Food Enlightenment

Author: Bai Shi / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Wenshan Shredded Pork is a famous dish from Jiangxi Province. The ingredients and cooking method are very simple, but the taste is delicious and appetizing, making it a prized dish in Jiangxi households for generations. Legend has it that during the late Southern Song Dynasty, Wen Tianxiang served as the Right Chancellor and firmly advocated resisting the southern invasion of the Yuan army. In the second year of the Jingyan era of Emperor Duanzong (1277 AD), he personally led troops to attack Jiangxi, recapturing many territories occupied by the Yuan forces and gaining widespread support from the people.
Once, while leading his army through his hometown, Jiu'an in Jiangxi, Wen Tianxiang was visited by locals who encouraged and supported his resistance against the Yuan. Deeply moved by their patriotic fervor, Wen Tianxiang hosted a banquet at home and personally cooked dishes for his. Seeing his humility, the locals laughed happily. An elderly man stroked his beard and teased, "Even a high-ranking scholar like you knows how to cook? The saying 'A gentleman does not go far from the kitchen' applies to you too." Wen Tianxiang laughed in return. He removed his official robes, changed into casual clothes, rolled up his sleeves, and tied an apron before entering the kitchen. Out of respect and curiosity, the locals followed him into the kitchen to witness how the Right Chancellor prepared the dish.
Wen Tianxiang calmly took a piece of pork tenderloin, trimmed of sinew, and gently pounded it until tender, then cut it into cubes about the size of a fingernail. He then took a bamboo shoot, cut it into the same size as the pork, and set it aside. Next, he placed the pork cubes in a bowl, seasoned them with salt and egg white, mixed them well with his hands, and then coated them with wet starch. He stirred the cubes in a pot of boiling oil until they turned golden and then removed them.
After that, Wen Tianxiang placed the pot over high heat, stir-fried the dried chili peppers and bamboo shoot cubes in a little lard, then poured in some broth, soy sauce, cooking wine, sugar, vinegar, and other seasonings. He thickened the sauce with wet starch. Finally, he added the well-oiled pork cubes and fragrant scallions, stirred them gently, and drizzled a few drops of sesame oil. Before the locals' eyes, a plate of vibrant red, fragrant shredded pork appeared.
Throughout the cooking process, Wen Tianxiang moved with precision and skill, like a seasoned chef. The locals were stunned. After tasting the dish, they found it tender, spicy, flavorful, and not greasy at all, leaving the entire banquet in awe and praise. After the meal, everyone tried to replicate the recipe. Since Wen Tianxiang was known as Wen Shan, the locals named the dish "Wenshan Shredded Pork." From then on, Wenshan Shredded Pork became a beloved dish passed down through generations.
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