When traveling to new places, sampling local food is one of the best and most delicious ways to understand a different culture.
In fact, food and place are sometimes so intertwined that the mere name of a location can conjure up mouth-watering associations. Think chicken Kiev, Kalamata olives, Edam cheese, Angus beef, spaghetti Bolognese and Vichyssoise soup. China is no exception. Many of this nation's most famous dishes take their names from their places of origin, like Peking duck. The travel map of China is dotted with such namesake delicacies.
Dezhou braised chicken
Among the famous dishes in China, Dezhou braised chicken is named after the city of Dezhou in the eastern seaboard province of Shandong.
Notable brands of Dezhou braised chicken include a restaurant named Deshunzhai (德顺斋), where chef Han Shigong was credited with creating this dish in the late Qing Dynasty (1644–1911).
Dezhou braised chicken is all about shape. After all the feathers and innards are removed, the wings are twisted at the back and the legs tucked into the cavity of the bird.
This configuration is described as "a duck floating on the water."
The whole chicken is coated with maltose and deep-fried until golden brown. The bird is then braised in a rich stock containing more than a dozen herbs and spices for six to 10 hours, depending on size. It's important to note that no green onions, garlic or chili should be added.
The long cooking time allows the chicken meat to soften and absorb the flavors. When served, the meat easily falls off the bones.
Dezhou braised chicken rose in prominence after it became a signature dish on the old Tientsin-Pukow Railway. The Tianjin to Nanjing route, predecessor of today's Beijing-Shanghai Railway, opened to traffic in 1912, and passengers were delighted with something so good to eat on a long journey. When Soong Ching-ling, then vice chairman of the People's Republic of China, traveled from Shanghai to Beijing, she used to stop in Dezhou to buy Dezhou braised chicken as gift for Chairman Mao Zedong.
Today, vacuum-packed versions of the chicken are often sold on trains and in railway stations, but the highest quality Dezhou braised chickens can be found only in the city.
Hainanese chicken rice
In the past two years, Hainanese chicken rice, one of the national dishes of Singapore, has stormed the streets of Shanghai. Franchises that specialize in the dish, like Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice, and restaurants serving Nanyang cuisines from Southeast Asia have all jumped in to offer this dish.
Hainanese chicken rice was brought to Singapore by early Chinese immigrants from the southern island province of Hainan. The dish originated in the city of Wenchang and was made with flavorful local fowl.
Hainanese chicken rice requires very fresh chickens, which are poached at a simmer. Older, plumper birds are preferred for their more intense flavors. To achieve the jelly-like skin, the poached chicken is dipped in ice right after cooking.
