Boiled chicken, which began in private hotels in the Qing Dynasty, is called "boiled chicken" because it is boiled in white, without seasoning, and is cut while eating. Because its material is Shanghai Pudong Sanhuang Chicken (yellow feet, yellow skin and yellow mouth), it is also called Sanhuang Chicken. Later, all restaurants and delicatessens in Shanghai operated "white chopped chicken", which was not only made of fine materials, but also served with cooked "shrimp sauce" to eat with the chicken. This dish is golden in color, crispy and tender. Extremely delicious, I can't get tired of eating for a long time.

In Qing Dynasty, Yuan Mei called it "white-cut chicken" in Suiyuan menu. He said, "Chicken is the best, and all the dishes depend on it. Therefore, it is the head of the feather family, and other birds are attached to the feather family table. " There are dozens of kinds of chicken dishes on the list, which are used for steaming, roasting, stewing, marinating and rotting. The first kind is boiled chicken, which is said to have the taste of "too much soup and wine". Now there are more than 200 kinds of chicken dishes in the kitchen of Cantonese cuisine, and they are boiled chicken that people can never get tired of eating. Its original flavor, smooth skin and smooth meat are suitable for both large and small banquets, and it is favored by foodies.

The Origin of Boiled Chicken in Shaoxing

Shaoxing boiled chicken is a famous brand food in Shanghai. In fact, its earliest registered trademark is Guan Feng brand boiled chicken, not Shaoxing boiled chicken, but why do people call it Shaoxing boiled chicken?

1In the early summer of 940, Zhang Runniu, who was only 16 years old, fled the countryside and came to Shanghai. In order to make a living, he has to do some small business. His business is very simple, that is, he buys some raw chicken and duck scraps, processes them according to the flavor of his hometown, and sells them in baskets along the street. After several years of hard work, he actually saved some money, so he set up a chicken porridge stall near the entrance of Dadongxin Hotel (now the intersection of Yunnan South Road and Ninghai East Road) to sell boiled chicken and porridge cooked with chicken soup. Because he is from Shaoxing, the boiled chicken he sells is Shaoxing capon, so diners call him Xiao Shaoxing. After a long time, Xiao Shaoxing became not only his nickname, but also his stall name.

Although Xiao Shaoxing chicken porridge stall was small in scale at first, due to his careful research and good management of roast chicken technology, his food stall gradually became famous on Yunnan Road, and his business gradually improved. The scale of chicken porridge stalls is gradually expanding. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Shaoxing chicken porridge stalls have begun to take shape.

In fact, it is also a very accidental opportunity for Shaoxing to master the unique skill of cooking chicken skin crisp and tender. At that time, some hooligans and policemen often came to Shaoxing to extort money. Besides eating and drinking for free, they also steal things. One day, two policemen tried to get chicken after eating and drinking enough in Shaoxing. Xiao Shaoxing had no choice but to comply. However, when he took the chicken out of the pot, he threw it on the ground in a hurry. Seeing that there was a bucket of well water on the side, Xiao Shaoxing picked it up and washed it in the well water, thinking that the freeloader's police chief would have loose bowels. Unexpectedly, the police ate it afterwards, saying that the chicken was particularly delicious and wanted to eat it again. Xiao Shaoxing was very surprised. He thought about it carefully and thought it was probably related to well water flushing. Later, he did the same, and sure enough, the chicken skin was crisp and tender. Since then, all the chickens he cooked have to be soaked in a well for a while. This unique method makes the boiled chicken in Shaoxing famous for its crispy skin and tender meat. Then he made some efforts in cooking and seasoning, which made the boiled chicken in Shaoxing more delicious and attracted a large number of customers. In addition, some famous actors at that time, such as Zhou, Wang Shaolou and others, often came to Shaoxing for supper after performing in nearby theaters, and Shaoxing became famous in this way.