Zhenyuan Traditional Feast

Zhenyuan Traditional Feast

　　Zhang Wei’s poem “Tasting the Nine Bowls and Thirteen Delicacies of Zhenyuan Traditional Feast” praises this iconic dish from Qingyang. In our city, Zhenyuan Traditional Feast boasts a long history, unique style, and profound cultural and ceremonial significance. Today, it has been listed as a municipal intangible cultural heritage, becoming a distinctive highlight of Qingyang’s culture.

　　They say the flavors of Zhenyuan are truly fine, With nine bowls plus thirteen delicacies combined.

　　A royal feast from Han’s court did descend, Brought forth by people hailing from Yuanzhou’s end.

　　Daylily blossoms scent the imperial tray, While tender sprouts were tribute in Ming and Qing’s day.

　　Were Pengzu here to judge with righteous tone, The chefs of Longdong would all be Zhenyuan’s own.

　　Zhang Wei’s poem “Tasting the Nine Bowls and Thirteen Delicacies of Zhenyuan Traditional Feast” praises this iconic dish from Qingyang. In our city, Zhenyuan Traditional Feast boasts a long history, unique style, and profound cultural and ceremonial significance. Today, it has been listed as a municipal intangible cultural heritage, becoming a distinctive highlight of Qingyang’s culture.

　　Origins: Tracing back to Han and Wei palace cuisine

　　It is said that Zhenyuan’s traditional banquet cuisine originated from the dishes of the Han and Wei dynasties. During the Ming Dynasty, the court official Xu Li (a native of Zhenyuan, Qingyang) brought back the techniques for preparing these banquets from the imperial court and taught them to the local populace. This further influenced and transformed local eating habits, giving rise to a food culture in Zhenyuan distinct from other regions. Zhenyuan Traditional Feast is a concentrated reflection of Confucian culture in China, embodied in the aspects of “eating” and “conduct.” Its main forms include the “Feast of the Seventeen States,” the “Thirteen Delicacies,” and the “Ten Complete” banquets. Among them, the “Thirteen Delicacies” is commonly seen at general celebratory events, featuring thirteen main dishes supplemented by eight side dishes, with steamed buns served in four rounds and a total of seventeen courses presented. Initially, individual dishes are served—one main course followed by one side dish, each repeated eight times, a practice commonly referred to as “wind stirring snow.”

　　The seating process also involves specific customs. The tables and chairs are traditional eight-immortal tables, each seating eight people, with a pair of grand chairs set at the head—these are the two most prestigious spots. Behind the table hang plaques, banners, and calligraphy or paintings, symbolizing completeness, joy, and good fortune. Once all the dishes are served, the most honored person begins eating first, followed by the others. When pouring wine, it is not done in a continuous circle but rather starting from the left, then the right, then left again, then right again.

　　The entire dining process is a complete embodiment of Chinese cultural etiquette in the context of food and drink. Historical records indicate that by at least the Zhou Dynasty, China had established a fairly comprehensive system of dining rituals. Although some of the more elaborate formalities have been simplified over time, the etiquette and culture reflected in Zhenyuan Traditional Feast remain a window into the demeanor of a great nation, a land of ceremony, and a cradle of civilization.

　　Preparation: Respecting the inherent flavors of ingredients

　　Many years ago, life was simpler, and material goods were not as abundant as they are today—especially in rural areas, where options for preparing a lavish meal were limited, with vegetables being particularly scarce. As a result, the dishes of Zhenyuan Traditional Feast mainly feature meat, with pork as the absolute protagonist, supplemented by small amounts of chicken. Dishes such as pork ribs, sliced pork, liver, crispy pork, pork strips, trotters, meatballs, and more—just pork alone can be prepared in a variety of ways. A single feast might use up an entire pig, with different cuts of pork transformed into various “signature dishes.”

　　What may seem like just a plate of meat actually showcases the chef’s skill in these few slices. How thinly and intact the soft meat is sliced is the ultimate test of a chef’s knife skills. Slicing the rolled pork so that each piece stands upright takes years of practice. What appears to be fatty meat has actually gone through boiling, steaming, and frying processes, resulting in a rich yet non-greasy taste. Using only pork, chefs painstakingly create more than ten different meat dishes—this is precisely the complexity of Zhenyuan Traditional Feast’s preparation.

