Buddha Jumps Over the Wall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall

Course	soup
Place of origin	China
Region or state	Fujian
Main ingredients	shark fin, quail eggs, bamboo shoots, scallops, sea cucumber, abalone, fish maw, chicken, Jinhua ham, pork tendon, ginseng, mushrooms, and taro
Variations	Shark fin soup

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, also known as Buddha's Temptation or Fotiaoqiang, is a very special and famous soup from Fujian in China. People love it for its rich flavor and the unique way it's made. It's often called a "delicacy," which means it's a rare and delicious food.

The name of the soup is quite funny! It suggests that the smell of this amazing dish is so tempting, even a strict vegetarian Buddhist monk would be tempted to jump over a wall to try it. It's even said that Gautama Buddha himself would want to sample it! This soup is also known for being high in protein and calcium, and it's sometimes served at important state dinners in China.

In the past, this soup often included ingredients like shark fin. However, because people are now more worried about protecting sharks and the ocean, many versions of the soup are made without shark fin today. This helps make the dish more sustainable and animal-friendly.

What's in Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?

This special soup or stew takes a long time to prepare, sometimes up to two full days! It uses many different ingredients, especially animal products.

Some common ingredients you might find in the soup include:

• Quail eggs
• Bamboo shoots
• Scallops
• Sea cucumber
• Abalone
• Fish maw (a part of a fish)
• Chicken
• Jinhua ham (a type of Chinese ham)
• Pork tendon
• Ginseng
• Mushrooms
• Taro (a root vegetable)

A special kind of yellow wine (called Huángjiǔ in Chinese) is also a very important part of the soup. Some recipes can have as many as thirty main ingredients and twelve different condiments to make the flavor just right!

Using ingredients like shark fin and abalone has become a topic of discussion. This is because of concerns about how they are caught and their impact on the environment. To help with this, some chefs now use imitation shark fin or farmed abalone as alternatives.

The Story Behind the Soup's Name

There are many interesting stories about how this soup got its name. One popular story tells of a scholar who was traveling through Fujian Province with his friends. He kept all his food in a special clay jar, like the ones used for wine.

Whenever it was time to eat, he would warm the jar over a fire. When they arrived in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian, the scholar started cooking his dish. The delicious smells drifted over to a nearby Buddhist monastery where monks were meditating. Even though monks usually don't eat meat, one monk was so tempted by the smell that he jumped over the wall to try the dish!

A poet who was with the travelers then said that even Gautama Buddha himself would jump over a wall to taste this amazing soup. And that's how the dish got its famous name!

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Around the World

This unique soup isn't just famous in China; it's also known in other countries.

In South Korea

In South Korea, the dish is called Buldojang. It was first introduced in 1987 by a chef named Hu Deok-juk from Taiwan, at a Chinese restaurant in Seoul. This dish helped change what kind of Chinese food was popular in South Korea.

However, in 1989, a group of traditional Korean Buddhists, the Jogye Order, strongly disagreed with the soup's name. They felt it was disrespectful to Buddhism. Even though Buldojang was temporarily taken off menus, this disagreement actually made more people curious about the soup, and it became even more popular! Later, when President Moon Jae-in visited China, this soup was served at a special dinner.

In London

In 2005, a restaurant in London called Kai Mayfair became known for having the "world's most expensive soup." They offered a version of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall for £108! Their version included shark's fin, Japanese flower mushroom, sea cucumber, dried scallops, chicken, Hunan ham, pork, and ginseng.

Images for kids

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  A bowl of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup.

See also

In Spanish: Buda saltando sobre una pared para niños