In Xi'an, the ancient capital, you can enjoy Tang-style dishes: a banquet of dumplings and lamb soup in which pieces of bread are dipped. Steamed, they can be flavored by soaking them in soy vinegar and various spicy sauces. The dumpling banquet for Xi'an residents is the dish that celebrates New Year's Eve and honors guests and friends.
In Beijing, the iconic dish is Peking duck. The historical origins of the recipe date back to the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty (1206 - 1368). The dish was included in the imperial menu, which already detailed very precise instructions on preparation and cooking processes.
Under Emperor Qianlong (1736-1796), the dish became popular outside the imperial court, inspiring numerous artworks, paintings, stories, poems, and children's rhymes. With the end of the Celestial Empire in 1911, all court chefs left the Forbidden City and opened numerous restaurants in the city, making the dish known even among lower classes.
The duck is coated in a mixture (each chef keeps the ingredients secret) containing a sweet and sour sauce before being hung in a well-ventilated room for several days.
The cooking takes a lot of time and is carried out in special ovens built with volcanic stones, where hot, ventilated air allows the skin to dry, keeping the air pocket between the skin and the meat intact. All methods are based on the meticulous and unique recipes of different chefs and regions.
