Sanbeiji facts for kids
Sanbeiji (which means "three-cup chicken" in Chinese) is a very popular chicken dish. It comes from China and is one of the most famous dishes from the Jiangxi province in southern China. It's a special food from a place called Ningdu.
This dish is also super popular in Taiwan. People from the Hakka group brought it there. In Malaysia, the Chinese community sometimes eats Sanbeiji after a mother has a baby.
How Sanbeiji Started
There are a few stories about how Sanbeiji began. Most stories say a cook put three cups of different sauces into a special clay pot. Then, they cooked it slowly for a long time.
One story is about a hero named Wen Tianxiang. He was from Jiangxi province during the Song dynasty. Wen Tianxiang was captured by an army and held prisoner. A kind prison warden cooked this dish for him. The warden used only a few ingredients they had. This happened before Wen Tianxiang's execution.
The "Three Cups" Secret
The name "three-cup chicken" comes from the three main sauces used. For each chicken, cooks add one cup of soy sauce, one cup of rice wine, and one cup of sesame oil.
A famous chef from Taiwan, Lin Shangquan, shared his thoughts. He said the old recipe might have used soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar. Or it could have been rice wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil. People also often add ginger, garlic, and basil to the dish.
How Sanbeiji is Cooked
The chicken and sauces are cooked in a clay pot. First, it cooks on high heat for about ten minutes. Then, the heat is lowered. This lets the chicken soak up all the yummy sauces.
Sanbeiji is served without any extra sauce. It's cooked until all the liquid disappears. The chicken absorbs all the flavors. When it comes to your table, the chicken should still be sizzling! This makes the chicken a bit crispy. It also gives it a richer taste than many other Chinese stewed dishes. You usually eat Sanbeiji with steamed rice or rice congee.
Sometimes, other meats are used instead of chicken. You can make this dish with pork or even frog. It still tastes great!
See also
In Spanish: Sanbeiji para niños
