Tongli Zhuangyuan Pig Trotter

Tongli Zhuangyuan Pig Trotter

　　Tongli Zhuangyuan Pig Trotter is a signature dish of Tongli in Suzhou. The Zhuangyuan Pig Trotter can be considered the “flagship” among Wujiang’s specialties. Strolling through this world-renowned ancient water town in the Jiangnan region, amidst the alleyways fluttering with the apricot-yellow flags of the “Ming-Qing Street,” as we fully appreciate the vibrant red hues of the Zhuangyuan Pig Trotter, we find ourselves unconsciously immersed in its sweet and savory aroma.

　　Legend has it that in the fourth year of the Chunyou era during the Song Dynasty, Wei Ruxian from Tongli achieved the top honors in the imperial examinations. The Zhuangyuan (top scholar) had a particular fondness for braised pig trotters. By the time of the Guangxu Emperor in the Qing Dynasty, Ren Lansheng, the owner of the Retreat & Reflection Garden, admired Wei the Zhuangyuan so much that he specially hired renowned chefs to prepare braised pig trotters as the main dish for family banquets, giving it the elegant name “Zhuangyuan Pig Trotter.” At that time, prominent figures such as Imperial Scholar Hong Jun and his concubine Sai Jinhua often came to enjoy it. Although the current preparation methods differ significantly from those of the past, the flavor is even more exceptional. The “Golden List Zhuangyuan Workshop” sources all ingredients for their Zhuangyuan Pig Trotters exclusively from pig trotters produced by the Shanghai Meat Company, typically weighing between 1 to 1.25 kilograms. First, the trotters are boiled in water to remove hair, then cooked with eighteen types of Chinese medicinal herbs. Next, they are simmered over low heat. A single large iron pot can cook up to eighty trotters at once, taking approximately four hours. It's essential to use an iron pot for cooking because it absorbs moisture produced during the process and helps render out the fat from the trotters, resulting in a dish famously free from preservatives.