Chinese imperial cuisine facts for kids

Chinese imperial cuisine is special food made for the emperors, empresses, and their families in ancient China. It's a mix of cooking styles from different parts of China, especially Shandong and Jiangsu provinces. This royal food greatly influenced Beijing cuisine, which is still popular today.

What makes imperial cuisine unique? The dishes were made with great care, using very expensive or rare ingredients. The cooks spent a lot of time preparing them. How the food looked was also super important! Each dish was carefully arranged to be beautiful, with bright colors and interesting shapes. If you want to try this kind of food today, the most famous restaurants are in Beijing: Fang Shan in Beihai Park and Ting Li Ting in the Summer Palace.

The style and taste of imperial cuisine changed with each new dynasty. Every period had its own special dishes. The most famous styles come from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Many well-known dishes, like Wensi tofu and Peking duck, became popular during these times.

A Taste of History

The story of Chinese imperial cuisine began simple and grew more amazing over time. As dynasties changed, the food kept getting better and more complex. Imperial food started around the Zhou dynasty (about 11th century – 476 BCE). Emperors used their power to find the best cooks and the best recipes from all over the country. So, for Chinese people, imperial cuisine showed off the very best food a dynasty had to offer.

There was a complete system for making imperial food. This included how ingredients were bought and how meals were prepared. Every step, from cooking to serving, followed strict rules called "eating principles." Many famous dishes came from this system, like a stew with six different grains: rice, millet, broomcorn, sorghum, wheat, and wild rice.

Imperial cuisine was also closely linked to staying healthy. Over Chinese history, hundreds of books were written about using food and special diets to improve health. These books were often written by smart scholars, doctors, or historians. Cooking and eating for good health was a very important part of Chinese imperial cuisine and culture.

Even though only the royal family ate imperial cuisine, it showed the hard work of many people. Farmers, herders, and fishermen provided the ingredients. Craftsmen made the kitchen tools. The cooking staff, officials who named the dishes, and those who set the rules for meals all played a part. Chinese imperial cuisine is a valuable piece of China's traditional food and cultural heritage.

Royal Food in the Ming Dynasty

During the Ming dynasty, imperial cuisine often had flavors from southern China. This was because Zhu Yuanzhang, who started the Ming dynasty, preferred those tastes. The food in the Ming palace was very different from the Mongolian style eaten during the Yuan dynasty.

A key feature of Ming imperial cuisine was focusing on good health. The Ming emperors really cared about staying healthy through their food. The royal menu changed every day, so dishes were never repeated. Ming imperial cuisine mostly used grains, so meat and bean products were not as common as in earlier times. Later, in the Qing dynasty, sweet potatoes became famous. Maize (corn) and chili peppers also arrived in China around the mid-1500s.

Other famous dishes like shark's fin soup and edible bird's nest also became popular during this period. These two dishes were brought to China by the explorer Zheng He early in the Ming dynasty. While these became examples of fancy dishes, sea cucumbers and prawns also came to China. Many great cooks, like Song Wusao and Wang Eryu, became well-known during the Ming dynasty.

Popular Ming Dishes

Peking Duck

Peking duck

Peking duck first appeared a long, long time ago, during the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420–589 CE). Roasted duck was first served as a royal dish during the Yuan dynasty. It became a very important part of the imperial menus in the Ming dynasty. Today, Peking duck is famous all over the world! Its unique taste is loved by both Chinese people and people from other countries. Peking duck is known for its super crispy skin and juicy meat. There are special ways to serve and eat it to enjoy its taste the most.

Royal Food in the Qing Dynasty

Chinese imperial cuisine in the Qing dynasty was based on the traditional food of the Manchu people and Shandong cuisine. The famous Manchu–Han Imperial Feast was created during this time. Inside the Qing imperial palace, there was a special group called the Imperial Kitchen. Their job was to create and make all the imperial food for the emperor. The Imperial Kitchen was managed by a larger office.

During the rule of the Qianlong Emperor (1735–1796), the Imperial Kitchen was split into two parts: the Internal Kitchen and the External Kitchen. The Internal Kitchen had different sections for meat, vegetables, roasting, baking, and rice. The External Kitchen prepared food for big palace banquets, feasts, and special ceremonies. In the Qing dynasty, the meals were grander than ever before in China. There were more rules, more people, more dishes, and higher costs for each meal.

Popular Qing Dishes

Dezhou Braised Chicken

Dezhou braised chicken

Dezhou braised chicken is a traditional dish from Dezhou City in Shandong Province. It's named after its hometown. When the Qianlong Emperor visited Dezhou City, a Chinese family made this braised chicken for him. The emperor loved it so much that he called it "a wonder of all cuisine." After trying it, the Qianlong Emperor ordered that this dish be added to the imperial cuisine menu.

Wensi Tofu

Wensi tofu is a dish from Jiangsu cuisine. It's a soup made from super finely shredded tofu and other colorful ingredients, like carrots and cucumbers. This dish shows off the amazing knife skills of a chef from Yangzhou. A chef needs to cut one square of tofu into more than 5,000 tiny pieces to make this soup!

During the Qianlong Emperor's time, there was a monk named Wensi. He was famous for making vegetarian dishes, especially with tofu. He created this soup using soft tofu, dried daylily, and black fungus. This soup quickly became well-known as "Wensi Tofu." The Qianlong Emperor tried it and really liked it. Because of this, Wensi tofu was added to the imperial cuisine menu.

Different Styles of Imperial Cuisine

Today, some restaurants have brought back eight different styles of Chinese imperial cuisine from various dynasties:

• Qin and Han Dynasties Imperial Cuisine: Restaurants in Xi'an have recreated over a dozen dishes based on old Chinese writings.
• Tang Dynasty Imperial Cuisine: Based on an ancient banquet menu, restaurants in Xi'an like Tang Music Hall have brought back many dishes from the Tang dynasty.
• Northern Song Dynasty Imperial Cuisine: Restaurants in Kaifeng have restored this style.
• Southern Song Dynasty Imperial Cuisine: Restaurants in Hangzhou have brought back this style.
• Dunhuang Imperial Cuisine: Restaurants in Dunhuang have recreated this unique style.
• Qianlong Era Imperial Cuisine: Restaurants in Yangzhou prepare dishes from the mid-Qing dynasty, following menus from banquets held by the Qianlong Emperor.
• Late Qing Dynasty Imperial Cuisine: Restaurants in Beijing (like Fangshan Restaurant and Ting Li Ting) and Shenyang have recreated dishes prepared for Empress Dowager Cixi, based on old palace menus.
• Chengde Imperial Cuisine: This style was made at the Chengde Mountain Resort when emperors went there for summer trips. It's different because it mainly uses beef, mutton, lamb, and meat from wild game.

See also

In Spanish: Cocina imperial china para niños