Empress Cixi was the center of power within the imperial court during the Qing dynasty. Before her death, she was known for her extravagant lifestyle, fondness for refined Han Chinese cuisine, as reported by CNN.
The meals included 28 dishes
Historian Zhao Rongguang, one of the few individuals who have accessed and studied the subject of the culinary habits of Chinese nobility before the documents were sealed, stated: “This was the most extravagant period in the Qing dynasty. Their daily meals increased from 18 to 23 dishes to 25-28 dishes.”
Empress Cixi was a connoisseur of banquets. She frequently organized ceremonial banquets. For many centuries, numerous royal banquets have been held at the Forbidden City.
The most common form among them was the "Tang An Yàn" (Tang An Banquet), which combined Manchu-style banquets with many grilled meats and Han-style dishes featuring bird's nest soup and seafood.
“The banquets included many rare seafood items such as shark fin, sea cucumber, dried scallops, and fish lips. Grilled meats were usually pork and duck," historian Zhao Rongguang stated.
Misconceptions about the Manchu-Han banquet
At the end of the Qing dynasty, wealthy guests from China began to create their own royal banquets, inspired by the Tang An Yàn. They called them Manchu-Han banquets.
The extravagant Manchu-Han banquet was often taken as an example of how the imperial family ate. This is considered one of the biggest misconceptions about Chinese cuisine.
Historian Zhao Rongguang stated: “In 1957, at the China Import and Export Fair held in Guangzhou, a supplier set up an extravagant banquet. Among the participants, Japanese businessmen showed interest. They wanted to learn about this extravagant banquet and asked staff about it. The staff member was unaware, so they consulted the boss. The boss also did not know, so they asked the chef. The chef, although uncertain, replied that this was a Manchu-Han banquet and claimed it originated from the emperor.”
The Japanese businessmen were allegedly enchanted. From then on, the Manchu-Han banquet became a term to describe the emperor's meal. Additionally, many people misunderstood that the emperor's banquet must have 108 dishes, spread over two days.
Before the information spread widely, historian Zhao Rongguang was inspired to seek the truth about the culinary habits of the nobility and cuisine in the Forbidden City.
According to historian Zhao Rongguang, during Empress Cixi's time, the banquets had strict regulations. Each banquet included 2 hot pots, 4 large bowls, 4 small bowls, 6 plates of food, 2 large plates that could be duck or pork, and 4 types of sweet pastries, buns, 1 type of noodle, 1 type of soup, and a plate of fruit.
“The highest form of Tang An Yàn at that time had approximately 28 dishes as the maximum. This number differs from the 108 dishes that modern media has described," historian Zhao Rongguang emphasized.
