Learn all about a Culinary Feat!
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Heard of the "Man3 Han4 Quan2 Xi1"?
I first came across the term in a Hong Kong movie starring Kenny B. He was a star chef who put his profession before his wife, and when his wife gave birth to their first child, he decided to stay on to compete in a culinary competition. He won the competition but by the time he arrived at the hospital, his wife had already left him and taken the baby with her. He then went on a downward spiral, abandoning his career, becoming an alcoholic.
Can't remember the title of the movie. Can anyone help here?
OK, the "Man Han Quan Xi" refers to a really grand and elaborate meal cooked for royalty in Manchurian China. It is a "Feast of Complete Manchu-Han Courses", originating in the Qing Dynasty.
This imperial feast of a whopping 134 courses of hot dishes, 48 courses of cold dishes, and sweets and fruits, which are used in 6 separate banquets. It requests food materials that are rare and best of all, including, for instance, the 8 Mountainous Treasures, the 8 Land Treasures, and the 8 Sea Treasures.
The Man Han Quan Xi represents the epitome of Chinese cuisine as only the best chefs are able to whip up such a feast. A lot of skill and expertise is involved as they have to cook a large number of dishes with exotic, rare, and/or expensive ingredients.
The 8 Mountainous Treasures consist of bear paws, hedgehog hydnum, Handakan, flying dragons, tiger spleens, elks, ginseng, and Juecai.
The 8 Land Treasures consist of Hashimuo, camel humps, Koumo mushrooms, Fengzhaomo mushrooms, Yumizhen corn, Shafengji chickens, and ptarmigans.
The 8 Sea Treasures consist of shake fin, cishen, fresh oysters, purple abalone, snake-headed fish eggs, balloons of slated cod croakers, and fish skin.
Right now, to enjoy such a feast, you can pay the Shenyang New World Hotel,Yushanjiulou Restaurant a visit. However, due to the ingredients used, expect to pay an arm and a leg to partake in the feast!
I also presume that one would probably need to give advanced notice so that the ingredients can be collected.
Now, isn't this pretty interesting?
To read more, please visit the following websites :
http://www.compumag2005.com/tourism.htm
http://edu.sina.com.cn/en/2003-05-22/12230.html -
yup.. he sounds like a total moron...
if his wife didn't leave him then, she would eventually...
as for cooking, i would take offense with anyone who will knowingly eat endangered species...
and there are many out there who would intentionally eat it just because it is endangered... i would suggest the asswipe be taken out and tortured, then neutered, and then have his DNA scrambled... -
Here's a quick history of the origins of the Man Han Quan Xi.
In the 53rd year of Kangxi's reign (1714), the Manchurian Emperor decided to give 1,000 Elders Banquet at the palace to celebrate his 60th birthday and the peaceful times under his rule.
In actual fact, the Manchurian Emperor "gave the banquet on March 25th and 27th to honor all the elders in the country who were 65 years or older. The Manchu and Han banquet was attended by more than 2,800 people.
"The Emperor dined with his guests and, in a joyful mood, wrote the four big characters, "Man Han Quan Xi" (meaning the Manchu and Han banquet), thus establishing the rare banquet's place in Chinese dietetic culture.
Click here to read more...
http://english.china.com/zh_cn/gourmet/food/11020891/20040710/11776061.html -
heard of sth like this.... the writer advised not to drop any crumbs..who know, it may be worth a few hundred dollars
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actually, the best chefs can turn the mundane into the spectacular..
they would have no need of BS ingredients like camel hump (which is basically fat) and whatnots... -
That's true... the best chef can turn something plain and simple like tofu into a gastronomic delight.
Well, just bringing up this topic as a general knowledge kinda thing. Thought it's an interesting piece of Chinese culinary history.
Definitely not advocating that we go feast on 'ye3 wei4'. In any case, I've got conservative tastebuds! -
Here's a pretty interesting quote from this website, http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/cuisine_drink/cuisine/ :
" This veritable banquet in its preparation and presentation typifies all of the culture and culinary arts that have been perfected over centuries and is a comprehensive amalgam of taste, instruments, and manners.
So, this Man Han Quan Xi is also 'representative' of the various styles of cooking as well as the diverse tastes.
Truly a feast fit for the Emperor!