Prosperity for All Five Blessings

Prosperity for All Five Blessings

　　Legend has it that during the prosperous era of Emperor Qianlong, when the Empress Dowager celebrated her 60th birthday, Qianlong, aiming to unite the Manchu and Han peoples as one family, decided to hold a cooking competition among chefs from across the nation on her birthday. The selected chefs were tasked with preparing a complete Manchu-Han Imperial Feast. After much deliberation, the final dish created was [Prosperity for All Five Blessings]. This dish was actually inspired by a young prince of the Rong Prince’s Manor from the Bordered Yellow Banner, who mentioned it casually. When asked why it was called "Prosperity for All Five Blessings," the young prince explained that there are only five types of people in the world: 1) Farmers — our providers of food and clothing; 2) Carpenters — without whom we wouldn’t have such fine houses to live in; 3) Soldiers — whose bravery in battle ensures our peaceful lives; 4) Chefs — the ones who create all kinds of delicious dishes; and 5) Fathers and mothers — for without them, we wouldn’t exist. Therefore, the Empress Dowager’s birthday is a celebration for all under heaven. Everyone was convinced by his words. On the day of the grand birthday celebration, Emperor Qianlong issued an edict: a celebration for all under heaven. To this day, as descendants of the Eight Banners, we take great pride in this dish.

　　—— Recipe for Prosperity for All Five Blessings ——

　　 Main ingredients: tomatoes; Side ingredients: pork, green bell pepper, eggs, mushrooms [wood ear fungus]; Seasonings: oil, sugar, salt, starch, chicken essence, diced scallions, minced ginger, minced garlic.

　　Preparation: Remove stems from tomatoes [and green bell peppers], wash, cut in half, and dice into 1 cm cubes. Prepare the pork with the above seasonings accordingly.

　　Cooking steps: 1) Crack the eggs, separate the egg whites and yolks into separate bowls, add salt, MSG, and starch, mix well and steam [not too long]; 2) In a bowl, mix sugar, starch, MSG, salt, and water to form a sauce; 3) Heat a wok, sauté with scallions, ginger, and garlic, stir-fry the diced pork until it changes color, add side ingredients and the prepared sauce, toss well, plate. Adjust according to the season.

　　Cooking time: 30 minutes.

　　Features: A harmonious blend of five colors, neatly arranged and visually pleasing, fresh and tender, suitable for both wine and rice meals.

　　Nutritional content: Tomatoes [ranked among the top ten health foods. Rich in lycopene with antioxidant properties and abundant Vitamin C; helps prevent cancers related to the digestive system and prostate cancer; stimulates saliva production, relieves thirst, aids digestion, cools blood and calms the liver, clears heat and detoxifies. Used for loss of appetite, high blood pressure, stomach heat and bitter taste, gum bleeding, heatstroke.], Green Bell Pepper [a fruit and vegetable food that replenishes zinc expended by the body], Eggs [contain lutein with antioxidant properties; the macula of the human eye retina is rich in lutein, which the body cannot synthesize on its own and must be obtained externally], Mushrooms [ranked among the top ten health supplements. Rich in protein, help prevent and fight cancer; can lower blood pressure. Eliminate fatigue, aid the body's own digestion, boost immunity; promote skin metabolism, accelerate blood circulation, prevent wrinkles; also have good inhibitory effects on viruses like oral inflammation and encephalitis; enhance the body’s digestion of food.]