Xiaotaoyuan Stewed Soup

Xiaotaoyuan Stewed Soup

　　Situated at the intersection of Shengli Street and Lanling Road in Hankou, “Xiaotaoyuan” was originally called “Xiao Taoyuan,” which is a homophone. Initially, two peddlers surnamed Tao and Yuan set up a stall here under a temporary shelter, selling snacks such as deep-fried dough sticks and soybean milk. Later, they joined forces to focus on stewed soups. After the liberation, the name was changed to the homophonous “Xiaotaoyuan,” and it became a famous “specialist in stewed soups.”

　　The restaurant’s main offerings include clay pot chicken soup, pork rib soup, Eight-Treasure soup, turtle soup, beef soup, and duck soup. The clay pot chicken soup is the most famous. It uses plump, tender hens weighing over one and a half pounds from Huangpi and Xiaogan areas. The chicken is cut into pieces, first stir-fried in hot oil, then placed into a clay pot filled with boiling water. It is first briskly simmered and then gently stewed until fully cooked. The resulting soup is rich, the meat tender, the flavor authentic, and the nutrition abundant—making it a premium tonic dish.