National Tide 1980

Seeing Ning Weimin looking forward to it confirmed that he was interested in what he said and did not dislike what he said was boring.

"Zhang Dashao"'s mood was obviously a little higher.

After sorting out the language a little, he continued to speak more smoothly.

"Let's talk about the palace-style cooking characteristics. The only local flavor in the capital is the 'Kouzi Kitchen', which you should also know. However, this kind of cooking in a greenhouse is difficult to say exquisite. Especially before the capital became the capital. , the dishes are few and the cooking methods are rough. Just like most areas in Hebei Province, it is really difficult to get into the restaurant."

"So most of the palace chefs of Ming Chengzu were from Shandong, and Shandong cuisine was spread throughout the palace and among the people. In the Qing Dynasty, the food habits of the Ming Dynasty palace were still inherited intact. So there is no doubt that the palace flavor The first place on the list is the flavor of Shandong cuisine.

"The second is the original cooking of the Manchu people. The Manchu people originated from a long-standing nomadic life. The meat of cattle, sheep, chickens and other animals are the raw materials of their daily diet. The cooking methods are mainly barbecue and stew."

"When the Qing Dynasty took over the Central Plains, they didn't pay much attention to food. But during the Qianlong Dynasty, they began to pay attention to it. The palace chefs improved the Manchu diet, thus introducing a unique flavor of food that has been preserved to this day. It is now famous in the capital. Lamb dish.”

"The third is Suzhou and Hangzhou cuisine. Qianlong visited the south of the Yangtze River six times, and each time he visited Suzhou and Hangzhou. At that time, Suzhou and Hangzhou were very prosperous, and they were famous for 'there is heaven above, and Suzhou and Hangzhou below'. Local people would also welcome the emperor with a grand ceremony. Emperor Qianlong was particularly fond of Suzhou and Hangzhou cuisine, and ordered people to compile a meal table to record daily diet. In the forty-third year of Qianlong's reign, when Emperor Qianlong visited the Northeast region, he also specially ordered Some famous Suzhou chefs are accompanying them as chefs in the imperial dining room.”

"In short, the palace cuisine of the Qing Dynasty was based on these three flavors. As for the biggest difference between palace cuisine and folk cooking, folk cooking focuses on taste, and the combination of dish shape, seasonings and materials It’s not very particular. Palace cuisine pays great attention to this. There are even many strict rules.”

"First, arbitrary combinations are not allowed. In general folk cooking, the ingredients can be added, subtracted, and changed at will, and it is harmless. For example, eight treasure dishes are enough if they have eight kinds of ingredients. No one will particularly care if you change one or two kinds. But the palace's Babaocai must use the specified eight raw materials, and other ingredients are not allowed.

"Second, the relationship between the host and the guest of the ingredients is strict. Similar to the emperor, minister and envoy in traditional Chinese medicine, cooking in the Qing Dynasty also pays attention to the host and guest of the raw materials. For example, when cooking chicken dishes, you must pay attention to maintaining the true nature of the chicken when using seasonings and main ingredients. Taste. Why is this? Because the main body is chicken, it is not allowed to lose the original taste of the chicken due to the use of seasonings. It is also not allowed to season randomly like ordinary folk dishes."

"Third, it is the purification of seasonings. The seasonings of palace dishes are not allowed to be used arbitrarily. For example, although chicken soup is made of chicken, in the palace, it is not allowed to cook chicken and chicken bones together like Zhuangguan cuisine. Boil. Because there are different levels of soup stock, what is cooked in ordinary restaurants can only be called "mao soup". It usually consists of chicken racks, duck racks, pork bones, minced meat, pork skin, etc., boiled in cold water, and skimmed Son. Add green onion, ginger and wine to kill the smell. It’s not nutritious, and it’s just better than MSG water for cooking. Of course not in the palace.”

"And for all commonly used dishes that the emperor eats, the seasonings and main ingredients must be recorded in detail in the meal bottom file. This is called the meal menu. This can ensure the stability of the quality of the dishes to the greatest extent. As long as there is a meal bottom file , then no matter when the emperor eats, the dishes presented will not taste bad."

"For example, during the Daoguang Dynasty, Emperor Daoguang wanted to eat dishes from the Qianlong period. Because there were meal stalls, the imperial chef could cook them right away, and the taste was the same as the dishes from the Qianlong era. It was completely the characteristics of the imperial cuisine of that year... …”

When Ning Weimin heard this, he thought he had understood the meaning of "Zhang Dashao" and couldn't help but interrupt.

"Oh, I understand. What you mean is that I have to try my best to restore the palace model of the past in terms of manpower, material resources, raw materials and cooking techniques. It cannot be different from the past. Just like repairing ancient buildings, repair them as they were before. Talent Make authentic royal meals and restore the true palace flavor. Is that right?”

Unexpectedly, "Zhang Dashao" completely denied what he said and shook his head firmly.

