Canal Halal Banquet

Canal Halal Banquet

　　The Hui ethnic group in Linqing currently numbers around 16,000, most of whom reside in the urban area. Tracing their origins, there are three main sources: first, during the early Ming Dynasty, the renowned general Chang Yuchun stationed troops in Linqing, and some Hui soldiers from the military camps settled here due to the area’s simple and honest folkways; second, with the opening of the Grand Canal, Hui compatriots came to engage in trade and eventually settled down; third, some Han people converted to Islam. Over the centuries, the Hui and Han peoples in Linqing have lived together in unity and mutual assistance, jointly creating the prosperity of Linqing.

　　Along with the prosperity of Linqing, the Hui compatriots who made their way in the world with “two knives” absorbed culinary skills from both the north and south, forming a dining system that combines high-end banquets with distinctive snacks, suitable for consumption by all social strata, and becoming an important part of Linqing’s canal cuisine culture.

　　I. Twelve Main Dishes

　　1. Vinegar-Stir-Fried Liver Slices: Ma Benzhai was a famous Hui military leader in modern times who fought against the Japanese invaders in areas such as Linqing and Shenxian, striking fear into the hearts of the enemy. Normally, his favorite dish was vinegar-stir-fried liver slices, symbolizing a relationship as close as liver and gallbladder with his friends, and the determination to resist Japan to the end.

　　2. Braised Ox Tongue: Braised ox tongue is a signature Hui dish. Because of its refined selection of ingredients and exquisite cooking, it has been favored by many emperors, generals, and officials, and is frequently recorded in historical materials. As a result, this dish has spread across the country and become an essential delicacy for festivals and banquets.

　　3. Roast Lamb Leg: Roast lamb leg is a traditional famous Halal dish, evolved from the whole roasted lamb. It features beautiful color, fragrant meat, crispy outside and tender inside, dry yet not greasy, and is praised as “a dish whose aroma wafts before it is seen.” During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Persian merchants traveling along the canal particularly enjoyed this style of preparation, even bringing the dish back to Persia.

　　4. Garlic-Stir-Fried Meat: Modern medicine proves that “eating meat without garlic reduces nutrition by half.” Linqing’s famous Halal dish, garlic-stir-fried meat, strongly supports the nutritious lifestyle valued by the locals. The cooking technique of this dish is detailed in books such as Essentials of Diet (Yin Shan Zheng Yao) by Hu Sihui from the Yuan Dynasty and A Pearl of Things (Shi Wu Gan Zhu) from the Ming Dynasty, which document Halal dishes. By the late Ming and early Qing periods, it had become widely used in society and has been passed down to this day.

　　5. Sesame Lamb: During the Ming Dynasty, an imperial envoy came to Linqing to inspect the collection of banknote taxes and silver. He reserved a banquet of “eight large and eight small” dishes at Maxiangxing’s Hongxinglou. When the kitchen prepared the last dish, crisp-fried lamb, they found the cooking oil nearly gone and had no time to buy more. In a moment of inspiration, the chef coated the lamb in sesame, fried it with a little oil, and served it. Unexpectedly, it became very popular. Later, sesame lamb became a famous dish in Halal cuisine.

　　6. Fried Vegetarian Goose Neck: Legend has it that when Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty toured the south, he heard that the vegetarian goose neck at Zhongheyuan in Linqing was quite unique, so he went in disguise. After tasting one bite of the crispy outside and fragrant inside vegetarian goose neck, he said, “This is not an ordinary goose neck—its taste is absolutely delicious.” Since then, Linqing’s vegetarian goose neck gained great fame.

　　7. Blanched Sheep Tendon: This dish uses sheep tendons from Linqing goats, combined with seasonings from Jimei Sauce Garden. It is crystal clear, crispy and tender, rich in collagen, and highly nutritious, making it very popular among diners.

　　8. Celery with Shrimp: Yongleyuan is a century-old restaurant in Linqing. Its first owner was a man of integrity, upright in character, fair in business, and honest in conduct. On family celebrations or holidays, he would personally go to the Wei Canal to catch green shrimp and pick fresh celery from the garden, then cook them himself. This dish is refreshing and delicious, with high nutritional value, and is beloved by both Hui and Han people.

　　9. Pounded Chicken Noodles: One of the signature Halal dishes. Made by pounding chicken breast meat into a paste, it is exquisitely prepared, tender and smooth, with a unique flavor and high nutritional value. There is a saying: “You eat chicken but don’t see the chicken.”

　　10. Stir-Fried Chicken Strips: In 1994, Liu Zhiguang, a Hui chef from our city, participated in the National Ethnic Culinary Competition held in Shenyang. His stir-fried chicken strips, along with pounded chicken noodles, fried vegetarian goose neck, and braised meat strips, won major awards according to traditional methods. Stir-fried chicken strips have since become a preserved dish of Linqing.

　　11. Vinegar-Pepper Fish Fillet: In July of the first year of the Hongwu reign in the Ming Dynasty, the founding hero Chang Yuchun was stationed in Linqing and caught a chill, leaving him weak. The Hui soldiers prepared this dish of vinegar-pepper fish fillet for him. After eating it, Chang’s appetite greatly improved and his health gradually recovered. He called it an appetizing dish that could strengthen the body. Thus, this dish became famous in Linqing and other cities along the canal for hundreds of years.

