The recipe for this soup dates back to the 17th century, thanks to chef Zheng Chunfa. Legend has it that during an excursion, a group of students camped near a Buddhist monastery and, as night fell, they lit a fire and set up a pot to prepare soup to warm their bodies because it was cold.
They poured water into the pot and added what they had brought: quail eggs, bamboo shoots, meat, ginseng, mushrooms they found along the way, onions, and other ingredients. As it started to boil, a wonderful aroma arose, reaching all the way to the monastery. One of the monks couldn't resist; he jumped over the wall surrounding the monastery and approached the group of students to taste the soup.
One of the young men in the group praised the soup, saying it was so exquisite that it makes even Buddha jump over a wall, hence the name.
This soup is a variation of the classic shark fin soup from Fujian, featuring a wide variety of high-quality ingredients, in addition to the main ingredients like bamboo shoots, ginseng, pork, mushrooms, shark fins, chicken, and onions. The cooking process is slow, allowing it to simmer for two days, adding each ingredient at the right moment.
What about the seasonings? They remain a chef's secret, and this delicacy has spread throughout China and reached other countries such as Korea and the United Kingdom.
