Chapter 13 The first eater Tan Yankai

Tan Yankai called himself Zu'an, and was called "the first eater in the Republic of China".This old man is not simple, he is known as "the tumbler in the political arena of the Republic of China", he has served as the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, the generalissimo of the army, and the head of the administration. Tan Yankai was born in a famous family. His father Tan Zhonglin served as the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and he himself was a Jinshi in Xianfeng for six years.Tan Yankai's father is a gourmet. This kind of opportunity has created Tan Yankai's attainments in gastronomy, especially the great innovation and promotion of the development of Hunan cuisine.In a sense, without Tan Yan, Hunan cuisine would not be what it is today.To this day, "Zu'an dishes" are still a famous series and an important part of Hunan cuisine.When Tan Yankai's father was the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, the main cooks were Cantonese cooks, most of whom were from Chaozhou.Chaozhou cuisine used to be a part of Cantonese cuisine, and later became an independent cuisine.Tan Yankai's ancestral home is in Hunan, and he was influenced by Cantonese cuisine when he was growing up, so that in the days since then, he has played a great role in the development of Hunan cuisine and the integration of Cantonese and Hunan cuisine.Hunan cuisine itself is thick and juicy, and the combination of light and mellow Cantonese cuisine makes Hunan cuisine more delicious and lays the foundation for becoming one of the eight major cuisines in the future.

Many celebrities eat delicious food, and Tan Yankai is no exception, and food is also used as a means of diplomacy.Tan Yankai has a very well-known motto - "Three Don'ts": First, no responsibility, second, no admonition, and third, no offense to others, which makes him a tumbler in a turbulent situation. In addition to the "Three No Principles", he uses food to communicate with people, and the food he uses to entertain guests is mainly based on the "Zu'an series of dishes". The emergence of Zu'an's series of dishes is mainly due to his two cooks.One is Tan Xiting, a chef from Jiangsu, who mainly cooks Huaiyang cuisine; the other is Cao Jingchen, a chef from Hunan, who mainly cooks Hunan cuisine.Huaiyang cuisine is light, while Hunan cuisine is strong. Tan Yankai's love for these two cuisines has played an important role in promoting the development of Hunan cuisine and Huaiyang cuisine in the future.

Tan Xiting, from Jiangsu, was originally the chef of a salt merchant in Yangzhou, and he is a good cooker of Huaiyang cuisine.From the Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China, rich salt merchants like to eat, and they also have high standards for home cooks, and all the selected home cooks have unique skills.Tan Xiting himself is very talented in food, and he was nurtured in the salt merchant's house, so his cooking skills are naturally superb.After the salt merchant passed away, Tan Yankai spent a lot of money to hire Tan Xiting as a chef. In 1920, Tan Xiting resigned from the position of Tan Yankai's family chef and went to Changsha to manage Yuloudong Restaurant.This is a well-known restaurant with a long history. It was formerly called Yulouchun, and it was founded in Qingshiqiao, Hunan in the 30th year of Guangxu (1904).After Tan Xiting came over, he changed his name to Yuloudong, and was also a chef and manager.Tan Xiting has gourmet skills. He can not only cook Huaiyang dishes from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but also Beijing-Su delicacies (dim sum).

In that era, being able to be a chef for a big shot was a high recognition of his culinary skills, especially Tan Xiting was also the chef of the great gourmet Tan Yankai, and he had been taught by Tan Yankai's precepts and deeds.So after I came out to open a store, customers recognized it very much. At that time, Yuloudong recipes were called Xi Cai Xi Dian, with unique flavor and great reputation.Zeng Guangjun, a calligrapher who was born in the Imperial Academy, was the eldest grandson of Zeng Guofan. He wrote a poem for Yuloudong run by Tan Xiting: "Soaking belly in spicy chicken soup makes people remember Yuloudong forever." Tan Xiting hung the inscription in the restaurant to commemorate Solicit customers.Spicy chicken and soup soaked belly are still famous dishes in Hunan.

