Xiaogan Bean Oil Lotus Root Rolls

Xiaogan Bean Oil Lotus Root Rolls

　　Bean Oil Lotus Root Rolls, commonly known as Bean Oil Rolls, are a famous traditional vegetarian dish from Xiaogan, a Chu-region city in Hubei Province. As Xiaogan has long been renowned for producing high-quality lotus roots, locals have always enjoyed cooking a variety of lotus root dishes. Especially during festivals and celebrations, nearly every household prepares this delicious bean oil delicacy.

　　Legend has it that Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin, grew up in poverty and in his early years wandered through the Chu region, making a living by pushing a cart to trade goods. One cold winter day, he was pushing a single-wheeled cart from the ancient “Chu King City” (now Yunchu in Hubei) to West Lake Village in Xiaogan. When his cart was fully loaded with lotus roots purchased from West Lake, it was already dusk with wind and snow blowing, and he was cold and hungry. Zhao Kuangyin then pushed his cart to a lakeside inn seeking shelter. Eager for food and drink to warm himself up, he found that due to years of famine, frequent warfare, and strict government bans on private brewing, the inn had run out of food and drink, with only two leftover sheets of bean oil skin and some scattered ingredients like scallions, ginger, and mushrooms left in the kitchen. The clever chef, seizing the moment to showcase his culinary skills, improvised by using the lotus roots from the customer’s cart as the main ingredient. After washing and peeling the lotus roots, he sliced them into thin strips, lightly salted them, then mixed in scallions, ginger, shredded mushrooms, and a small amount of flour. He tightly rolled the mixture into a cylindrical shape using a clean cloth, then wrapped it securely with a bean oil sheet brushed with batter. Using a sawing technique, he sliced the roll into wheel-shaped pieces, which were then deep-fried. Soon after, the innkeeper served a plate of “Bean Oil Lotus Root Rolls” along with a jug of homemade aged wine. Zhao Kuangyin was deeply grateful and drank alone, praising as he ate, “This dish of Bean Oil Lotus Root Rolls paired with fine wine fills the body with warmth and instantly lifts my spirits.” And so, this wine-pairing delicacy — Bean Oil Lotus Root Rolls — was born and has been passed down through generations.

　　About ten years later, in 960 AD, the Chenqiao Mutiny took place, and Zhao Kuangyin ascended to become the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty. One day, he suddenly recalled the rare wine and delicious food he had enjoyed at that lakeside inn, feeling deeply sentimental. In remembrance of the past, he issued an imperial edict to Xiaogan, lifting the ban on brewing and selling wine at West Lake. According to the *Xiaogan County Annals*, which quotes the *Fangyu Shengdi Lan* (A Scenic Tour of Famous Places), it is recorded: “After ascending the throne, the Emperor (Zhao Kuangyin) ordered the lifting of the wine ban at West Lake and reinstated the establishment of ten thousand wine houses.” Since then, the “West Lake Wine Market” flourished once again and has been passed down for a thousand years.

　　To this day, remnants of that thousand-year-old history remain. At the western entrance of Xiaogan City stands a stone tablet inscribed with “The Place Where Emperor Taizu Bought Wine.” A poem reads: “A lofty inn by the lake, its old trade now desolate; green drapes by the shore point to weeping willows. No news of golden chariots or jade carriages, yet one still imagines the fragrance of wine jars from those days.” This site is the ruin of one of Xiaogan’s Eight Scenic Spots — the “West Lake Tavern.” Though a thousand years have passed, times have changed, and those people are long gone, historical records remain. And the fine wine and delicious dishes that Emperor Zhao Kuangyin enjoyed at the West Lake Tavern are still enjoyed by people to this day.