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Chinese cuisine is possibly best known for its rapid cook stir-frying techniques but they know how to take it slow, too. One dish is known both for its unusual name and for its lengthy cooking time.

 

I’m talking about Fujian province’s well-known (at least in China) signature dish, 佛跳墙 (fó tiào qiáng). Fujian lies on China’s south-eastern coast opposite the island of Taiwan. This location means that seafood is a major part of the cuisine.

 

Yes, despite China’s preference this dish uses a lot of dried ingredients alongside the fresh. It must have been dreamt up by a Qing dynasty Chinese Ottolenghi, containing as it does eighteen or more ingredients depending on the chef.

 

佛跳墙 (fó tiào qiáng) translates as Buddha “Leaps the Wall” or is commonly mistranslated as Buddha jumps over the wall. This is said to refer to a Buddhist monk who, having smelled the dish being made, broke his vows by leaving his monastery and sampling the decidedly non-vegetarian dish. It is reported that when he was chastised he said that even the Buddha himself would not have been able to resist. Not that all Chinese Buddhist’s are vegetarian. The Dalai Lama isn’t.

 

The most common ingredients involved in this long cooked stew or soup-like dish include:

 

1. Lean pork (瘦肉 - shòu ròu)

 

 

2. Silkie chicken (乌骨鸡 - wū gǔ jī)

 

 

3. Chicken’s feet (凤爪 - fèng zhǎo)

 

 

4. Dried or fresh abalone (鲍鱼 - bào yú)

 

 

5. Pigeon (鸽蛋 - gē dàn) or quail eggs (鹌鹑蛋 - ān chún dàn)

 

Pigeon Eggs

 

Quail eggs

 

6. Deer leg tendons (鹿 筋)

 

 

7. Fish swim bladder (鱼肚 - yú dǔ)

 

 

8. Dried scallops (扇贝干 - shàn bèi gān)

 

 

9. Sea Cucumber (海参 - hǎi shēn)

 

 

10. Shark Fin (鱼翅 - yú chì)

 

 

A few years back the communist party banned the use of sharks fins at official functions, although they are still available. However, awareness of the cruelty involved in harvesting them has resulted in a sharp decline in their consumption.

 

Instead artificial fin made from konjak is being used to supply the desired texture. Less often, sharks skin is substituted.

 

Shark Skin

 

Then the herbal components all of which are considered to be medicinal.

 

11. Angelica sinensis (当归 - dāng guī)

 

 

12. Astragalus L. (黄芪 - huáng qí)

 

 

 

13. Codonopsis pilosula (党参dǎng shēn)

 

 

14. Cordceps militaris (虫草花 - chóng cǎo huā)

 

 

15. Dried  Chinese Yam (淮山 - huái shān）

 

 

16. Goji Berries (枸杞 - gǒu qǐ）

 

 

17. Jujubes (枣子 - zǎo zi)

 

 

18. Ginger (姜 - jiāng)

 

 

19. Solomon’s Seal - (兰 qián lán).

 

 

20. Codonopsis pilosula (党参 - dǎng shēn)

 

 

21. Ginseng (人参 - rén shēn)

 

 

After that lengthy list, thankfully the cooking instructions are short to relate but long to achieve. Bung the lot, except for the eggs, into a slow cooker with chicken stock and good quality Shaoxing wine and simmer for six hours. Refrigerate overnight. Next day boil the eggs then heat up the stew, add the eggs and stand back to avoid leaping Buddhists.

 

 

 

 

Chinese cuisine is possibly best known for its rapid cook stir-frying techniques but they know how to take it slow, too. One dish is known both for its unusual name and for its lengthy cooking time.

 

I’m talking about Fujian province’s well-known (at least in China) signature dish, 佛跳墙 (fó tiào qiáng). Fujian lies on China’s south-eastern coast opposite the island of Taiwan. This location means that seafood is a major part of the cuisine.

 

Yes, despite China’s preference this dish uses a lot of dried ingredients alongside the fresh. It must have been dreamt up by a Qing dynasty Chinese Ottolenghi, containing as it does eighteen or more ingredients depending on the chef.

 

佛跳墙 (fó tiào qiáng) translates as Buddha “Leaps the Wall” or is commonly mistranslated as Buddha jumps over the wall. This is said to refer to a Buddhist monk having smelled the dish being made who broke his vows by leaving his monastery and sampling the decidedly non-vegetarian dish. When chastised he is reported as saying that even the Buddha himself would not have been able to resist. Not that all Chinese Buddhist’s are vegetarian. The Dalai Lama isn’t.

