Lao Tang Roast Chicken

Lao Tang Roast Chicken

　　Lao Tang Roast Chicken is a specialty of Linyi County, Dezhou City, Shandong Province. The finished roast chicken has an orange-red hue, with a crispy skin and tender meat that is endlessly enjoyable. It is known to strengthen the spleen and stimulate appetite, tonify the middle and benefit qi, promote fluid production and nourish blood, invigorate the brain and improve intelligence, relax tendons and activate blood circulation, as well as strengthen bones and build up the body. It became a staple delicacy in the imperial court.

　　Dezhou Luhai Food Co., Ltd. is a poultry food export enterprise based in Dezhou. Approved by relevant departments, it was established in October 1994 with a total investment of 10 million yuan. Since beginning production, 90% of its products have been exported to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and other regions, generating over 1.4 million US dollars in foreign exchange annually. In recent years, the company’s series of meat products have been showcased at the Canton Fair, Dezhou Economic and Trade Fair, and the National Sugar and Alcohol Fair. With their excellent quality, they have successively won the titles of “Top 100 Enterprises” in Shandong Province’s food industry and “Top 10 Brands” in frozen meat and poultry products within Shandong Province’s food sector.

　　The company’s “Lao Tang Roast Chicken” is a patented food product. Its unique and refined flavor has earned the trust of a wide range of consumers. Other products in its lineup — such as “Beijing-Style Roast Duck,” “Xingsheng Roast Squab,” “Licheng Roast Beef,” and “Luhai Roast Donkey Meat” (all branded under the registered trademark “Luhai” by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce) — have also received high praise from consumers. The company’s product range has become a local specialty and renowned dish, often given as gifts during business trips, visits, or to family and friends across the country.

　　According to research by Zhu Jiajin, a Qing Dynasty history expert from the Palace Museum, during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, a type of roast chicken with a crystal-clear color, rich aroma, and distinctive flavor was selected as a palace delicacy in Beijing. The imperial chef named the dish “Lao Tang Roast Chicken” after the surname of the chicken’s producer, Mr. Tang.

　　The ninth-generation inheritor of “Lao Tang Roast Chicken,” Tang Guoxing, revived the family business in Dandong in recent years. He was soon hired by Beijing Zhonghua New Technology Company to showcase his skills once again, earning praise from both Chinese and international visitors. In 1985, during the New Achievements Exhibition in Beijing, the Xiushan County West Oil Factory in Sichuan Province reached a technology transfer agreement with Zhonghua New Technology Company. Tang Guoxing and his wife personally brought the traditional broth to Xiushan County to teach the craft. By the end of 1985, the first batch of products went on sale. After being tasted by relevant authorities, it was unanimously agreed that “Lao Tang Roast Chicken” had an attractive overall shape, with superior color, aroma, and taste — truly a classic traditional delicacy.

　　Preparation Method: The making of “Lao Tang Roast Chicken” is meticulous and refined. A tender and robust rooster is selected, its internal organs removed, and then it is placed in aged mash infused with over 20 kinds of precious Chinese herbs such as cardamom, cinnamon, and angelica. It is boiled until 80% cooked, then removed. An appropriate amount of honey and sesame oil is evenly applied inside the chicken cavity before it is roasted in an oven until fully cooked.

　　The preparation method of this imperial-style roast chicken mainly involves selecting a plump and tender rooster weighing about 2.5 jin (1.25 kg). After slaughtering, feather removal, evisceration, cleaning, and shaping, the chicken is simmered in aged mash mixed with Chinese herbal medicine to remove fat and fishy odors, then cooked. Honey is applied to the chicken’s surface before it is roasted in an oven. The resulting roast chicken is orange-red in color, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, fragrant, crisp, delicious, and not greasy. It offers health benefits such as invigorating the spleen and stomach, promoting fluid production and nourishing blood, enhancing yang and kidney function, and strengthening muscles and bones. When prepared using this method, the roast chicken can be stored at room temperature in a ventilated environment for up to a week without spoiling, demonstrating certain antibacterial and preservative effects. Prior to cooking, the chicken undergoes preprocessing including slaughtering, feather removal, evisceration, cleaning, and shaping, followed by boiling and roasting. The process is characterized by placing the cleaned and shaped chicken in a pot containing the Tang family’s traditional aged mash and Chinese herbs, simmering it over low heat for 90–210 minutes, then coating the cooked chicken’s skin with honey and baking it in an oven for 3–10 minutes.