　　Each ingredient has its own unique character and temperament. For example, deer horn—a type of algae-like seaweed—softens when eaten with yellow wine. In terms of seasonings, chefs of Zhenyuan Traditional Feast mostly use simple seasonings such as ginger powder, star anise, vinegar, and salt. Many dishes are minimally processed or even unprocessed, allowing the natural flavors of the ingredients to shine. The more one tries to artificially innovate or alter, the further one strays from the simple, unadorned, and natural essence of food. The reason Zhenyuan Traditional Feast is so unforgettable is precisely because of its return to authenticity.

　　Heritage: Fewer and fewer inheritors of Zhenyuan Traditional Feast

　　Li Huilin, a 58-year-old native of Zhenyuan, learned the craft of preparing traditional feasts after retiring from the military. Over the past thirty-plus years, his culinary skills have become increasingly refined, and he has trained hundreds of apprentices. However, many start out enthusiastic but give up halfway, and even those who complete their training don’t necessarily pursue this line of work. Nowadays, Li Huilin prepares traditional feasts at a restaurant in Xifeng. He says, “Most people don’t order the traditional feast when they eat out. Modern people are increasingly unreceptive to these old traditions.”

　　At this year’s CPPCC session, CPPCC member Dong Xiaolong proposed a motion titled “On the Protection and Development of Longdong Traditional Banquets.” In the proposal, Dong Xiaolong stated that due to the complexity of preparing traditional banquets and the gradual decline in the number of veteran banquet chefs due to age, traditional banquets in the Longdong region are at risk of being lost and disappearing. To protect and preserve this ancient culinary culture, Dong Xiaolong suggested systematically compiling and documenting this region-specific food culture, with relevant departments providing policy and financial support. Additionally, if this traditional banquet could be integrated with tourism, services, and related industries to form a complete industrial chain, the Longdong Traditional Feast could regain new vitality.

　　In 2013, Zhenyuan Traditional Feast was recognized by the municipal government as a municipal intangible cultural heritage, which was a great source of comfort for Li Huilin. In the future, he hopes that Zhenyuan Traditional Feast can gain recognition at the provincial or even national level, ensuring the preservation and continuation of this culinary craft.

　　Xu Li, the Virtuous Official of the Zhengde Era

　　Xu Li, styled Boyu and also known as Qianshan, was a native of Zhenyuan. He became a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) during the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty and served as an Imperial Censor in the Board of War. According to elders of the Xu family in Xugou, Haifeng Administrative Village, Zhenyuan County: after Xu Li resigned from his court position and returned home, he commissioned craftsmen to make a cowhide plaque on which he carved the major figures and genealogical relationships of the Xu family as a record of family history, preserving it for many years. After Xu Li passed away, due to disputes among descendants over familial closeness, no one could mediate, and the cowhide plaque was destroyed in the 18th year of the Republic of China. Later, descendants displayed a family portrait, which has been preserved to this day. According to the family portrait, Xu Li had a son named Fengpan, styled Ziyi. He had six grandsons: Xu Jinde, Xu Jinliang, Xu Jindao, Xu Jinming, Xu Jinkē, and Xu Xilou. All those surnamed Xu in Xugou, Haifeng Administrative Village, Chengguan Town, are descendants of Xu Xilou.

　　Xu Li initially served as an observing official in the Metropolitan Surveillance Bureau, later becoming the magistrate of Danyang County. During his tenure in Danyang, he encountered a situation where local despots were extorting and exploiting the common people, currying favor with their superiors while showing no mercy to those below. Xu Li conducted detailed inspections and established regulations for even the smallest details such as the use of public oil, spoiled fish, and salt, forbidding any harm to the people. A certain local gentry had embezzled thousands of strings of cash from public funds. Previous county magistrates, having accepted bribes, had taken no action against him. Xu Li, acting in accordance with the law and impartially, punished him and confiscated all his family assets into the public treasury. Soon after, due to consecutive years of flooding, wheat fields were submerged. Xu Li used the thousands of strings of cash embezzled by the gentry to pay the taxes on behalf of the common people, allowing them to live and work in peace and contentment.

　　Liuhu Lake, located about 20 li from the city, frequently suffered from water disasters. Xu Li led the local people in digging the lake and building embankments. Around the lake, they planted fruit trees; in shallow waters, they grew cattails, and in deeper waters, they raised fish—bringing great benefits to the local people.

　　Xu Li opposed extravagance, rewarded law-abiding behavior, imposed lenient punishments and light taxes, suppressed the strong, and supported the weak. He eliminated corrupt practices, and within less than a year, idlers dared not come near. The region became peaceful, and the people prosperous.

　　Three years later, Xu Li was promoted to Imperial Censor in the Board of War. When he left Danyang, the people wept and saw him off for a hundred li. All gifts offered to him were respectfully declined. The people, unable to bear the separation, competed to take the boots Xu Li had worn, hanging them on the city gate tower as a token of their affection.

