Braised venison in a rich soup, braised Matsutake mushroom with turtle rim

By Lin Kan Hsuang

Roast duck isn't the only traditional Beijing cuisine any true gourmand should experience during a trip to the capital. Though far less well-known, so-called Chinese imperial cuisine is enjoying a resurgence in popularity throughout the city, as an emblem of the luxurious, exquisite ancient court life of different Chinese dynasties from hundreds of years ago. A culinary art that is a sensory feast of both vision and taste, here is a primer to get you acquainted with this stunning gourmet creation.

Origin

 "In ancient times, imperial cuisine was for the emperors and empresses only. The emperor, empress and concubines possessed their own kitchens respectively, and had their meals separately. The emperor had two meals each day, breakfast at 6:30am and lunch at 12:30pm. As for dinner, he could have it anytime after 7pm," said Anddy  Cao,  brand manager of JE Mansion, a well-known imperial cuisine restaurant.

Zhao Guangyou, executive chef of JE Mansion, inherited the culinary techniques of imperial cuisine from Wang Xifu, a successor to the imperial chef during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

"Traditionally, there were a huge set of rules related to imperial cuisine, including the proper selection of ingredients, elaborate and complicated cooking procedures, tableware made of azure stone or porcelain, and even the formal dresses of the waitresses," Zhao said.

"Imperial cuisine can be traced back to the Xia Dynasty (21 BC-16 BC, the first dynasty in Chinese recorded history). The culture behind the cuisine, including culinary art, reached its peak in Qing Dynasty. Although the Cultural Revolution more or less destroyed some precious recipes, we can still follow the traditions of Qing Dynasty imperial cuisine," he continued.

Generally speaking, there are eight regional Chinese cuisines, including Sichuan, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Fujian, Shandong and Hunan, while imperial cuisine is itself an independent system. "The renowned Manchu Han Imperial Feast represents the zenith of imperial cuisine. However, cooks nowadays tend to combine Guangdong flavors with imperial cuisines so that the taste will be more acceptable to modern palates," said Chen Weizhi, a chef at Yijingyuan Restaurant, another Beijing-based imperial cuisine specialty restaurant.

In Beijing, imperial cuisine is more costly and complex than traditional Chinese aristocratic cuisine, which is a local specialty. Since Beijing was the capital city of the last three dynasties, the private cuisines of imperial officials are well preserved here, said Chen.

Multifaceted enjoyment

When it comes to the most important factor of cooking original imperial cuisine, the two chefs share the same viewpoint. "The selection of ingredients is the decisive element." Chen confessed that the cost of imperial cuisine is much more expensive than of other common dishes. "Heavy seasonings will cover the original tastes of a certain precious ingredient, but it is absolutely necessary for the eaters of imperial cuisine to taste the essential flavor of the food."

Zhao elaborated on the significance that some imperial cuisine carries. "Take Wanzi braised pork for example. It was originally a special dish for the sixtieth birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty. The meat appears to be shattered into several pieces, as represented in the name by the character 'wan,' which means 10,000. Upon closer inspection, however, you'll see that the meat is actually a single strip, which symbolizes continuity. The dish also contains some minced venison laid on the pork, which represents an auspicious future."

"The taste of imperial cuisine has multiple layers. If you try some court cheese pudding, for example, you'll experience the crunchy almonds, the chewy raisin and smooth pudding in one munch," Zhao described.

Premium vegetarian shark's fin soup

Modernized

Beyond the addition of Guangdong flavors, modern imperial cuisine has seen a number of other changes. JE Mansion, for example, boasts of having a special "vegetarian" shark's fin dish. "Considering all the issues behind serving real shark's fin, we decided to do a vegetarian imitation," Zhao said. "It not only genuinely imitates the taste of real shark fin, it's environmentally-friendly as well. We count Jackie Chan XXX among its biggest fans."

Yijingyuan also has its fair share of alternative cooking methods. "Since this is a Muslim restaurant, we use scallops and chicken instead of pork to make the soup broth. The taste will be strong, condensing both the freshness of seafood and sweetness of the chicken," Chen said. "The most popular imperial cuisines here are those based on this kind of broth; for example, braised venison in a rich soup and braised Matsutake mushroom with turtle rim."

Despite its hearty taste, many find imperial cuisine to be too greasy. "Most of the time, we suggest that the customers enjoy it with some red wine," said Amanda Fu, chief operations officer of JE Mansion.

@ Beijing

JE Mansion 健一公馆
West garden Honglingjin Park, Chaoyang district.
010-51398739
http://www.china-je.com/

Yijingyuan 伊é"¦å›­
Yuan Dynasty Ruins Park, Bei Tu Cheng East Road, Chaoyang district.
010-84650088
http://www.bj-yjy.com/

Fangshan Restaurant仿膳饭庄
No. 1 Wenjin Jie, Xicheng district
010-64011879
http://www.fangshanfanzhuang.com.cn/

Tingliguan  听鹂馆
Inside The Summer Palace (Yiheyuan), Haidian district
010-62881955
http://www.tingliguan.com/

@Shanghai

Family Li Imperial Cuisine厉家宫廷菜
1F No. 500., ZhongShan Dong Yi Rd., Huang Pu district, Shanghai
021-53081919
http://www.familylishanghai.com/

Tanshi Guanfucai谭氏官府菜
4F, No. 3190, Yenanxilu, Changning district, Shanghai
021-64658080
http://tsgfc.nuabc.com

Steamed pork belly with vegetables