Chapter 489: Don’t mess around
Seeing Ning Weimin look forward to it confirmed that he was interested in what he said and did not dislike what he said was boring.
"Zhang Dashao" was obviously in a higher mood.
After sorting out the language for a while, he continued to speak more smoothly.
“Let’s talk about the culinary characteristics of palace style. The only place in Beijing that can be said to have local flavor is the ‘Kouzi Kitchen’, which you should also know. However, it is difficult to say that this kind of cooking in a greenhouse is exquisite. Especially before the capital became the capital, there were few dishes and the cooking methods were rough, making it difficult to get into a 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 one is the flavor of Shandong cuisine.
“And the second one is the original Manchu cuisine. The Manchus originated from a long-standing nomadic life. The meat of cattle, sheep, chickens and other animals is the raw material of their daily diet. The cooking methods are mainly barbecue and stew. "
"When the Qing Dynasty took over the Central Plains, they were not very particular about diet. But during the Qianlong Dynasty, he began to pay attention to it. The palace chefs improved the Manchu diet and introduced a unique flavor that has been preserved to this day. It is now the famous mutton dish in Beijing. ”
“The third is Suzhou and Hangzhou cuisine. Qianlong went to 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 as "there is heaven above, and Suzhou and Hangzhou below". The local people would also welcome the emperor's arrival with a grand ceremony. Emperor Qianlong was particularly fond of Suzhou and Hangzhou cuisine, and ordered people to compile a meal table to record his daily diet. In the forty-third year of Qianlong's reign, when Emperor Qianlong was touring the Northeast region, he specially appointed some famous Suzhou chefs to accompany him as chefs in the imperial dining room. "
"In short, the palace dishes of the Qing Dynasty were based on these three flavors. As for the biggest difference between palace cuisine and folk cooking, folk cooking focuses on taste and is not very particular about the shape of the dishes, the combination of seasonings and materials. Palace cuisine pays great attention to this point. 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 Babao dishes must use the specified eight raw materials, and no other ingredients are allowed.
"Second, the relationship between the host and the guest of the ingredients is strict. Similar to the monarch, ministers and envoys in traditional Chinese medicine, cooking in the Qing palace also paid attention to the host and guest of the raw materials. For example, when cooking chicken dishes, you must pay attention to maintaining the original flavor of the chicken when using seasonings and main ingredients. Why is this? Because the main body is chicken, it is not allowed to lose the original taste of chicken due to the use of seasonings. It is also not allowed to season as you would with ordinary folk dishes. ”
“Third, it is the purification of seasonings. The condiments of palace dishes are not allowed to be used arbitrarily. For example, although chicken soup is made from chicken, in the palace, it was not allowed to cook chicken and chicken bones together like Zhuangguan cuisine. 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. Then add onion, ginger and wine to kill the smell. Nutrition is out of the question, and cooking is just a little better than MSG water. Of course not in the palace. "
"And for all common dishes that the emperor eats, the seasonings and main ingredients must be recorded in detail at the bottom of the meal. This is called the meal menu. This can ensure the stability of dish quality to the greatest extent. As long as there is a meal stall, 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 is a meal stall, the imperial chef can cook it right away, and the taste is the same as that of the Qianlong era, which is completely the characteristic of the imperial meal 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 past palace model in terms of manpower, material resources, raw materials and cooking techniques. It cannot be different from the past. Just like repairing ancient buildings. Only by repairing the old food can we make authentic imperial cuisine and restore the true palace flavor, right?"
Unexpectedly, "Zhang Dashao" completely rejected his words 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 find it. Just like Saqima. Do you know?” Nonnaiko? It is a small berry from the Northeast. It is now extinct, so it is gradually replaced with raisins, hawthorns and melon seeds. In fact, it is not only beautiful but also delicious. , and it’s rich. According to you, if we don’t have that kind of berry, we won’t eat Sachima? If it’s made without that kind of berry, wouldn’t it be Sachima?”
"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 many new flavors have appeared in Sichuan cuisine, such as spicy, sour, strange, Kung Pao, red oil and so on. If it never tastes the same, where does it come from? Today’s Sichuan cuisine? Are these Sichuan dishes not authentic? ”
“It is no exaggeration to say that if there is no change, there will be no development. We are still picking fruits and eating raw food. What about cooking techniques? It is precisely because we are always changing, seeking changes, and thinking about how to change, that we can learn to use fire to cook, boil, stew, and steam. It was not until the Qin and Han Dynasties that we learned how to blend five flavors, stir-fry, fry, and sauce. Pickling and broiling. As for the palace cooking techniques that have been passed down to this day, they were gradually formed during the heyday of the Qing Dynasty for more than 260 years and with the prosperity of the Qing Dynasty..."
These words have great impact on Ning Weimin. He was so touched that he immediately changed his mind and changed his mind.
"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 understand now, we can It should be changed. Only in this way can it be unique and distinguish it from Fangshan and Tingli Restaurant. But how to change is a question. You can't do it randomly! Are you talking about this just to let me understand the palace cuisine? A basic rule and rule to 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 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 boasting about it. If you say it is the inheritance of the royal chef, you can't make a few real Manchu dishes. Authentic Suzhou and Hangzhou cuisine is almost all Shandong cuisine, right?”
“It’s not authentic, and it doesn’t follow the recipe. Although the meal base is compiled according to the palace diet information in the past. , anyone can make a menu according to the recipe, and in some places, they are very good at coding the dishes, but it looks like it is just a palace dish. It's just a piece of skin. They don't understand that soup stock is more important than soup stock. The taste of their dishes is too different from the elegance and purity pursued by palace cooking. ?”
“And no matter what, you can’t go wrong with some of the most basic things. For example, when frying poultry, you should use tea oil. If you don’t use tea oil, use sesame oil, and don’t use lard. You can have all kinds of delicacies, but beef is not allowed. Some places serve beef with soy sauce and spicy beef as a cold dish. It seems that the Queen Mother of the West did not eat eggplant and cucumber in her life, so this is a must-have. , it’s a big joke to let people who know history find fault!”
“So in the final analysis, it must be in compliance with regulations, have historical roots, and be good at the same time. If it is cooked properly, it will be delicious. It will naturally gain recognition and customers will come in. If it is all about the same thing, but it does not taste good in the mouth, even if it is modified randomly, no matter how famous it is, it will only make people confused for a while. Sooner or later, business will be deserted and no one will come."
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. You are a humble master, but you love to boast that you are authentic and use gimmicks to deceive people. Master Zhang, I can tell, you are really a great person! You are also a great expert in palace cuisine! You are more knowledgeable than an expert. So you are knowledgeable and can make my dishes taste better than others, right?”
(End of this chapter)