　　Upon entering the Board of War, Xu Li devoted himself to serving the nation. He submitted earnest and reasonable memorials to the emperor regarding three individuals: a commander and two censors, earning the emperor’s praise. No one in the court or the country dared to act recklessly in his presence. Xu Li also regularly inspected the soldiers of the Imperial Guards, and none dared to slack off. One year, Gansu suffered from a severe drought. The scorching sun dried up the seedlings, crops failed entirely, and corpses littered the roads. Xu Li, upon learning of this, was deeply distressed and repeatedly petitioned the court to reduce taxes. Many officials disagreed, accusing him of favoritism and corruption. The emperor decided to send several high-ranking officials to accompany Xu Li on an on-site investigation. Upon arriving in Zhenyuan, they were taken by the local magistrate to inspect the crops in the Dafang and Xiaofang Mountains area. They saw rugged ravines, layered ridges, sparse vegetation, and exposed land. From afar, they heard farmers in the mountain valleys singing the “Niulao Lao” folk song. The officials asked, “What are they saying?” Xu Li replied, “The slope is too steep—the ox can’t climb and has rolled into the valley. He’s crying for his ox!” The officials asked, “Then how do they farm?” Xu Li answered, “They tie a bundle of grain with a wooden peg, or else the grain will roll down the hill.” During the meal, the farmers served sticky cakes and honey water. Xu Li was given honey water, while the other officials were served vinegar—the color of the liquid in each dish was nearly identical, making it impossible to tell whether it was sugar or vinegar. They all dipped their cakes and ate. The officials found it hard to swallow, their brows furrowed in disgust, but Xu Li alone ate with relish. When asked, he said, “This is all specially prepared for us by the people. How could we complain? The people even mix in wild greens, which makes it taste even worse!”

　　Upon returning to the court, Xu Li and his team reported to the emperor that the drought in Gansu was real, the people’s lives were miserable beyond description—it was a place where even a mouse could be killed by a fall or a snake by a stumble, and they were unable to pay taxes. The emperor then reduced Gansu’s grain tax by 3,500 dan. Because a Henan-born official had once claimed that Henan was the “heart and gall of heaven” and that year’s harvest had been relatively good, the reduced grain tax quota was transferred to Henan.

　　Xu Li was tall and imposing, with a long beard and white teeth. He was eloquent and talented, an incorruptible official who served the people. His memorials were sincere and well-reasoned—no corrupt official was unafraid of Xu Li. Once, while attending court, he happened to encounter a prince kicking a shuttlecock at the Meridian Gate. The prince joked, “Xu the Bearded attends court and constantly submits accusations against others. What crime is that?” Xu Li jokingly replied, “And you grab the phoenix (referring to the chicken feathers on the shuttlecock, with the phoenix subtly representing the empress) and kick the emperor (referring to the copper coins on the shuttlecock as the emperor’s gold coins)—what crime is that?” The question left the prince speechless. Due to his uprightness and integrity, Xu Li earned the emperor’s trust. Just as he was dedicating himself fully to serving the nation, he unfortunately received word that his father was critically ill. He resigned from his post under the pretext of returning home to see his father and went back to his hometown.

　　To demonstrate his sincerity, he loaded over ten carts with all his belongings and departed from the capital in a grand procession. Someone reported to the emperor that he was a corrupt official. The emperor then dispatched cavalry guards to intercept him on the road. Upon inspection, the carts were found to contain books, paper, pens, inkstones, as well as hoes and plows. The emperor was puzzled. Xu Li explained, “I have served as an official for many years. Now, returning home in fine attire, I bring these items to give to my fellow villagers. The young can study and strive to serve the nation; the farmers can work diligently and live in peace.” The emperor sighed deeply, praised Xu Li, and punished the false accuser.

　　During his tenure as county magistrate, Xu Li often went deep among the people. Observing the simple and honest folkways, the respect for the elderly and love for the young, and thinking of his distant family, he was moved and wrote four poems titled “Thinking of My Family While in Office” to express his longing:

　　My child is in the south, my kin in the west,

　　Where white clouds drift, tears fall thick and fast.

　　A scholar’s cap kept me from tending my kin,

　　Who knows pure filial piety wears humble attire?

　　Who knows pure filial piety wears humble attire?

　　Keeping parents warm and attending them in time.

　　I urge you, my child, to know what to do,

　　To soothe my grief in this foreign land anew.

　　To soothe my grief in this foreign land anew,

　　I devote my heart to serving the state and the people true.