Yuloudong can be regarded as a government restaurant that operates a mixture of Hunan cuisine and Huaiyang cuisine.Duck paw soup soaked belly is a well-known signature dish in Yulou East, and this dish is also Tan Yankai's favorite dish.According to my research, soup soaked belly is a very light dish.When Tan Yankai used to march and fight, he often ordered the cook to bring the ingredients for this dish with him.It can be said that it is actually Tan Yankai and other gourmet masters who brought this dish to Hunan, and at the same time incorporated the flavor of Hunan cuisine into it. Duck's foot soup soaked belly is made of pork belly tip and duck's feet as the main ingredients, with mushrooms and bean sprouts as auxiliary materials, chicken, pig bones, duck bones, lean meat, green onions, ginger, and wine for a long time. Clear chicken broth is the main seasoning.To make the tip of the belly crisp and tender, first cut it into a gill shape so that it can be heated quickly and evenly.After the flower knife is cut, it is stewed with soup first, then scooped up, and the tip of the belly is poured into the chicken soup when serving.Tasting the soup soaked belly, there is indeed a feeling of lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth, which can never be forgotten by Chang Yi.

Mentioning this dish often brings back memories for me. I remember that in the early 1970s, my mother simmered chicken, pork belly, soybeans, ginger, onion, salt, wine, and vinegar, first over high heat and then over low heat for four hours.When simmering and stewing, you can smell the aroma from 20 meters away.Now, I often make soup according to my mother's method, but sometimes I add a little ham and pepper, and sometimes I add some bacon, which tastes very mellow and elastic. After Tan Xiting left, he was replaced by a very humble person.According to historical records, this person speaks Hunan dialect and can cook good dishes, especially shark fin, abalone, and tofu.This person is Cao Jingchen, Tan Yankai's most important cook, nicknamed Cao Si.Its specialty dish, stewed shark's fin in red, is Tan Yankai's favorite food.

Cao Jingchen played an important role in the formation of "Zu'an series of dishes".After Tan Yankai's death, Cao Jingchen opened a fitness paradise in Pozi Hengjie, Changsha.Jianyuan's signature dishes are Zu'an shark's fin, Zu'an tofu, Zu'an fish raw, and Zu'an bamboo shoots.At that time, Lin Sen, the chairman of the National Government, took a car from Nanjing to Chongqing and passed through Changsha. Zuo Xueqian, the chairman of the Changsha General Chamber of Commerce, held a banquet in Jianyuan to clean up Lin Sen. Cao Jingchen was the chef of Wang Gengnian, the chief minister of Hunan Province, before he became the chef of Tan Yankai's family. At that time, he was one of the four famous chefs in Changsha, along with Xiao Ronghua, Liu Sanhe and Song Shanzhai.

Among them, Xiao Ronghua was the first to become famous. He opened Feiyu Gong Restaurant in the early 1920s on Lixiang Street in Changsha, which is where Qifeng Pavilion on Cai'e Middle Road is located today.The two-story building facing the street has an elegant and elegant hall, and is often full of customers. Its specialty dishes are crispy sea cucumber, tendon in milk soup, fresh mushrooms without yolk eggs, etc. Liu Sanhe was from Changqiao, Dongxiang, Changsha. In the early years of the Republic of China, Tan Yankai and Governor Jiang Jihuan also recommended him.When Tan Yankai and Jiang Jihuan were invited to a banquet back then, if Liu Sanhe hadn't been cooking, these two people would not have moved their chopsticks.Liu Sanhe later opened his own restaurant, Sanhe Restaurant, behind an exhibition hall on Zhongshan East Road in Changsha. Its specialty dishes are sushaofeng, Qixing sour pork, three-layer chicken and raw fried shredded tripe.

Song Shanzhai was originally a cook in a family surnamed Wei.A person surnamed Wei founded the Shangyu Entertainment Department in Majiawan, outside the South Gate, integrating eating, drinking, and entertainment. Song Shanzhai was the chef, and it became a famous place for businessmen and wealthy businessmen to entertain friends at that time.