A Full Course Feast

A Full Course Feast

　　In the past, wealthy families in Yingcheng would host grand full course feasts when entertaining distinguished guests or close relatives. Known as a “full course feast,” it typically included what was called the “Eight Mains, Four Small Dishes, and Twelve Side Platters.” It featured a wide variety of meats, fish, vegetables, steamed, stir-fried, braised, simmered, and deep-fried dishes, balancing meat and vegetables to aid digestion. For a long time, attending such an opulent banquet in Yingcheng was referred to as “eating the Eight Bowls.”

　　First, there are the “Eight Main Dishes,” which include steamed pork, steamed fish, steamed pork trotter, steamed lotus root sandwiches, lychee meat, steamed meat cake, salted pork meatballs, deep-fried pork meatballs, spare ribs simmered with lotus root, and red-braised whole fish. Since most of these are steamed dishes, they are first placed in steamers to cook, and then served on platters when the feast begins.

　　Next come the “Four Small Dishes,” which consist of vinegar stir-fried cabbage, lightly stir-fried bok choy, tofu stew, and stinky tofu. After enjoying the rich main dishes, diners can cleanse their palates with these lighter dishes, balancing the oiliness and achieving a perfect harmony between meat and vegetables—rich but not greasy.

　　Then there are the “Twelve Side Platters,” often prepared by deep-frying or salting. These include deep-fried peanuts, deep-fried sweet soy sauce coated soybeans, salted duck eggs, preserved eggs, diced radish, salted mixed pickles, fermented tofu, lazy fermented black beans, carrots mixed with plain dried beans, stir-fried leeks, shredded spicy radish, and shredded kelp. All are served on small porcelain plates, arranged around the dining table like stars surrounding the moon. These dishes serve both as alcohol accompaniments and side dishes to the rice, ensuring guests leave fully satisfied without overindulging.

　　In earlier years, at restaurants such as Zou Senmao Wine House in the city area and Xiao Hongsheng Restaurant in Wan Shang, complete banquets were hosted. Renowned chefs such as Li Gongyuan, Hu Shibin, and Chen Zhenmei were invited to prepare high-end feasts featuring the “Eight Mains, Four Small Dishes, and Twelve Side Platters,” along with “Two Desserts.” The eight hot dishes at Xiao Hongsheng Restaurant had unique flavors and creative presentations, such as braised eel in brown sauce, stewed soft-shell turtle, salted pork meatballs, braised sea cucumber, stir-fried squid with shredded meat, crispy lard, lion’s head meatballs (also called Kuiyuan), eight-treasure rice, and fish maw with shark’s fin. These dishes were highly favored by visiting merchants, who called them “delicacies.” Even after leaving, they would return specifically to order them again.