It is said that Manchu originated from the court of the Qing Dynasty and is a giant feast that combines the characteristics of the Manchu and Han nationalities. Formerly the banquet for Emperor Kangxi’s 66-year-old birthday, it aims to resolve the Manchu and Han discord and promote the Manchu and Han integration. However, the official history does not record this.
According to the Qing Dynasty Emperor Kangxi’s 66-year-old birthday, he provided 3 days and 6 banquets for the Han and Manchu tribes, offering more than 300 dishes. Emperor Kangxi first tasted in the palace, and the royal book “Manchu Han Imperial Feast“, made the feast famous. At that time, there were a different palaces and outside palaces, and the Manchu Han Imperial Feast in the palace was exclusively for the emperor and the royal family. The close relatives, the children of royalty, and the heroes were eligible to participate in the palace.
The Manchu Han Imperial Feast of outside the palace is often served by the Manchus and No. 1 officials to the imperial ministers when they preside over the scientific examinations and local meetings. When a man is seated, he must wear the beads and wear the official dress.
When you are invited to the feast, you should first eat Manchu cuisine, then eat Han cuisine. During the feast, the waiter changed the desktop, which is called “turning over the table.” Before the meal, first two pairs of incense, tea, and hand dish; four fresh fruit, four dried fruit, four fruit for watching, and four candied fruit on the table; after entering the table, first on the cold dishes and then hot dishes, large dishes, desserts in turn. There are 196 items of cold and hot dishes, 124 items of snacks, and a total of 340 items of food.
A full set of pastel Wanshou tableware, with silverware, rich and gorgeous, the dining environment is quaint and solemn. During the banquet, the famous teacher will play the banquet of ancient music.
In the “Yangzhou Paintings” written by Li Dou during the Qianlong Period of Emperor Qianlong, it recorded that the Yangzhou “Large Kitchen” entertained the “six divisions and 100 officials” for visiting Yangzhou. The menu was the earliest record of the Manchu Han Imperial Feast.
The menu includes:
Bird’s nest chicken soup, sea cucumber, pork ribs, fresh radish, kelp pork belly, abalone, pearl dish, mussel shrimp soup, shark’s fin crab, mushroom pheasant, fish belly ham, shark skin chicken sauce, squid tongue, bear paw, rice dregs, deer face, Pig brain, steamed hump, pear slices steamed civet, steamed deer tail, pheasant soup, wind pig, wind sheep, pork belly, duck tongue, chicken porridge, pig cerebral palsy, hibiscus egg, goose steamed squid, fried pufferfish, Wensi tofu, and soft-shelled pork soup. Roasted piglets, fried pork and mutton, grilled chicken, goose, duck, pigeon, pig, shash, white boiled pork, white steamed pig, white steamed lamb, white steamed chicken, duck, goose, assorted fire, plum bun, pastries, side dishes, dried fruits, fresh fruit, etc.
Later, the Manchu Han Imperial Feast was the general name of the large-scale luxury banquet, and the dishes were constantly added and updated, which became the epitome of Chinese delicious food.