Top Ten Dishes of Siyang

Top Ten Dishes of Siyang

　　The Top Ten Dishes of Siyang have been passed down among the people for hundreds of years. In the past, these dishes were not something you could enjoy every day—only during festive celebrations in Siyang such as weddings, births, baby-naming ceremonies, first-month celebrations, housewarming parties, and elderly birthdays. Back then, due to the low economic level, plates were rarely seen on the dining tables in Siyang. Instead, the tables were filled with large bowls, and there were always ten dishes served. Over time, locals began to call this type of feast the “Top Ten Dishes of Siyang.” The dishes in the “Top Ten” are not fixed, but common specialties include red meat, lion’s head meatballs, red crispy, egg skin, and chicken congee. However, the braised chicken (also called “Biao Ji”) as the leading dish of the “Top Ten” is indispensable.

　　High-quality braised chicken is made with great care. It uses lean pork paste, egg yolks, breadcrumbs, starch, and seasonings such as salt, scallions, ginger, pepper, and MSG, which are mixed evenly and then spread on bean curd sheets to form a layer about one inch thick. On top of that, a mixture of fatty pork paste, peeled sweet potato paste, egg whites, scallion whites, and starch is evenly stirred and spread to form another layer about half an inch thick. Once steamed, the top layer turns snow-white like jade, while the bottom layer becomes ruby-red like agate. Usually, it is sliced and served with side ingredients such as spinach, ginger, and scallions. The green, red, and white colors complement each other beautifully. When served, the aroma of the meat wafts through the air. Each bite is tender, juicy, neither greasy nor dry.

　　Crispy chicken is also one of the beloved dishes among the people of Siyang. Lean pork and peeled yams are minced together and mixed with flour, salt, scallions, ginger, and egg whites. The mixture is shaped into palm-sized patties and deep-fried in hot oil until cooked, then removed from the oil. The fried pieces resemble large iron discs. After cooling, they are cut into small parallelogram-shaped pieces and braised with spinach. Before the spinach is fully cooked, the dish is quickly scooped into bowls, and a delicious and tasty crispy chicken dish is ready to be served.