"No, no, no, no. You've got it wrong. What did I mean? I'm not telling you this to blindly imitate you. Because it's neither possible nor necessary. First of all, you must know that many raw materials nowadays You can’t even find it. Just like Saqima. You know?”

"Saqima is a Manchu word, and its original meaning is 'dog girl naoko dipped in sugar'. What is dog girl naoko? It is a small berry in the Northeast, so named because of its similar shape. It is now extinct. That's why it is gradually used. Raisins, dried green plums, hawthorns, and melon seeds can be substituted. In fact, such a substitution is not only beautiful and delicious, but also rich. According to you, if we don’t have that kind of berry, we won’t eat Saqima? We don’t need that kind of berry. Isn’t what we are doing Saqima?”

"Secondly, we cannot deny that the times themselves are developing, and life needs to change. If there is no change or development in any industry, there will be no progress. For example, there was Sichuan cuisine at the end of the Qin Dynasty and the beginning of the Han Dynasty, but Chili peppers entered our country in the late Ming Dynasty. It is precisely because of chili peppers that Sichuan cuisine has many new flavors, such as spicy, sour and spicy, strange flavors, kung pao, red oil and so on. If the taste never changes, where does it come from? Today’s Sichuan cuisine? Aren’t these Sichuan dishes authentic?”

"It is no exaggeration to say that if there is no change, there will be no development. We are still eating hair and drinking blood, picking fruits and eating raw food. How can we talk about cooking techniques? It is precisely because we are changing all the time and seeking change. After thinking about how to change, you can know how to use fire to burn, boil, stew, and steam. It was not until the Qin and Han Dynasties that you learned to blend the five flavors and stir-fry, fry, sauce, pickle, and broil. As for the palace cooking techniques that have been passed down to this day, it was only in the Qing Dynasty more than 260 years ago The heyday of the year was gradually formed with the prosperity of the Qing Dynasty..."

These words touched Ning Weimin greatly, and he immediately changed his mind and changed his mind.

"Yes, yes, you are absolutely right. Yes, if only something did not taste bad at all, then wouldn't we still pick fruits from the trees to eat? I now understand a little bit, we can change, and we should change. Only in this way can we be unique and distinguish ourselves from Fangshan and Tingli Restaurant. But how to change it is a problem, you can't do it randomly! Do you mean by saying this just to let me understand a basic law and rule of palace cuisine? Only then can we capture the essence of palace cuisine..."

"Zhang Dashao" immediately agreed and expressed full affirmation this time.

"Hey, a smart person can tell the truth. What you said is quite right. The key is how to change, it must be reasonable and well-founded. You can't change for the worse, you can only change for the better. Whether it is authentic or not, it doesn't matter. When it comes to self-promotion, let the guests say it, let the experts say it, there is no point in bragging about yourself. If nothing else, it is claiming to be the inheritance of the royal chef in the name of palace flavor. But it can't make a few real Manchu dishes, and there is no Authentic Suzhou and Hangzhou cuisine is almost entirely Shandong cuisine, is that right?”

"Whether it's authentic or not, it doesn't depend on following the recipe. It remains the same. Although the meal base is compiled based on the past palace diet information, anyone can follow the recipe and make the menu dishes. In some places, the dishes are coded. They are good at what they do, and it looks like the real deal. But it's just an appearance. It's just a palace dish. They don't understand that the value of soup is clear, and unclear soup doesn't count. Just take the hair. The soup is confusing. The taste of their dishes is too different from the elegance and purity pursued by palace cooking. Is this okay?"

"And no matter what, you can't go wrong with some of the most basic things. For example, when frying poultry, tea oil should be used as the main ingredient. If there is no tea oil, use sesame oil, and never use lard. Like the imperial meals of the Qing Dynasty, you can have all kinds of delicacies from mountains and seas, but The only thing is that beef cannot appear. Some places serve beef with sauce and spicy beef as cold dishes, which makes sense. The Empress Dowager of the West did not eat eggplants and cucumbers in her life. If she is using Cixi as a guise, this cannot be wrong. If you are wrong, let people who know history choose. If something goes wrong, it’s a big joke!”

"So in the final analysis, the food must be good. It must comply with regulations and have historical roots, and it must be cooked properly and taste delicious. Naturally, it will be recognized and there will be many customers. It must be all done. If it doesn’t taste good in the mouth, it may even be modified randomly, just to pursue a certain form. No matter how famous it is, it will only confuse people for a while, and sooner or later the business will be deserted and no one will patronize it.”

Ning Weimin almost applauded this time.

"Ouch! That's right! What you said is so right! But if you just say that you are authentic, but the food you cook is not delicious at all, then why don't you invite me for nothing? In fact, it's just craftsmanship. The master, who is not very high, is more and more fond of boasting that he is authentic and using gimmicks to deceive people. Master Zhang, I can tell, you are really a capable person! You are also a great connoisseur! How do you know the royal cuisine? Understanding is better than an expert. So you know the business and can cook it, so you can naturally make my food taste better than others, and it can also be like that. Right?"