Beggar's Chicken: A Traditional Chinese Delicacy

Beggar's Chicken, also known as Changshu Beggar's Chicken or "Wei Ji" (Stewed Chicken), is a traditional and famous dish from Changshu, Jiangsu Province, belonging to the Jiangsu cuisine tradition.


There are several legends about the origin of Beggar's Chicken. One story goes that in the Qing Dynasty, a beggar happened to get a chicken but had no cooking utensils or seasonings. He killed the chicken, removed its internal organs, coated it with mud, and roasted it on a fire. When the mud was burned and the fragrance wafted out, he peeled off the mud shell, and the chicken feathers came off with it. The chicken meat was so tender and delicious that people later named this dish "Beggar's Chicken". Another legend is related to Emperor Qianlong. When he was traveling incognito in the south of the Yangtze River, he was given a Beggar's Chicken by a beggar when he was hungry and thought it was extremely delicious.

The production of Beggar's Chicken involves a series of meticulous steps. For ingredient selection, Sanhuang chicken is usually chosen, as this type of chicken is plump and tender, with the best being around 1700 grams per chicken. Meanwhile, auxiliary ingredients such as pig's omentum, lotus leaves, yellow mud, green onions, ginger, garlic, cooking wine, salt, and soy sauce need to be prepared. After slaughtering and cleaning the chicken, the back of a knife is used to break the bones of the chicken's neck and shoulders, middle wings, and thighs, keeping the chicken skin intact to facilitate subsequent wrapping and flavor absorption. Next, the chicken is marinated with seasonings such as rapeseed oil, cooking wine, refined salt, green onions, and ginger, allowing it to fully absorb the aroma of the seasonings. Then, the chicken's cavity is stuffed with ham slices, shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimps, winter bamboo shoot slices, and other ingredients to enhance the flavor of the chicken meat. Following that, the chicken body is tightly wrapped with pig's omentum, then with lotus leaves, and finally tied tightly with thin straw rope into a pillow shape. After wrapping, mixed yellow mud is evenly applied on the outside of the chicken with a thickness of about 2.5 centimeters, which plays a role in sealing and heat preservation, ensuring the chicken is heated evenly during the roasting process. Finally, the mud-wrapped chicken is put into a fire or oven and roasted for 4-6 hours until the mud shell cracks and the chicken is fully cooked.

Beggar's Chicken is characterized by its golden color, tender texture, and rich, mellow flavor. The chicken meat is so soft that it easily falls off the bones. When the mud shell is cracked open, the aroma of the chicken, combined with the fragrance of the lotus leaves and seasonings, fills the air, making people's mouths water.

This dish not only represents the wisdom and creativity of the working people in ancient China but also reflects the unique food culture of Jiangsu. It has become an important part of local cuisine and is deeply loved by people. It is often served at banquets and family gatherings, carrying people's pursuit of delicious food and the joy of sharing.
In conclusion, Beggar's Chicken is not just a delicious dish but also a carrier of Chinese food culture, with a unique charm that has been passed down through the ages.

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