Siyang Biaoji (Stuffed Chicken)

Siyang Biaoji (Stuffed Chicken)

　　Biaoji is one of the famous specialties of Siyang. At weddings, funerals, and other festive occasions in rural areas, it is often served as the “head dish.” The skill of the chef is also judged based on how well the biaoji is made.

　　The making of biaoji is highly refined. It involves mixing minced lean pork, egg yolk, breadcrumbs, and starch with seasonings such as salt, scallions, ginger, pepper, and MSG until well blended. This mixture is then spread over a sheet of bean curd skin to form a layer about an inch thick. On top of that, another layer is spread, consisting of minced fatty pork, peeled sweet potato mash, egg white, scallion whites, and starch, forming a layer about half an inch thick. Once prepared, it is placed in a steamer and steamed until cooked. The top layer turns pure white like jade, while the bottom layer becomes a ruby red. Typically, it is then sliced into pieces and served with vegetables such as spinach, along with seasonings like 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, not greasy, and delightfully smooth.

　　Legend has it that in the late Ming Dynasty, when Qing troops advanced southward, Shi Kefa, then Minister of War of the Ming Dynasty, led his army northward. He set up a hundred-mile defense line along the Yellow River in Taoyuan (now Siyang), Suqian, and Huaiyin. Shi Kefa’s command post was located in Cuizhen, Taoyuan County. One freezing morning, as the chef was busy slaughtering chickens and geese, Shi Kefa found it odd and asked, “It’s neither winter festival nor New Year’s, why is the chef so busy?” Upon learning it was the chef’s birthday, he became furious, saying, “With the enemy at our doorstep, who thinks of celebrating birthdays?” He then ordered the guards to send the chickens, geese, and pork trotters to the frontline troops as comfort food. Before leaving, Shi Kefa instructed the chef, “There can only be one dish served at noon.” After much deliberation, the chef used a palm-sized piece of fat meat and two eggs to create the delicious biaoji. Over generations, chefs have refined the recipe, further enhancing its flavor and establishing it as the unique and distinctive local delicacy of Siyang we know today.