Shredded Pancakes in Mutton Soup,Authentic Delicacy of Xi’an
3 min read
Shredded Pancakes in Mutton Soup is a local Moslem delicacy honored as a”superb dish in Shaanxi”.It is originated from mutton and beef custard in ancient times that was listed as royal food in the Western Zhou Dynasty as early as 1100 B.C. Poems about it can also be found in Sima Qian’s Records of the Historian.
The cooking and eating of this sort of local snack has its own way,which requires special attention.It is divided into four types that are to be taken in different ways.The normal way to have it is that the eater must first use his own hands to shred the baked cake into pea-like tiny pieces so that the five tastes of the seasoned soup will easily sap the broken pieces and make them tasty,whereas the cook has to provide suitable amount of soup according to the type and quantity of the cake. He has to put all sorts of seasonings into the broth in a correct way and boil them over a blazing fire,and then pour them into bowls at a right moment.The person enjoying it must also have it from one side to the other just like a silkworm eating its mulberry-leaves so that he’ll be able to get a sustainable taste.
There is a legend that connects the table manner for this delicacy with Emperor Tai Zu,Zhao Kuangyin,the first emperor of the Song Dynasty.Zhao was poverty- stricken and reduced to be homeless on sidewalks in Chang’an at his early age. .One day,driven by hunger and coldness,he begged in a meat store for some hot mutton soup.After eating,he felt much warmer and energetic.Ten years later,Zhao was already the founding emperor of Song Dynasty.Once during his inspection tour in Chang’an,he came to the same meat store and asked for a dish of shredded pancakes in hot soup.The owner asked his wife to bake some pancakes,broke them into small pieces,cooked for a few seconds with well-prepared seasoning and soup before adding several mutton slices.To his surprise,after having it,Zhao enjoyed it immensely and awarded the owner with 200 teals of silver.Soon it spread across Chang’an,an increasingly people came to the store to try this delicacy.Since the helpers in the store were fully occupied,the diners had to break the pancakes by themselves,which is still practiced today.
In 1644,a restaurant named Lao Ma’s opened at Qiaozikou,specialized in making this delicacy.Everyday the restaurant was crowed with diners,winning a wide-spread reputation in Chang’an.Later,after the Eight-power Allied Forces occupied Beijing in 1900,Empress Dowager Ci Xi and Emperor Guang Xu fleded to Xi’an.Ci Xi thought highly of the dish after having it and wrote down three Chinese characters Tian Ci Lou(restaurant conferred by the royal family)for the restaurant. Ever since then,the restaurant rose to fame.
It has the characteristics of tender meat and thick soup,with a delicious taste.lf you drink a bowl of soup after taking it you’ll get a lasting flavor in the mouth.Rich in protein,carbohydrate and energy,it is a sort of food that can be taken all year round, with better taste in winter.
