朗讀文稿

Buddha Jumping Over the Wall-A Traditional Chinese Dish

Imagine a scene like this: a Buddha was sitting still in a temple, suddenly, he caught an incredibly good smell of food and it was so attractive that the buddha jumped over the wall to find the source of that smell. It may sound a bit exaggerating but it proves how wonderful the food smells and it vividly shows the food’s name-Fo Tiaoqiang, a traditional Chinese food.

Fo Tiaoqiang has a long history. It could be traced back to the Qing Dynasty that it first appeared and since then, it has enjoyed great popularity. There are various claims about the origin of Fo Tiaoqiang. Some people say that it was created by an experienced cook, while others say that it was accidentally created by beggars on the streets. But one thing is for sure, it has been impressing people with its incredible taste all the time. What’s impressive about its history is that from 19th century to now, it has experienced wars and peace, decay and prosperity, making its way through history and maintaining its popularity till today.

So why is Fo Tiaoqiang so ‘charming’, making a Buddha jump over the wall? Its ingredients and cooking process may explain for that. There are eight most precious seafood in China and six of them are used in the Fo Tiaoqiang. Other 12 main ingredients and 10 supplementary ingredients are used, which means making this one dish requires 28 different ingredients. What’s more, it takes at least 8 hours and over 10 steps to make an authentic Fo Tiaoqiang. The complexity of cooking contributes to its taste and preciousness. However, thanks to many devoted chefs, this precious course had the chance to enter common restaurants with its process being simplified and its taste remaining impressive.

Despite its incredible smell and taste, the spirits contained in Fo Tiaoqiang is also impressive. The diversity of ingredients leads not to a chaos, quite the opposite, they are a wonderful match, blending with each other and improving the whole taste. This perfectly reflects the Chinese spirit of harmony in diversity. Furthermore, a course with such a complicated cooking method has survived the ups and downs of history and maintained its popularity till today. Its long history is the most vivid picture of the craftsmanship of the chefs. These spirits enrich cultural value of Fo Tiaoqiang and enable it to be selected as National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008.

Fo Tiaoqiang is impressive both in its history, cooking process and spirits, let alone its smell and taste. The profound spirits are deeply contained in its long history and cooking process. I would sincerely recommend you to try this dish once you have a chance.