Chinese Recipe Name Origins, Part II
Even the most common foods have mysterious origins. Take that all-American snack, the hot dog. Traditional wisdom states that the predecessor to the modern-day hotdog, the frankfurter sausage, was invented in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany. However, others point to the word "wiener" as proof that Vienna (Wien), Austria, is the birthplace of the hot dog. There's not even agreement on who first came up with the idea of placing the sausage in a roll or bun. However, we do know that Charles Feltman opened the first hotdog stand on Coney Island in 1871.
Here are some more interesting stories about the origins of Chinese dishes:
General Tso's Chicken:
Like Kung Pao chicken, this dish demonstrates the Chinese custom of naming a special dish after an important figure. However, there is some confusion over who was meant to be the recipient of this special honor. In restaurant menus, you'll find the dish called everything from General Tsao to General Chung's chicken. In Chinese Kitchen, Eileen Yin Fei-Lo points out that there is even a General Ciao's chicken, possibly named after a visiting Italian diplomat. In any event, a General Tso did exist, serving in Hunan province during the nineteenth century.Mu Shu Pork
Most sources state that the name "mu shu" refers to the flowers of either the cassia blossom or the olive tree. (Like cinnamon, cassia comes from a type of laurel plant). There is no doubt that Mu Shu pork is meant to be a "foresty" dish, with its bits of tree ears, lily buds, and shaved pork. Most versions contain pieces of scrambled egg, meant to represent flower blossoms.In "The Chinese Kitchen", Eileen Yin Fei-Lo provides a different explanation for how this famous dish came to be named. She points out that the Cantonese call this dish "muk see yuk" or "shaved wood pork."
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall
This festive dish is worthy of its unusual name. Buddha Jumps Over the Wall has been compared to a large pot-au-feu, or stockpot soup. However, it is a much more complex dish, with its combination of chicken, ham, pork, shark's fin, scallops, abalone, and vegetables and seasonings. It can contain as many as thirty different ingredients.The story behind the dish is that Buddha, the philosopher and founder of Buddhism, was meditating one day near a large wall. All at once he smelled an aroma so unusual and distinctive that he jumped over the wall to find out what dish was being prepared. Most versions of the story have Buddha breaking with his vegetarian beliefs to partake in the meal.
Crossing the Bridge Noodles
I'd always assumed that this dish originated in a city that was reached by crossing over water. In fact, the name has nothing to do with a physical place. There are two versions of how this dish came to be named. In the first (my favorite) a scholar chose to live apart from his wife for a certain period of time, in order to study for an important examination. In those days "crossing the bridge" was another expression for being apart. His wife visited him daily with a soup dish containing noodles, and thus the dish came to be known as "crossing the bridge noodles."The second version is based on how the dish is made. The noodles are boiled and then poured into a hot chicken broth. The action of transferring the noodles is likened to crossing a bridge.
Recipes
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall
General Tso's
Chicken
Mu Shu Pork
(Note* - Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is an extremely complex dish, requiring ingredients
such as shark's fin and taking two days to make. If you do make it, please
feel free to email me to let
me know how it turns out.
Want to know more? Check out Intriguing Recipe Names, Part I.
**New to the Chinese Cuisine Site? You'll find a complete guide to help you find your way around here.
