Drunken chicken
Just as the fatted cow was slaughtered for the proverbial prodigal son, the chicken is often chased down, killed and cooked for an honored guest or a special occasion in China. And this happens everywhere - be it town or country.
Sometimes, there are interesting tales behind the way the bird is cooked - like the legendary beggar's chicken. The story goes that a vagrant stole a stray chicken and was about to make away with his ill-gotten meal-to-be when the owner came chasing after.
Drunken chicken, originated from southern China, is now a popular dish nationwide. Photos by Pauline D Loh
The intelligent beggar scooped up some mud, slathered it over the bird, threw it into a convenient fire, and parked himself nearby looking like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. The owner couldn't find his stolen chicken and soon gave up the chase.
When the coast was finally clear, the clever beggar broke through the mud, now baked hard, and discovered a perfectly roasted chicken. For his wits, if not his morals, the nameless vagabond had the dish named after him.
More often than not, the dish also came about because of particular regional resources, or lack thereof, as in the case of the salt-baked chicken, the signature dish of the Hakkas.
The Hakkas, or kejiaren ("guest people"), were an itinerant people famous as a hardy community able to labor hard and long, and respected for their work ethics.
Many of their dishes reflect that itinerant nature, and the origin of salt-baked chicken is no different, by all accounts.
As they shifted from place to place, they often used salt to preserve their food supplies. One day, it is said, a hungry Hakka decided to throw a whole salt-wrapped chicken into the oven. It turned out so tasty that more people soon copied the method.
Another way of preserving meat was to marinate it in wine, and in this, the Jiangsu-Zhejiang chefs were the masters.
Little wonder, as this region is home to some of China's most famous wines, the huang jiu or yellow wine known as huadiao or shaoxing jiu.
There is an interesting tradition here. When a daughter is born, an urn of the best wine is be set aside and cellared until the girl grows up and gets married. At her wedding feast, the wine is served. This is the famous Virgin Red, or Nu'er hong.
But what if the baby is a boy? That same vat is still set aside and broken into when the boy grows up and attains the highest academic honors - thus justifying the name of Zhuangyuan hong, or Scholar Red.
Huangjiu, incidentally, is not distilled and has a lower alcohol content, unlike erguotou, the double-distilled fire-water that is such a favorite with the old gentlemen of Beijing.
Drunken chicken uses quality huangjiu, which imparts its particular fragrance to the meat without pickling it. Often, a few Sichuan peppercorns and a bouquet of scallions and ginger are added as flavoring.
Best eaten chilled, drunken chicken often completes the cycle by ending up as the perfect dish for a drinking session, whether it's a toast to the scholar, or to the bride.