Luobo Hand-Torn Duck

Luobo Hand-Torn Duck

　　    Yang Xiuqing, the renowned Eastern King and a famous leader of the Taiping Rebellion, lost both his parents at a young age. When his mother was still alive, she once took the young Yang Xiuqing to visit her own mother (his grandmother). At dinnertime, his grandmother brought out a steaming plate of duck meat. She hand-tore a duck leg and gave it to the hungry and curious Yang Xiuqing, who found it incredibly delicious. Later, Yang Xiuqing often recalled this moment and asked his camp chef to recreate the taste from memory. The dish was named “Grandma’s Hand-Torn Duck.” After Yang Xiuqing’s defeat in battle, the chef returned to his hometown in Luobo Township and helped refine and popularize the recipe. As a result, Grandma’s Hand-Torn Duck also became known as Luobo Hand-Torn Duck.

　　    Luobo Hand-Torn Duck is made primarily with green-headed ducks, slow-cooked in a seasoned broth. It is believed to strengthen the spleen, resolve dampness, regulate qi, benefit the middle burner, soothe the chest and diaphragm, calm the stomach and intestines. It is used to aid digestion, treat chronic dysentery and coughs, prevent night blindness, and help prevent respiratory infections, as well as promote healthy human growth and development.