Qin's Smoked Meat

Qin's Smoked Meat

　　This year, many hotels have introduced a distinctive cold dish—smoked meat. But this is no ordinary smoked meat; it is the long-renowned and highly celebrated "Qin's Smoked Meat" from the Central Plains. Speaking of smoked meat, it has existed since ancient times. Looking back at ancient Chinese cuisine, even before the Tang Dynasty, "grilled dishes" made up a significant portion of the menu. But it is worth highlighting that Qin's Smoked Meat is one of the representative dishes of Anyang’s local specialty known as the "Three Smokes." Legend has it that in the 15th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign during the Qing Dynasty (1750), when the emperor visited Mount Song in Henan and made a stopover in Anyang, he was highly impressed by a dish of "smoked meat" served during his meal. Since then, Qin's Smoked Meat has gained widespread popularity among the people.

　　In the late Qing Dynasty, when Yuan Shikai retired and lived in seclusion in Huanshang Village in the northern suburbs of Anyang, Qin's Smoked Meat was an indispensable dish at both family banquets and when entertaining guests. Today’s Qin's Smoked Meat has withstood over 200 years of trials and been refined through ten generations of continuous improvement. Built upon its ancestral secret recipe and enhanced with modern techniques, its color, aroma, and flavor have all reached new heights. Especially under the 10th-generation inheritor, Qin Tao, who preserved its unique characteristics while drawing on the strengths of various traditions and boldly innovating, more than ten kinds of precious Chinese herbal medicines and a variety of pure natural plant spices were added to the original 29 seasonings. Using modern technological methods, the meat now boasts a unique taste that is fragrant but not greasy, tender but not mushy, and lean but not dry. The meat is so tender the bone falls apart yet doesn’t stick to your hands, and the aroma penetrates right to the bone. When sliced, the fragrance fills the entire room. Qin's Smoked Meat adds yet another delicious delicacy to Henan’s culinary offerings.