San Jidui

San Jidui

San Jidui is an intangible cultural heritage of Meizhou City.

　　A day in the life of a resident of Jiaoling begins with San Jidui. Whether at home or at a breakfast shop, San Jidui is definitely the star. A bowl of delicious San Jidui paired with a bowl of white rice fills the stomach, and as if infused with vigor, the people of Jiaoling head out full of spirit to tackle a new day. For the people of Jiaoling, life without San Jidui is simply unimaginable. Jiaolingers living away from home miss this dish the most. Its flavor and charm have long been deeply rooted in the souls of the people of Jiaoling—no matter where they go, that longing follows. Everyone has something they cherish deep down, like an invisible tether that connects us all. No matter how far we travel, that emotional bond remains unbroken. For the people of Jiaoling, San Jidui is that longing for their hometown.

　　The Hakka people uphold Confucian values, emphasize education, live by farming and scholarship, and have a rich cultural heritage. That’s why even a simple dish carries such an elegant name. Those who haven’t tried San Jidui would never guess what it actually is just from the name. And even first-time tasters, faced with a steaming bowl of San Jidui, often wonder: Why is it called San Jidui? Why not Pork Liver, Pork, and Intestine Soup? Jiaoling is a remote area. Aristocratic families from the Central Plains, displaced and wandering, settled here. Faced with its rugged terrain—“eight parts mountain, one part water, and one part field”—they found it difficult to get rich through hard labor. Education became their top choice to gain scholarly honors, elevate their family’s status, and improve their circumstances. In these lands far from the central authority, it was common to see women working tirelessly in the fields and mountains, laboring as hard as oxen and horses, while their husbands stayed home in the walled roundhouse reciting poetry and studying eight-legged essays. Achieving scholastic honors was their dream. In such an atmosphere, naming a dish with the hopeful and shining name of “San Jidui” felt perfectly natural.

　　Of course, that’s a more cultural interpretation. In reality, San Jidui must have its origins. Legend has it that a scholar from Jiaoling went to Guangzhou to take the imperial exams but failed. Reflecting on the hardships of scholars, he improved upon the Guangzhou-style “Jidui Porridge” and created San Jidui Soup to encourage fellow scholars in Jiaoling, symbolizing their hope to achieve three consecutive academic honors—passing the local, provincial, and national levels—and bringing honor to their ancestors. But personally, I’m more inclined to another image: San Jidui may have originated from a loving mother or a dutiful wife. Every time her husband set out to make his way in the world, she would wake up early in the morning, braving faint starlight, to go to the market and buy some pork neck meat, pork intestine, and pork liver, along with fresh vegetables picked from the garden, then cook up a fragrant bowl of broth to accompany his meal and wish him well on his journey. The departing traveler, facing such a bowl of soup filled with unspeakable love and care, could never lose his way.

　　San Jidui enjoys widespread fame. Not only in Jiaoling, but in every street and alley of Meizhou, you’ll find “Jiaoling San Jidui.” Many people say that no matter how many versions of San Jidui they’ve tried, none compare to the taste from Jiaoling. Is it the cooking technique, or something else? It's hard to tell. A friend of mine who runs a fast-food shop in Meicheng, specializing in San Jidui, makes sure to source ingredients early every morning from Jiaoling—hence his version is praised by customers as the most authentic. Each place shapes its people, and different regions yield different ingredients, giving rise to distinct flavors. Perhaps that’s heaven’s way of blessing its inhabitants. With its beautiful mountains and rivers, pleasant environment, and abundant produce, Jiaoling’s San Jidui is truly a delicious gift bestowed upon its people.

　　The dish uses fresh pork liver, pork intestines, and pork tenderloin, paired with vegetables like coriander. The broth is delicious, and the meat is tasty. The name “San Jidui” also carries the beautiful meanings of success in exams and career advancement. Visiting Jiaoling without trying this dish is like sprinkling lime on the road—you might as well not have come.

　　The origin of San Jidui Soup:

　　During the imperial examination era, the top three ranks—Zhuangyuan (the top scholar), Bangyan (the second), and Tanhua (the third)—were collectively known as “San Jidui.” Lin Zhaozhang (the top scholar of the Qing Dynasty) compared three types of pork innards—pork liver, lean pork, and pork stomach—to the three ranks of the imperial exam, and thus the name San Jidui Soup came about. The Hakka people prepare the soup with additional ingredients like wolfberry leaves and pickled vegetables, plus a few drops of lees, resulting in a delicious and nutritious soup. A bowl of San Jidui paired with a large bowl of marinated noodles makes for a hearty breakfast beloved by many Hakka people in Meizhou.

　　Preparation method:

　　Ingredients: 50g pork liver, 50g pork intestines, 50g lean pork, some wolfberry leaves.

　　Seasonings: 10g lees, 20g pickled vegetables, 5g salt, 5g monosodium glutamate.

　　Method: First, slice the pork liver and lean pork thinly. Scrape the pork intestines clean, wash out any impurities inside, and cut them into sections. Mix the sliced lean pork with potato starch. Heat a pot with broth, add pickled vegetables and lees. Once the broth boils, add the wolfberry leaves, followed by the pork liver, lean pork, and pork intestines. Season and bring to a boil until just cooked, then serve in a bowl.