Tujia Three-Pot Dish

Tujia Three-Pot Dish

　　The Tujia Three-Pot Dish is a signature local delicacy from Zhangjiajie, Hunan. Legend has it that during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court summoned Tusi soldiers from western Hunan and Hubei to the front lines to fight against Japanese pirates. Coinciding with the New Year’s Eve, in order not to delay military affairs, the Tusi king ordered the New Year to be celebrated one day early. As a result, cured meat, tofu, and radish were cooked together in one pot and called “mixed dish,” which later evolved into the “Three-Pot Dish.”

　　The Tujia Three-Pot Dish has become Zhangjiajie’s premier signature dish, ranking first among the “14 Signature Dishes of Hunan’s Prefectures and Cities.”

　　Legend has it that during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court summoned Tusi soldiers from western Hunan and Hubei to the front lines to fight against Japanese pirates. Coinciding with the New Year’s Eve, in order not to delay military affairs, the Tusi king ordered the New Year to be celebrated one day early. As a result, cured meat, tofu, and radish were cooked together in one pot and called “mixed dish,” which later evolved into the “Three-Pot Dish.” Nowadays, the Three-Pot Dish in Zhangjiajie is no longer simply a mix of cured meat, tofu, and radish. It typically features two, three, or more selected ingredients such as pork intestines, pig stomach, beef tripe, lamb tripe, pig trotters, or pig head meat, all specially prepared by local chefs and cooked together in one pot. There are also two styles of serving the Three-Pot Dish: dry pot and soup pot. The dry pot has no broth and is heavily spicy; those who can’t handle spicy food are advised to avoid it.

　　Nowadays, the Three-Pot Dish in Zhangjiajie is no longer simply a mix of cured meat, tofu, and radish. It typically features two, three, or more selected ingredients such as pork intestines, pig stomach, beef tripe, lamb tripe, pig trotters, or pig head meat, all specially prepared by local chefs and cooked together in one pot. There are also two styles of serving the Three-Pot Dish: dry pot and soup pot. The dry pot has no broth and is heavily spicy; those who can’t handle spicy food are advised to avoid it. Although this dish is delicious, it is generally not found in hotels in Zhangjiajie. It can only be enjoyed in small local restaurants frequented by residents.