Ten Bowls and Eight Covers

Ten Bowls and Eight Covers

　　Ten Bowls and Eight Covers is a traditional way the Tujia people in Chongqing welcome guests, typically featuring pork or lamb “stewed in a pot,” accompanied by three to five side dishes.

　　For grand celebrations and important festivals when hosting distinguished guests, the “Ten Bowls and Eight Covers” feast is served. The first bowl is the “head bowl,” made of meatloaf layered with cellophane noodles and daylilies—this one is not covered. The last bowl is a shrimp and shredded pork soup. The remaining eight bowls are all first steamed in smaller lidded bowls (smaller than regular serving bowls), greased inside, with food and seasonings placed inside, then steamed on a rack. After steaming, they are inverted onto larger bowls, the lids removed, revealing dishes with consistent shapes and smooth surfaces. The dishes are served one by one in order. When the first bowl is served, the person carrying the large tray calls out loudly “Da pao shou—,” drawing out the sound until reaching the table, after which firecrackers are set off, musicians play a cheerful “dish tune,” and the host comes to propose a toast. Guests eat as more dishes are served. When the second bowl is brought out, the tray carrier shouts “Shun—,” and the “dish tune” plays again.

　　This continues until the tenth bowl, when the tray carrier calls out “Qi—,” after which the musicians play the “end-of-meal tune,” signaling that the meal is over. The seating arrangement for guests is hierarchical, with positions of varying importance in all directions. The placement of the ten bowls on the table also follows specific rules, sometimes arranged in a “four-corner claw” pattern or a “three-yuan and top scholar” formation. In addition to the ten main dishes, two plates of pickles are served to help guests cleanse their palate and cut through the richness—this is the most formal and grand banquet in the Tujia region.