Pují Roast Chicken

Pují Roast Chicken

　　Pují Roast Chicken has a history of nearly 50 years. It boasts excellent color and flavor, is rich but not greasy, and is tender and crispy—making it quite famous.

　　Pují Roast Chicken originated with a man from Henan, Guo Zhiping. During the Anti-Japanese War in 1940, to escape the turmoil of war, he fled with his family, carrying only a shoulder pole and two baskets, and settled in Pují Town, Wugong County, Shaanxi Province, staying with a friend. There, he put his expertise to use, earning a living with the ancestral Qingguan roast chicken technique. The Guo family’s roast chicken was fragrant, crispy, tender, and delicious—with excellent color and taste—and quickly gained fame nearby. Because Pují lies along the Longhai Railway and later became the seat of the Wugong County government, with heavy foot traffic at Pují Railway Station, travelers took the chicken all over the place. As a result, it came to be known as Pují Roast Chicken.

　　The production of Pují Roast Chicken is extremely meticulous. First, chickens are carefully selected—only one-year-old tender birds are chosen, with bright red combs and smooth, glossy feathers. Sick or dead chickens are strictly avoided. When slaughtering, the blood must be fully drained, and the water temperature must be moderate: too hot will scald the skin, while too cold will make it hard to pluck the feathers. The cleaned carcass is rinsed in water, soaked for several hours, then scalded in hot water to remove any remaining odor before being air-dried and coated with honey and sesame oil. Next, rapeseed oil is heated to a rolling boil over high heat for deep-frying. Controlling the heat is key: frying too long will turn the chicken dark, while too short will prevent proper coloring. Only the right duration yields a golden, shiny skin. High-quality spices such as dried ginger, Sichuan peppercorn, cinnamon, fennel, star anise, cloves, and cardamom are wrapped tightly in cheesecloth, along with a small amount of rock sugar, and added to the broth. The fried chicken is then placed in the pot, brought to a boil over high heat, and then simmered slowly over low heat to let the flavors penetrate the meat. Once cooked, the chicken is removed and coated with sesame oil to preserve its original color. The broth, known as the “original juice,” emphasizes one thing above all: “agedness.” It’s commonly called aged broth. Legend has it that when Guo Zhiping first arrived in Wugong, he carried a sealed ceramic jar in his shoulder pole containing aged chicken soup. It’s said this broth was brought back by the Guo family ancestors from the imperial court during the Qing Qianlong era. Each time chicken is cooked, water is added and the broth is reheated to maintain its clarity, freshness, and original flavor. After cooking, the chicken is packaged, and the remaining broth is stored in jars for continued use.

　　Pují Roast Chicken undergoes more than ten refined processes. The final product has a plump shape, tender meat, a soy-sauce-red hue, a glossy finish, intact chicken pieces, a soft texture without gristle, a richly fragrant and refreshing taste, and an unforgettable aftertaste. In the past, at Pují Railway Station, people scrambled to buy it—not only as a delicious treat for the journey but also to share with relatives and friends back home. This helped Pují Roast Chicken quickly gain widespread fame.

　　Although Guo Zhiping has long since passed away, his techniques have been passed down. Today, Hu Xiquan of the Pují Roast Chicken Shop is especially skilled, having mastered the craft. The Pují Roast Chicken he makes is truly exceptional in fragrance, crispiness, tenderness, flavor, and appearance—regarded as nothing short of perfection. His business is thriving, and his roast chicken has become a much sought-after specialty of Wugong.