12 pieces, and blanch them together with cleaned duck gizzards in boiling water. Blanch the pig stomach in boiling water twice, then cut it into 12 pieces. Place it in a pot of boiling bone broth, add Shaoxing wine, blanch briefly, then remove and discard the broth.

　　● Wash the rehydrated sea cucumber, and cut each into two pieces. Cut the rehydrated pig tendon into sections. Place the ham slices in a bowl, steam over high heat for 30 minutes, then drain the liquid and slice. Blanch the bamboo shoots in boiling water until cooked, cut each one vertically into chunks, and gently flatten them with a knife. Lightly fry the pigeon eggs and bamboo shoot chunks in oil. Then fry the fish maw until it can be bent, pour it into a colander to drain the oil, soak it in clean water to soften, then remove and cut into pieces.

　　● Stir-fry scallion segments and ginger slices in oil until fragrant, then add the chicken, duck, sheep’s elbows, pig trotters, duck gizzards, and pig stomach pieces. Stir-fry briefly, then add soy sauce, MSG, rock sugar, Shaoxing wine, bone broth, and cinnamon. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Then discard the scallions, ginger, and cinnamon, remove all the ingredients, and set aside the broth.

　　● Take a medium-sized Shaoxing wine jar, pour in some water, and place it on a charcoal stove. Heat the water inside the jar over low heat until warm, then pour out the water. Line the bottom of the jar with a small bamboo rack. First, place the previously cooked chicken, duck, sheep’s elbows, pig trotters, duck gizzards, pig stomach pieces, flower mushrooms, and fried bamboo shoots into the jar. Then arrange the shark fin, ham slices, scallops, and abalone slices (wrapped in clean gauze into rectangular shapes — the gauze is removed when serving) on top of the other ingredients. Next, pour in the broth from the previously cooked ingredients along with Shaoxing wine. Seal the jar opening with lotus leaves, then press a small bowl upside down on top. After preparation, place the jar on the charcoal stove and simmer over low heat for 2 hours. Then uncover quickly, add the sea cucumber, pig’s trotters, fish maw, and fish stomach into the jar, immediately reseal the jar, and simmer for another hour to finish.