Mixed Eight-Treasure Rice

Mixed Eight-Treasure Rice

　　Hubei specialty—Mixed Eight-Treasure Rice is a famous local delicacy from Hubei Province. “Mixed Eight-Treasure Rice” is made from eight ingredients: glutinous rice, lotus seeds, red dates, Job’s tears, candied winter melon strips, candied cherries, osmanthus sugar, and candied orange peel. These are first formed into an eight-treasure base, then braised with sugar and lard. It features vibrant colors, a fragrant aroma, and a sweet, smooth taste, earning the praise of “savor it in small sips from shallow cups, with a lingering aftertaste that stays fragrant the next day.”

　　 Specialty Story: “Mixed Eight-Treasure Rice” has a long history in Jiangling, dating back as early as the Zhou Dynasty of the pre-Christian era. At that time, King Wu of Zhou, with the help of eight wise ministers and strategists, overthrew the Shang Dynasty in one fell swoop. At the grand celebration, the imperial chefs created a luxurious dish using eight precious ingredients, symbolizing the “eight Zhou lords burning King Zhou of Shang.” This is the legendary origin of Eight-Treasure Rice. Until the late Qing Dynasty, it was regarded as an imperial delicacy, but it was only in the late Qing period that the method changed from steaming to mixed braising. Xiao Dai, a chef in the imperial kitchen of Empress Dowager Cixi, mastered the unique technique of “Mixed Eight-Treasure Rice.” When the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing, Xiao Dai fled to Jiangling and, together with the Manchu celebrity chefs Guan Huanhai and his brothers, co-founded the restaurant “Ju Zhen Yuan,” renowned as “unequaled in Liaoning, foremost in Jiangling.” Thus, “Mixed Eight-Treasure Rice” took root in Jiangling. The Jiangling version is made by steaming glutinous rice, red dates, lotus seed kernels, longan flesh, candied cherries, melon seeds, osmanthus sugar, candied winter melon, and Job’s tears to form a base, then braising it with white sugar and lard. It boasts a shiny appearance, sweet and moist flavor, rich yet not greasy, sweet yet not cloying, and is described by the saying: “Sip it in small cups, and its lingering taste remains long after you leave the table.”

　　 Specialty Craftsmanship:

　　 1. Peel the lotus seeds and remove the hearts, wash the Job’s tears, and remove the pits from the red dates, then steam them separately. Chop the candied winter melon strips and orange peel. Soak the glutinous rice in water, wash, drain, and steam it. Mix it with 1000 grams of white sugar and 10 grams of cooked lard.

　　 2. Place the lotus seeds, red dates, Job’s tears, candied orange peel, candied winter melon strips, and osmanthus sugar in ten separate bowls. Cover them with the sugar-mixed cooked glutinous rice, steam until fully cooked to form the eight-treasure base.

　　 3. Place a wok over medium heat, add water and white sugar, then add the eight-treasure base and stir together until boiling. Once the sugar dissolves, add 50 grams of cooked lard and stir repeatedly. Finally, thicken with a thin cornstarch slurry, transfer to a plate, sprinkle with candied cherries, and decorate the edges with orange segments.