The mainstream traditional banquets in the late Qing Dynasty did not include ordering food, but provided established dishes according to the types of banquets. Now everyone is used to ordering food, but it gradually became popular during Guangxu Xuantong period.
At that time, the biggest bad habit on the dining table in China was the "watching seats" brought by the rulers of the Qing Dynasty. In addition to the normal dishes, the rich and powerful banquet would also set up a single table to eat and watch. At that time, some foreign travelers who participated in grand banquets described that a feast would have nearly 100 dishes for viewing and then discard them directly.
Traditional banquets for the rich are arranged in descending order by barbecue seats (also known as "Man-Han Banquet", the highest-standard folk banquets, including bird's nest, shark's fin and all kinds of barbecues, and the main course is roast whole pig), swallow dishes (namely bird's nest seats, the main course is big bowl of bird's nest, which can be salty and sweet, and then shark's fin), shark's fin seats, fish lips, sea cucumber, dried pork and three-silk set seats.
As for what to eat at different banquets, the best textual research reference is a large number of satirical novels (also known as condemnation novels) popular at that time. These novels describe the extravagant style of dignitaries at that time, and even have detailed records of wine, food and catering ... For example, there are many examples of banquets in the famous "Officialdom in the Sky", among which the most detailed description is a dinner arranged by JIAOZHOU veteran "Three Wallets" to welcome adults who love banquets. In order to take care of the preferences of the Governor of Jiaozhou (foreigner), he and an interpreter who had studied abroad (officials went to the magistrate) drew up a menu of "paying equal attention to Chinese and Western cultures":
"Clear beef soup, fried shad, ice silkworm A, Wan Ding mutton, Humbard (probably Hamburg), steak, frozen pig's trotters, orange ice cream (orange ice cream), Australian kingfisher chicken, turtle asparagus, lettuce legs, Gali egg rice (which should be curry egg rice), white pudding, bingo and pig's ancient spicy ice cream (chocolate ice cream). Other wines include: brandy (estimated to be brandy), Wesger (estimated to be whiskey), red wine, Budd (estimated to be Porter), champagne, sweet water to go, salt water (two flavors of mint soda) ... (three capsules) and fear that the immortal is a taboo, so the first soup can be changed to swallow pigeon egg soup (the first course of common swallow dishes). The translator even said,' Good change ... just change the steak into pork chops' ... "
So if you have time, pour yourself a glass of champagne and a plate of fat duck. A delicious meal in the Taiping era is far better than the feast of the fallen emperor in the past.