Ankang "Eight Delicacies"

Ankang "Eight Delicacies"

　　The Ankang "Eight Delicacies" are the most authentic representation of Ankang's culinary customs. According to legend, during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, massive nationwide migration saw southern residents moving en masse toward Sichuan. These southern migrants settled in Ankang, creating a mixed community of northerners and southerners. By the 48th year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign (1783), to strengthen local governance, the Qing government elevated Xingjin Prefecture to Xing'an Prefecture, establishing "Ankang County" in the prefectural capital—its name meaning "peace and prosperity." Subsequently, Ankang’s population grew rapidly, and all industries flourished. When imperial inspectors were sent by the court, the local gentry, wishing to express gratitude for imperial favor, all hoped to host the inspector for a family banquet. The prefect then ordered each of the city’s prominent households to prepare one cold and one hot exquisite dish, forming groups of eight households each. This allowed guests to sample a variety of northern and southern cuisines while also giving face to all participating families. For three consecutive days, the inspector was delighted and reluctant to leave. Later, due to miscommunication—and the fact that there were eight cold and eight hot dishes—the collective offerings from these eight prominent families came to be known as the "Eight Delicacies."

　　The "Eight Delicacies" refer to a specific combination of dishes served at Ankang banquets, much like the “Manhan Quanxi” (Full Banquet of Manchu and Han Dishes) served at grand imperial feasts during the Qing Dynasty. In Ankang, the "Eight Delicacies" are reserved for entertaining highly esteemed guests or celebrating major family joyous occasions. Only then do hosts meticulously prepare the "Eight Delicacies" to share with relatives and friends and thank the local community. The New Year is an exception: every household in Ankang serves the "Eight Delicacies" when receiving guests. The exquisitely prepared dishes and the highly particular way they are eaten not only show respect for visitors but also display the hosts’ hospitality and joy. A family’s prosperity and the homemaker’s cooking skills are fully showcased, earning loud praise from guests and ensuring shared delight. The festive happiness over food and drink shines on everyone’s face.

　　In Ankang, there are strict rules for enjoying the "Eight Delicacies." Although every household prepares them to celebrate the New Year with family and friends, the preparation and ingredient selection are not easily mastered by ordinary housewives. However, by following the saying for making the "Eight Delicacies"—"four meats and four vegetables, vinegar served in the middle; greens on top, whites below, meats at the corners and vegetables along the sides"—one can still create a deliciously colorful and flavorful "Eight Delicacies" meal.

　　The "Eight Delicacies" dishes are divided into two main categories: cold dishes and hot dishes. The cold dishes also serve as appetizers. In the center of the serving platter must sit leafy green spinach, flanked on the left by braised pig’s ear and soy-marinated beef, and on the right by blanched vegetables and braised konjac. At the bottom center is always lotus root, with pickled eggs from Baihe on one side and spicy sour chicken gizzard on the other. It is essential to follow the arrangement of greens on top, whites below, meats at the four corners, and vegetables along the edges. The green leaves above represent the blue sky, and the lotus root below symbolizes the earth, perfectly embodying the philosophy of respecting heaven and earth through cuisine. The cold dishes focus on sour, spicy, and salty flavors, catering perfectly to those who enjoy drinking, and also whetting the appetite of elders and younger guests who may not drink alcohol. A fine vinegar soup is a must with the cold dishes. Though the cold dishes are finely sliced and pleasing in appearance, no seasonings are added initially. Before eating, diners dip them in the vinegar soup placed in the central seasoning dish on the table to absorb its sour, spicy, and numbing flavors. The preparation of this vinegar soup is an art in itself. In Ankang, nine out of ten vinegar soups are similar, but what sets them apart is how the soup is made. Boiling vinegar in plain water will make it overly sharp, while splashing hot oil on vinegar will dull its flavor. But if you mix boiling water with a broth made from eight aromatic spices, then add Ankang’s handmade balsamic vinegar, a small amount of dark soy sauce made from fermented soybeans, and let it cool before stirring in sesame oil and chili oil, you’ll have an incredibly fragrant vinegar soup. As diners slowly place the cold dishes into the soup and savor them, the colors, aromas, and flavors of the dishes come alive. Guests naturally appreciate the refinement and subtlety, and the alcohol flows quickly down the throats of drinkers, with the cold dishes expertly guiding them to sip glass after glass of liquor.

　　For those who don’t drink much, there are also excellent hot dishes to enjoy. While diners are savoring the cold dishes, the hot dishes arrive in a set sequence: “one soup, one dry dish; first steamed, then stir-fried; first salty, then sweet.” The hot dishes mainly consist of braised, steamed, or fried items, with flavors ranging from sour and spicy to sweet, light, or rich. According to Ankang cultural figure Mr. Zhang Feng, during the New Year, there is an established custom when eating the "Eight Delicacies": the first hot dish must be steamed chicken skin with vermicelli, with the chicken served with skin and the noodles wide and thick; the second dish is sweet-and-sour carp. Together, they suggest "good fortune (chicken) with abundance (fish)," symbolizing a prosperous new year. The rest of the dishes are arranged according to the season, following the pattern of one steamed dish with soup and one stir-fried dish, with the full set of eight as the standard. The steamed dishes are prepared in advance to give the kitchen cooks enough time to prepare the next course. The final dish is either steamed meat with fermented tofu or steamed glutinous rice wine—serving either signals that the banquet is over and it’s time to eat. Some playful hosts even sprinkle white sugar on the rice wine, pour a little homemade distilled liquor on top, and light it on fire. After the blue flame dies down, the wine rice becomes even more fragrant—also a symbol of a fiery and prosperous new year. Everyone digs in together. Once the wine rice is eaten, the main courses are considered complete. During the meal, four vegetable side dishes are served: plain mung bean sprouts, sour-spicy pickled cabbage, pork blood tofu, and wood ear with peach kernels. After the feast, fueled by the alcohol, guests sing Ankang flower-drum songs, beat drums and gongs, forgetting all about the Ankang "Eight Delicacies," and continue the joy until late at night. The festive spirit of the New Year carries on like this until the next day, when the banquet resumes—and once again, the "Eight Delicacies" steal the spotlight, pushing the merry flower-drum songs from memory.

　　Ankang is located in a region where northern and southern cultures meet, and its dietary customs reflect distinct mountainous characteristics and a blend of influences. Its food composition shows traces of both rice-growing and wheat/millet cultures. The valleys primarily grow wheat and rice, while the mountainous areas focus on wheat and corn. The region boasts a wide variety of grain crops and grows fruits from both the north and south, with dried and fresh fruits available year-round. Local specialties such as wood ear fungus, shiitake mushrooms, pine mushrooms, and lichen are abundant. There is also a rich variety of meat, poultry, fish, and eggs, making Ankang a cultural and culinary crossroads between rice and wheat/millet traditions—showcasing both the intelligence associated with southern rice consumption and the simplicity stemming from northern flatbread eating. Moreover, the people of Ankang are skilled at food preservation. Throughout urban and rural areas, you’ll see strings of dried chili peppers, dried cowpeas, and dried radishes hanging under eaves, cured meats and tofu hanging above stoves, and jars filled with dried fermented black beans, fermented tofu, and various pickled vegetables. These diverse preserved foods—whether sun-dried, salt-cured, smoked, or otherwise preserved—serve as key ingredients in the "Eight Delicacies." All year round, when honored guests arrive, any household can quickly prepare a table full of seasonal dishes, presenting an array of delights that dazzle the eye.