Roasted North and South

Roasted North and South

　　“Roasted North and South” is a traditional specialty dish from Zhangjiakou City in Hebei Province. As the name suggests, this dish primarily features Northern mushrooms from the grasslands and Southern bamboo shoots from the Jiangnan region. The ingredients are thinly sliced and stir-fried in hot oil, then simmered with seasonings and broth, thickened with starch, and finished with chicken fat. The result is a dish with a silvery-red hue, deliciously fresh and savory with a strong, aromatic flavor.

　　In Chinese folklore, bamboo shoots are poetically called “Magnolia Slices” and are abundantly produced in regions such as Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Hunan. The elegant name “Magnolia Slices” originates from a legend.

　　Long ago, in Yiyang, Hunan, lived the family of Guo Xin, a descendant of the Tang Dynasty general Guo Ziyi. Guo Xin was a skilled martial artist who earned many merits during military campaigns and was promoted to the position of Assistant Minister of War. When he returned home on leave, he married a beautiful and virtuous woman named Yulan, and the couple lived a loving and sweet life. Later, Guo Xin left for the capital to take up his official post, while Yulan stayed behind in Yiyang to care for Guo Xin’s elderly parents. Though the couple did not often meet, Yulan frequently sent local specialties to Guo Xin through others, so their bond remained strong. One year, Yiyang enjoyed an abundant harvest of bamboo shoots, and Yulan dried them and sent them to the capital. Guo Xin cooked the dried shoots and made soups with them, finding them incredibly delicious. He presented them to the emperor, who praised the taste and asked what the dish was called. Guo Xin replied, “These are bamboo shoots, personally prepared by my wife Yulan.” The emperor nodded and said, “Since they were made by your beloved wife Yulan, let us call them Magnolia Slices.” From then on, the poetic name spread far and wide.

　　Compared to the legend of Magnolia Slices, the tale of Northern mushrooms is even more legendary. Also known as “Hutao,” these mushrooms are a famous specialty of Hebei Province and are named after the Bashang Grassland near Zhangjiakou, where they are abundantly produced. With their thick, tender flesh and fragrant taste, they are considered one of the finest edible fungi and are praised as the “meat among vegetables.” The aroma of Hutao is rich and lingering. A beautiful legend surrounds the fragrance of these mushrooms. Once upon a time, a mushroom merchant seeking to expand his market took premium-quality mushrooms and set off by boat from Tianjin heading south. Along the way, the intense aroma of the mushrooms attracted schools of fish and shrimp that followed the boat in droves. The passengers were both amazed by the spectacle and fearful of capsizing. The ship’s captain offered a handsome reward for a solution to drive the fish away. The mushroom merchant took on the task, opened his crate, and threw the mushrooms into the sea. As the mushrooms drifted with the waves, the fish gradually dispersed, following them away. Afterwards, the merchant would recount how the fish had surrounded the boat and how the mushrooms had saved the day. Many people then signed contracts to buy his mushrooms, and the merchant became very wealthy.

　　Although both Magnolia Slices and Northern mushrooms are culinary delights, they were traditionally cooked separately or used as secondary ingredients in other dishes. So how did these two renowned regional ingredients—one from the north and one from the south—end up combined in one dish? It is said that once, when a chef reheated leftover roasted Northern mushrooms and Magnolia Slices together, they accidentally mixed them. Upon tasting the result, they discovered an extraordinary flavor with vibrant color, leading to the accidental creation of the famous dish “Roasted North and South.” Its invention allowed diners to enjoy the essence of both southern and northern China in a single dish. Truly, it is “a plate of exquisite cuisine embodying flavors from both Jiangnan and the northern frontier.”