Fire-roasted donkey meat is a very popular traditional snack in northern China, originating from Baoding. Widely spread in the central Hebei Plain, this dish is made of donkey meat stewed with old soup and crispy fire. As the catering culture center of Hebei Province and the birthplace of Hebei cuisine, Baoding has been continuously developed and promoted by the hard-working Hebei people, eventually making donkey meat roasting famous throughout the country. Donkey meat shops can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys of North China, and they have completely integrated into the lives of local residents. In addition, there are also foods with similar names in Hejian, Hebei Province, but the methods and tastes are quite different. The most intuitive difference is that donkey meat from Baoding is round, while donkey meat from Hejian is rectangular. According to "Historical Records", donkey meat burning originated in Baoding, Hebei Province in the second year of the Ming Dynasty (1400 AD), and now spreads throughout Yanzhao. The donkey meat is stewed over high heat and then over warm fire, with nearly 20 kinds of seasonings. The cooking time is long, the cooking is thorough, the color is fresh and tender, the aroma is not woody, the aroma is long, tender and delicious. According to medical records, donkey meat can nourish blood, replenish qi and replenish qi, and donkey hide gelatin can nourish yin and blood, moisten the lungs and dryness. It can be seen that donkey meat is not only delicious, but also has health care functions. Fire-roasted donkey meat enjoys a high reputation in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei catering market. In August 2018, the technique of roasting donkey meat was included in the provincial intangible cultural heritage protection list of Hebei Province.
The birthplace of Baoding donkey meat burning is Caohe Town, Xushui District, Baoding City. Caohe is the name of the river in Xushui District, Baoding City, Hebei Province. Caohe Town is named after Caohe River. Caohe donkey meat roasting has a long history. According to legend, there were two gangs at Caohe Wharf in the Song Dynasty: Cao Gang and Yan Gang. Cao Gang's business is transporting grain, and the Salt Gang's business is transporting salt. In order to dominate the dock, the two sides often fought, and in the end Cao Gang won the game. Cao Gang's donkey, who had captured the salt gang's goods, couldn't bear it, so he killed it and stewed it. He also held a celebration banquet and then ate the meat in a local fire. The rise of Cao donkey meat and the birth of famous food. [1]
After the death of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, his descendants were at war with each other. Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Yuanzhang's fourth son, sent his army against Zhu Yuanzhang's successor, Zhu Yun_, Emperor Hui of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yun sent general Li Jinglong to fight Zhu Di in the Baigou River area. Li Jinglong was defeated and retreated to Caohe Town, Xushui County. The army was short of food, and Li Jinglong had no choice but to ask his sergeants to kill horses to satisfy his hunger. Local people have the custom of eating donkey meat, so the cooked horse meat is particularly fragrant. From then on, cooking horses for food became a custom in Caohe Town, Xushui. The cooked horse meat tastes delicious. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty attached great importance to mulberry cultivation and prohibited the slaughter of cattle and horses. Scholars in the Caohe area changed their custom of eating horse meat and only ate donkey meat. In addition, donkeys are cheaper than horses, and people keep donkeys just for food. Then there is the local barbecue. Donkey meat cooked on freshly baked barbecue has become a famous local delicacy.
Hejian Donkey Meat Fire Production Area
Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty had to cross the river when there was a flood and drought in the south of the Yangtze River. Once, he missed his accommodation and ate at a farmhouse. In order to make it easier for the emperor to eat, the farmhouse added carefully cooked donkey meat to the simmer. After eating, Emperor Qianlong repeatedly praised the delicious food. When asked what it was, the farmer answered truthfully: Donkey meat was added to the fire, and he was very happy. He improvised a poem:
The river is full of donkeys,
The wise women have their faces rolled up like paper.
Make a fire and add donkey meat,
A gust of wind will be very fragrant.
He sent people to build a palace on the river as a permanent residence. (Qianlong's palace in Hejian and the calligraphy monument have historical records.) After returning to the palace, he often missed the donkey fire, so he sent He Jian to Hejian to find the farmer who lit the donkey fire. He_ is also a foodie. There is a folk story about He_ eating donkey fire. It was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and He_ and several ladies were eating donkey meat on fire and admiring the moon. The bright moon was in the sky at that time. Picking up the lady's jade hand and playing with it, I can't help but feel poetic;
The jade woman has long nails and the fire is particularly fragrant.
Both are top-grade, sparkling in the moonlight.
The meaning of this poem is that the nails that women in the Qing Dynasty trimmed every day were very long and thin, so thin that the faint light of the moon could be seen through the nails. The burning layer is just as thick as a woman’s fingernail.