　　12. Egg Fluff: A sweet dish. It tastes delicious, has a unique flavor, and is suitable for all ages.

　　II. Snacks

　　Blanched Tripe: A local specialty snack in Linqing. Washed beef tripe is blanched in boiling water, then served with seasonings—fragrant, crisp, tender, and leaving a lingering aftertaste. The famous Beijing “Tripe Feng” is actually descended from Linqing, and its seventh-generation descendant, facing the influx of foreign fast food, organized descendants of Beijing snacks to establish Beijing’s “Snack Street,” which became very popular.

　　Stewed Whole Lamb: A local specialty snack in Linqing. Small-scale Hui vendors carry a hot pot of broth on one end of a shoulder pole and a wooden cabinet of cooked lamb offal on the other. Customers can choose what they want, which is then heated and served. They operate near riversides and intersections, often staying open until late at night. On winter nights, following the dim lights and the enticing aroma, sipping a bowl of steaming hot whole lamb soup is truly an indescribably comforting experience. Beijing’s stewed lamb offal is derived from Linqing’s stewed whole lamb, initially run by Linqing people.

　　III. Six Soups

　　1. Lamb Liver Eye-Brightening Soup

　　Eating lamb liver is good for the eyes, and combined with the unique flavor of Linqing soup, this soup is both nutritious and uniquely tasty.

　　2. Winter Melon Four Treasures: Made with diced winter melon, shrimp, sea cucumber, and crab meat, the soup is rich and mellow, delicious and nutritious.

　　3. Chinese Toon with Chicken Strips

　　The meat strips are snow-white, the soup is crystal clear, and a few toon leaves float on the surface, evoking the feeling of spring with their fragrance filling the mouth. Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong once visited Linqing in disguise and encountered a village girl named Sun Biyu, who made this soup for him. Later, the girl was killed by the son of a banknote tax supervisor, and Qianlong avenged her. To avoid naming issues, the locals built a “Rain Shelter,” which was later replicated in the Forbidden City and bestowed the elegant name “Heaven and Earth as One Spring.” To commemorate the village girl, this soup was named “Heaven and Earth as One Spring Soup.”

　　4. Radish Fish Soup

　　Also known as Scholars’ Double-Clear Soup. Legend has it that two scholars in Linqing met a young woman carrying cucumbers, radishes, and fresh fish on the Qinghe Bridge. Hungry, they asked for food, and the woman suggested they each compose a poem using the characters “Qing (clear),” “He (harmony),” and “Qiao (bridge)” as themes. One scholar said: “With water, it’s pronounced Qing; without water, it’s pronounced Qing; remove the water radical, add rice, and it becomes ‘Jing (essence).’” Another said: “With a mouth, it’s pronounced He; without a mouth, it’s pronounced He; remove the mouth radical, add a measuring vessel, and it becomes ‘Ke (scholarship).’” The woman replied: “With wood, it’s pronounced Qiao; without wood, it’s pronounced Qiao; remove the wood radical, add a female radical, and it becomes ‘Jiao (charming).’” Inspired by this legend, a chef created two delicious soups using cucumbers and radishes paired with fish. The green color of the cucumbers and radishes, along with the clear soup, led to the name “Scholars’ Double-Clear Soup,” which has been passed down to this day.

　　5. Soy-Braised Tofu

　　Made by slicing fermented tofu into strips and seasoning it, this dish is nutritious and has a unique flavor.

　　6. Cucumber and Almond Soup

　　Shredded cucumber is added to almonds, creating a soup with green and white hues, crystal-clear broth, and an aromatic taste. It is delicious, clears internal heat, and cuts through greasiness, making it an indispensable palate-cleansing soup for banquets.

　　III. Staple Foods

　　1. Muslim Eight Bowls: Including braised pork, stewed meat, circle qiao ge, pine-flower lamb, clear-boiled meatballs, yellow-braised chicken, yellow-braised meat, and mixed meat. These are distinctive Muslim dishes formed by the Hui people by combining local eating habits, representing the culinary fusion of the Hui and Han cultures in Linqing. In May 2007, it was recognized as a Shandong Famous Snack by the Provincial Culinary Association. The former Chairman of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Mr. Hei Boli, was particularly fond of it.

　　2. Dou Family Steamed Buns: Also known as lantern buns, created by Dou Tingdong in 1866. The Dou Family steamed buns use carefully selected ingredients, are finely made, uniformly sized with generous fillings, soft, tender, refreshing, and easy to digest. General Zhang Zizhong specifically requested Dou Family steamed buns when hosting a banquet at the Wuxun School, which became a well-known anecdote. During the construction of the Pioneer Bridge, the descendants of Xu Xuemin’s fried bun tradition made Dou Family steamed buns that delighted Soviet experts, who danced with joy and repeatedly praised them.

　　3. Sesame Bread with Meat: One of Linqing’s distinctive Muslim snacks. Simply add cooked beef or mutton inside a baked sesame flatbread, or toast it a bit longer for an even better flavor. It features a crispy crust, fragrant meat, and a rich taste.

　　4. Pan-Fried Dumplings: “Pan-fried dumplings” are a famous delicacy in Linqing’s Muslim feasts. Their preparation is truly exceptional—golden in color, crispy outside and tender inside, with an enticingly fragrant aroma.