 

The most common ingredients involved in this long cooked stew or soup-like dish include:

 

1. Lean pork (瘦肉 - shòu ròu)

 

2. Silkie chicken (乌骨鸡 - wū gǔ jī)

 

 

3. Chicken’s feet (凤爪 - fèng zhǎo)

 

 

4. Dried or fresh abalone (鲍鱼 - bào yú)

 

 

5. Pigeon (鸽蛋 - gē dàn) or quail eggs (鹌鹑蛋 - ān chún dàn)

 

Pigeon Eggs

 

Quail eggs

 

6. Deer leg tendons (鹿 筋)

 

 

7. Fish swim bladder (鱼肚 - yú dǔ)

 

 

8. Dried scallops (扇贝干 - shàn bèi gān)

 

 

9. Sea Cucumber (海参 - hǎi shēn)

 

 

10. Shark Fin (鱼翅 - yú chì)

 

 

A few years back the communist party banned the use of sharks fins at official functions, although they are still available. However, awareness of the cruelty involved in harvesting them has resulted in a sharp decline in their consumption.

 

Instead artificial fin made from konjak is being used to supply the desired texture. Less often, sharks skin is substituted.

 

Shark Skin

 

Then the herbal components all of which are considered to be medicinal.

 

11. Angelica sinensis (当归 - dāng guī)

 

 

12. Astragalus L. (黄芪 - huáng qí)

 

 

 

13. Codonopsis pilosula (党参dǎng shēn)

 

 

14. Cordceps militaris (虫草花 - chóng cǎo huā)

 

 

15. Dried  Chinese Yam (淮山 - huái shān）

 

 

16. Goji Berries (枸杞 - gǒu qǐ）

 

 

17. Jujubes (枣子 - zǎo zi)

 

 

18. Ginger (姜 - jiāng)

 

 

19. Solomon’s Seal - (兰 qián lán).

 

 

20. Codonopsis pilosula (党参 - dǎng shēn)

 

 

21. Ginseng (人参 - rén shēn)

 

 

After that lengthy list, thankfully the cooking instructions are short to relate but long to achieve. Bung the lot, except for the eggs, into a slow cooker with chicken stock and good quality Shaoxing wine and simmer for six hours. Refrigerate overnight. Next day boil the eggs then heat up the stew, add the eggs and stand back to avoid leaping Buddhists.

 

 

 

 

Chinese cuisine is possibly best known for its rapid cook stir-frying techniques but they know how to take it slow, too. One dish is known both for its unusual name and for it’s lengthy cooking time.

 

I’m talking about Fujian province’s well-known (at least in China) signature dishes, 佛跳墙 (fó tiào qiáng). Fujian lies on China’s south-eastern coast opposite the island of Taiwan. This location means that seafood is a major part of the cuisine.

 

Yes, despite China’s preference this dish uses a lot of dried ingredients alongside the fresh. It must have been dreamt up by a Qing dynasty Chinese Ottolenghi, containing as it does eighteen or more ingredients depending on the chef.

 

佛跳墙 (fó tiào qiáng) translates as Buddha “Leaps the Wall” or is commonly mistranslated as Buddha jumps over the wall. This is said to refer to a Buddhist monk having smelled the dish being made who broke his vows by leaving his monastery and sampling the decidedly non-vegetarian dish. When chastised he is reported as saying that even the Buddha himself would not have been able to resist. Not that all Chinese Buddhist’s are vegetarian. The Dalai Lama isn’t.

 

The most common ingredients involved in this long cooked stew or soup-like dish include:

 

1. Lean pork (瘦肉 - shòu ròu)

 

2. Silkie chicken (乌骨鸡 - wū gǔ jī)

 

 

3. Chicken’s feet (凤爪 - fèng zhǎo)

 

 

4. Dried or fresh abalone (鲍鱼 - bào yú)

 

 

5. Pigeon (鸽蛋 - gē dàn) or quail eggs (鹌鹑蛋 - ān chún dàn)

 

Pigeon Eggs

 

Quail eggs

 

6. Deer leg tendons (鹿 筋)

 

 

7. Fish swim bladder (鱼肚 - yú dǔ)

 

 

8. Dried scallops (扇贝干 - shàn bèi gān)

 

 

9. Sea Cucumber (海参 - hǎi shēn)

 

 

10. Shark Fin (鱼翅 - yú chì)

 

 

A few years back the communist party banned the use of sharks fins at official functions, although they are still available. However, awareness of the cruelty involved in harvesting them has resulted in a sharp decline in their consumption.

 

Instead artificial fin made from konjak is being used to supply the desired texture. Less often, sharks skin is substituted.

