Dear Language Enthusiast,
Welcome to the September edition of Chinese Monthly, the
Internet newsletter from Transparent Language. Chinese
cuisine has long been world-famous. In this issue, we will
talk about what is often called the greatest feast in
China-"The Complete Manchu and Chinese Banquet."
Sincerely,
Transparent Language
www.transparent.com
In English:
"The Complete Manchu and Chinese Banquet" was invented in
the Ching Dynasty (1616-1911). At that time, the Manchus
ruled China. According to some books, Emperor Chien Lung
(1736-1796) took a trip to the south of China when he was
young, and some merchants and local officers presented him a
feast combining Chinese and Manchu food. He liked it very
much and brought one of the chefs back to Beijing, where
the Banquet was favored in the imperial palace. In the
beginning, the Banquet simply added Chinese dishes to Manchu
desserts and courses, but it was gradually perfected and became
a sumptuous feast that exemplified the essence of Chinese
culinary art. The menu of the Banquet is highly elaborate. It
features a wide range of foods, from teas, sweets, appetizers
and soups, to main dishes, supplementary courses, desserts and
fruits. The bill of fare is not inflexible. There can be more
than three hundred delicacies, depending on the scale of the
feast. Eating the feast can take one, two or even three days.
The Banquet included different local cuisines, with many
rare and valuable cooking materials, including various
birds and beasts. It is said that the date of having the
Banquet could not be set up in advance. Hosts had to wait
until all of the cooking materials were prepared, and then
they extended invitations. In addition to the exquisite
food, the tableware and environment were also painstakingly
prepared. People ate with high-quality silverware and
utensils, and enjoyed the food while listening to
distinguished musicians playing Chinese classical music.
Only nobles and public officers could enjoy the Banquet; it
was rarely seen by the general public. Allegedly, the
Banquet once included some peculiar dishes, including a
course that featured a kind of steamed roll using baby mice
that were less than three days old as stuffing. People had
to soak the roll with honey and chewed it slowly.
Nowadays, some Chinese restaurants say that they still
serve certain dishes from the Banquet cooked in the
orthodox ways, though the complete feast is rare. "The
Complete Manchu and Chinese Banquet" has become a generic
term. In addition to splendid food, it also means things
that are rich, complete
or copious.
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