A hand sets a large cold platter on the table, ham, beef, sliced chicken and cucumber ringed round a carved carrot flower, with a pot of chicken stewed with shiitake, a steamed fish and a plate of layered flaky pastries beside it.
The mansion kitchen
Introduction
The cooking of the household cooks of officials and distinguished families.
Mansion cuisine is the cooking of the household cooks of officials and distinguished families. In the preface to his Sui Yuan Shi Dan, Yuan Mei says that whenever he had eaten well at another household he sent his own cook to that kitchen to learn as a pupil; the book was published in 1792, in the Qianlong reign. Some bearers of the tradition drew on old recipe books and early cookery training lists, officials from different regions blended their regional tastes, and old recipes were later taken into restaurants. Mansion cuisine is a cooking tradition, the cooking of a particular mansion is an entry, and imperial food belongs to Imperial Cuisine.