 

Shark Skin

 

Then the herbal components all of which are considered to be medicinal.

 

11. Angelica sinensis (当归 - dāng guī)

 

 

12. Astragalus L. (黄芪 - huáng qí)

 

 

 

13. Codonopsis pilosula (党参dǎng shēn)

 

 

14. Cordceps militaris (虫草花 - chóng cǎo huā)

 

 

15. Dried  Chinese Yam (淮山 - huái shān）

 

 

16. Goji Berries (枸杞 - gǒu qǐ）

 

 

17. Jujubes (枣子 - zǎo zi)

 

 

18. Ginger (姜 - jiāng)

 

 

19. Solomon’s Seal - (兰 qián lán).

 

 

20. Codonopsis pilosula (党参 - dǎng shēn)

 

 

21. Ginseng (人参 - rén shēn)

 

 

After that lengthy list, thankfully the cooking instructions are short to relate but long to achieve. Bung the lot, except for the eggs, into a slow cooker with chicken stock and good quality Shaoxing wine and simmer for six hours. Refrigerate overnight. Next day boil the eggs then heat up the stew, add the eggs and stand back to avoid leaping Buddhists.

 

 

 

 

Chinese cuisine is possibly best known for its rapid cook stir-frying techniques but they know how to take it slow, too. One dish is known both for its unusual name and for it’s lengthy cooking time.

 

I’m talking about Fujian province’s well-known (at least in China) signature dishes, 佛跳墙 (fó tiào qiáng). Fujian lies on China’s south-eastern coast opposite the island of Taiwan. This location means that seafood is a major part of the cuisine.

 

Yes, despite China’s preference this dish uses a lot of dried ingredients alongside the fresh. It must have been dreamt up by a Qing dynasty Chinese Ottolenghi, containing as it does eighteen or more ingredients depending on the chef.

 

佛跳墙 (fó tiào qiáng) translates as Buddha “Leaps the Wall” or is commonly mistranslated as Buddha jumps over the wall. This is said to refer to a Buddhist monk having smelled the dish being made who broke his vows by leaving his monastery and sampling the decidedly non-vegetarian dish. When chastised he is reported as saying that even the Buddha himself would not have been able to resist. Not that all Chinese Buddhist’s are vegetarian. The Dalai Lama isn’t.

 

The most common ingredients involved in this long cooked stew or soup-like dish include:

 

1. Lean pork (瘦肉 - shòu ròu)

 

2. Silkie chicken (乌骨鸡 - wū gǔ jī)

 

 

3. Chicken’s feet (凤爪 - fèng zhǎo)

 

 

4. Dried or fresh abalone (鲍鱼 - bào yú)

 

 

5. Pigeon (鸽蛋 - gē dàn) or quail eggs (鹌鹑蛋 - ān chún dàn)

 

Pigeon Eggs

 

Quail eggs

 

6. Deer leg tendons (鹿 筋)

 

 

7. Fish swim bladder (鱼肚 - yú dǔ)

 

 

8. Dried scallops (扇贝干 - shàn bèi gān)

 

 

9. Sea Cucumber (海参 - hǎi shēn)

 

 

10. Shark Fin (鱼翅 - yú chì)

 

 

A few years back the communist party banned the use of sharks fins at official functions, although they are still available. However, awareness of the cruelty involved in harvesting them has resulted in a sharp decline in their consumption.

 

Instead artificial fin made from konjak is being used to supply the desired texture. Less often, sharks skin is substituted.

 

Shark Skin

 

Then the herbal components all of which are considered to be medicinal.

 

11. Angelica sinensis (当归 - dāng guī)

 

 

12. Astragalus L. (黄芪 - huáng qí)

 

 

13. Codonopsis pilosula (党参dǎng shēn)

 

 

14. Cordceps militaris (虫草花 - chóng cǎo huā)

 

 

15. Dried  Chinese Yam (淮山 - huái shān）

 

 

16. Goji Berries (枸杞 - gǒu qǐ）

 

 

17. Jujubes (枣子 - zǎo zi)

 

 

18. Ginger (姜 - jiāng)

 

 

19. Solomon’s Seal - (兰 qián lán).

 

 

20. Codonopsis pilosula (党参 - dǎng shēn)

 

 

21. Ginseng (人参 - rén shēn)

 

After that lengthy list, thankfully the cooking instructions are short to relate but long to achieve. Bung the lot, except for the eggs, into a slow cooker with chicken stock and good quality Shaoxing wine and simmer for six hours. Refrigerate overnight. Next day boil the eggs then heat up the stew, add the eggs and stand back to avoid leaping Buddhists.