The birthplace of Baoding donkey meat fire is Caohe Town, Xushui District, Baoding City. Caohe is the river name of Xushui District, Baoding City, Hebei Province, and Caohe Town is named after Caohe. Caohe donkey meat has a long history of burning. It is said that there were two gangs, Cao Gang and Yan Gang, at Caohe Wharf in Song Dynasty. The grass state takes grain transportation as its business, while the salt state takes salt transportation as its business. In order to dominate the dock, the two sides often went to war, and finally they won the game with Cao Gang. The salt gang loaded the donkey caught by Cao Gang into the car. If it was not handled well, they slaughtered it, stewed it and held a celebration banquet. Then put the meat on the local fire to eat. Caohe donkey meat rises, and famous food is born. [ 1]
After the death of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, his descendants were at war with each other. Judy, the fourth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, sent troops to fight against Zhu Yunwen of Ming Huidi, Zhu Yuanzhang's successor. Zhu Yunwen sent generals Li Jinglong and Judy to fight in the Baigou River area. Li Jinglong was defeated and retreated to Caohe Town, xushui county. The army was short of food, so Li Jinglong had no choice but to order the sergeant to kill the war horse to satisfy his hunger. The local people have the custom of eating donkey meat, so the cooked horse meat is particularly fragrant. Since then, cooking horses for food has become a custom in Caohe Town, Xu Shui, and the horse meat made is delicious. In the Qing Dynasty, Kangxi attached importance to agriculture and mulberry, forbidding the slaughter of cattle and horses, and Caohe scholars changed to the custom of eating horse meat and only ate donkey meat. Plus donkeys are cheaper than horses, so people specialize in raising donkeys to eat. Then there is the local fire, which is tender outside, and the little donkey meat cooked on the freshly baked fire has become a famous local food.
Hejian Donkey Meat Huoshao Qiyuan
Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty must pass through this river when he went down to the south of the Yangtze River. Once he missed his residence and ate in a farmhouse. In order to facilitate the emperor's eating, the farmhouse added the carefully cooked donkey meat to the soft fire, and after eating it, Ganlong praised the delicious food again and again. Asked the farmer what this is, the farmer replied truthfully: fire and donkey meat, Gan Long was very happy, and improvised a poem:
The river is full of donkeys,
Smart women roll their faces like paper.
Fire and donkey meat,
A gust of wind brings a burst of fragrance.
He also sent people to build a palace in Hejian as a permanent residence. (Hejian Ganlong Palace has historical records and handwritten inscriptions) He eats donkey meat and burns it very well. After he returned to the palace, he often missed the burning of donkey meat. He sent a gentleman to Hejian to find a farmer who cooked donkey meat and burned it. He is also a gourmet. There is also a folk story that he ate donkey meat and burned it. It was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and he and several ladies were eating donkey meat and enjoying the moon in the house. At that time, the moon was bright and harmonious. Picked up the lady's jade hand to play with, can not help but poetic:
Jade people have long nails, and the fire is particularly fragrant.
Two top grades, the moon shines.
The meaning of this poem is that the nails trimmed by women in the Qing Dynasty are very long and thin every day, so thin that the faint moon can be seen through the nails, and the burning layer is as thin as a woman's nails.