Brothers-in-Law Shark’s Fin,Union Is Strength

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Brothers-in-law shark’s fin is a noted dish of Shandong. Here brothers-in-law refers to the husbands of two sisters whose father was the owner of a large-scale restaurant. Legend goes like this:in the period of Qianlong reign(1736- 1795)of the Qing Dynasty,the restaurant owner with the surname of Gao had two beautiful girls,who were married to two skilled chefs of the restaurant respectively.

One day,the emperor Qianlong passed by the restaurant during his inspection in disguise to the regions south of the Yangtze River.As it was getting dark,the emperor entered it for a meal.His guards asked the boss to prepare an”auspicious and wealthy dish”for the noble guest(the emperor).Seeing the guest with a dignified bearing,the restaurant boss Mr.Gao thought he must be a high-ranking official.Hence,he asked his two sons-in-law to prepare a dish with great care.

The two chefs thought the matter over and over again,and finally decided to stew a dish of white and transparent shark’s fins with chicken broth.When it was served on the table,Emperor Oianlong was very delighted by the pure white and crystal-clear shark’s fin.After tasting it he was profuse in praise.The emperor asked the chets:”What’s the name of the dishzu The elder brother-in-law showed resourcefuiness in an emergency and answered.HWhite Jade Setting off Silver Bars.””It is too vulgar”,the emperor said.Upon knowing the dish was prepared anrd. innovated by the two brothers-in-law,Oianlong Fmneror named it”Brothers-in-Law Shark’s Fin”.