Buddha Jumps Over the Wall — The Crown of Fujian Cuisine
Synopsis
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is a traditional famous dish from Fuzhou, Fujian Province, belonging to the Fujian cuisine and consistently ranking as the top dish in Fujian cuisine. It is made by placing more than twenty kinds of precious ingredients, such as abalone, sea cucumber, and shark fin, into a Shaoxing wine jar and simmering them over slow heat, resulting in an aromatic fragrance that gives the dish its name, "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall."
Overview
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is a famous specialty dish from Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. It belongs to the Fujian cuisine and is hailed as the pinnacle of Fujian dishes. This dish uses more than twenty precious ingredients such as abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw, which are carefully simmered in a Shaoxing wine jar. Its name originates from the verse, "The aroma of meat wafts for miles, tempting even Buddha to jump over the wall," describing its irresistible fragrance.
Origin and History
There are two main theories about the origin of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. One attributes it to the creation of the restaurant Juchunyuan: during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty, Zheng Chunfa, the owner of the Juchunyuan restaurant in Fuzhou, improved upon the dish "Fushouquan" (Blessings of Abundance). The other theory traces it to an official's family banquet: in the late Qing Dynasty, an official from the Yangqiao Alley Silver Bureau in Fuzhou hosted a banquet for Fujian Provincial Treasurer Zhou Lian. The official's wife personally cooked, selecting more than twenty ingredients such as chicken, duck, and meat, placing them in a Shaoxing wine jar, and simmering them carefully. This dish thus spread from official banquets to the public, gradually becoming the most representative famous dish of Fujian cuisine.
Ingredients and Components
| Category | Main Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Seafood | Abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, fish maw, scallops, cuttlefish |
| Meat | Chicken, duck, tendons, pork |
| Others | Quail eggs, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots |
| Seasonings | Shaoxing yellow wine, soy sauce, rock sugar, ginger slices |
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall uses luxurious ingredients, each carefully processed and pre-cooked, then layered into the wine jar.
Cooking Technique
The cooking technique for Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is extremely meticulous. First, various ingredients are individually processed and pre-cooked. Then, they are layered in a specific order into a Shaoxing wine jar. Broth and Shaoxing yellow wine are added, the jar is sealed with lotus leaves or oil paper, and it is simmered over low heat for several hours. The entire process is time-consuming and labor-intensive, requiring highly skilled culinary expertise from the chef.
Cultural Status and Heritage
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall has long been regarded as the top Fujian dish. In Minnan culture, it is considered a relatively precious delicacy, first appearing in official family banquets. Today, it has become one of the representatives of Chinese culinary culture, spreading from Fuzhou to the world. In 2008, the cooking technique of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was inscribed on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List, further highlighting its significant position in Chinese food culture.
References
- Baidu Baike: Buddha Jumps Over the Wall https://baike.baidu.com/item/佛跳墙/18853
- Sohu: The History and Heritage of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall https://www.sohu.com/a/832236419_122053219
- Fuzhou News Network: Reasons Why Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Has Long Been the Top Fujian Dish https://news.fznews.com.cn/fzxw/20230617/54tADP89j3.shtml
- China News Service: On the Origin of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall https://www.chinanews.com.cn/hb/2011/04-14/2973725.shtml
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