gù shì | zhōng guó bā dà cài xì
故事 | 中国八大菜系
Story | The Eight Traditional Chinese Cuisines

1. 麻婆豆腐 – Má pó dòufu

Mapo Tofu

Gùshi:
Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, chéngdū yǒu yí wèi lǎopópo, liǎn shàng yǒu mázi, suǒyǐ rénmen jiào tā “Má pó”.
很久以前，成都有一位老奶奶，脸上有麻子，所以人们叫她“麻婆”。
Long ago, in Chengdu, there was an old woman with a pockmarked face, so people called her “Pockmarked Grandma.”

Tā kāi le yī jiā xiǎo fànguǎn, yòng dòufu, niúròu, làjiāo hé huājiāo zuò le yī dào cài.
她开了一家小饭馆，用豆腐、牛肉、辣椒和花椒做了一道菜。
She ran a small restaurant and made a dish with tofu, beef, chili, and Sichuan pepper.

Wèidào tài hǎochī le! Suǒyǐ dàjiā jiào tā “Má pó dòufu”.
味道太好吃了！所以大家叫它“麻婆豆腐”。
It was so delicious that everyone called it “Pockmarked Grandma’s Tofu.”

Jīntiān, zhè dào cài yǐjīng chéngle shìjiè míngcài!
今天，这道菜已经成了世界名菜！
Today, this dish has become a world-famous dish!

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2. 白灼虾 – Báizhuó xiā

Poached Shrimp

Gùshi:
Guǎngdōng rén zuì xǐhuān “yuánwèi”, yě jiùshì shí cái zìjǐ de wèidào.
广东人最喜欢“原味”，也就是食材自己的味道。
Cantonese people love “natural flavor” — that is, the ingredients’ own taste.

Tāmen rènwéi, xīnxiān de xiā, zhǐyào yòng kāishuǐ qīngqīng yī zhǔ, ránhòu zhān jiàngyóu chī, jiù zuì xiān.
他们认为，新鲜的虾，只要用开水轻轻一煮，然后蘸酱油吃，就最鲜。
They believe that fresh shrimp, simply boiled in water and dipped in soy sauce, is the freshest and best.

Zhè dào cài bù fùzá, dàn shì tā gàosu wǒmen:
这道菜不复杂，但是它告诉我们：
This dish is not complicated, but it tells us:

“Dōngxi hǎo, bùyòng duō jiā gōng.”
“东西好，不用多加工。”
“Good ingredients don’t need much processing.”

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3. 糖醋里脊 – Tángcù lǐjǐ

Sweet and Sour Pork

Gùshi:
Shāndōng de Lǔ cài hěn zhòngshì “táng” hé “cù” de pèihé.
山东的鲁菜很重视“糖”和“醋”的配合。
Shandong cuisine really values the balance of sugar and vinegar.

Gǔshíhou, yǒu yí wèi chúshi xiǎng zuò yī dào suān tián kāiwèi de cài.
古时候，有一位厨师想做一道酸甜开胃的菜。
Long ago, a chef wanted to make a sweet-and-sour appetizing dish.

Tā bǎ zhūròu qiē chéng tiáo, zhà dào jīnhuáng, ránhòu jiā táng hé cù chǎo.
他把猪肉切成条，炸到金黄，然后加糖和醋炒。
He cut pork into strips, fried them until golden, then stir-fried them with sugar and vinegar.

Jiéguǒ wàimiàn sūcuì, lǐmiàn ruǎn nèn, yòu suān yòu tián.
结果外面酥脆，里面软嫩，又酸又甜。
The result was crispy outside, tender inside, sour and sweet.

Xiànzài zhè dào cài shì wàiguó rén zuì xǐhuān de Zhōngguó cài zhī yī.
现在这道菜是外国人最喜欢的中国菜之一。
Today, this dish is one of foreigners’ favorite Chinese dishes.

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4. 文思豆腐 – Wénsī dòufu

Wensi Tofu (Shredded Tofu Soup)

Gùshi:
Qīngcháo shíhou, Yángzhōu yǒu yí wèi héshang, míngjiào “Wénsī”.
清朝时候，扬州有一位和尚，名叫“文思”。
During the Qing Dynasty, there was a monk in Yangzhou named “Wensi.”

Tā hěn shàncháng zuò sùcài. Tā bǎ nèndòufu qiē dé xiàng tóufa yīyàng xì, ránhòu zuò chéng tāng.
他很擅长做素菜。他把嫩豆腐切得像头发一样细，然后做成汤。
He was good at vegetarian cooking. He cut soft tofu as thin as hair and made it into soup.

Zhè dào tāng yòu qīng yòu xiān, hěn duō rén dōu xǐhuān.
这道汤又清又鲜，很多人都喜欢。
This soup is clear and fresh, and many people loved it.

Hòulái rénmen jiù yòng tā de míngzi gěi zhè dào cài qǔmíng: “Wénsī dòufu”.
后来人们就用他的名字给这道菜取名：“文思豆腐”。
Later, people named the dish after him: “Wensi Tofu.”

Zhè dào cài kàn de shì dāogōng – dāo de jìshù.
这道菜看的是刀工 – 刀的技术。
This dish is all about knife skills.

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5. 佛跳墙 – Fó tiào qiáng

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall

Gùshi:
Fújiàn yǒu yī dào hěn shēhuá de tāng cài.
福建有一道很奢华的汤菜。
Fujian has a very luxurious soup dish.

Tā yòng hǎishēn, bàoyú, yúchì, huāgū, huǒtuǐ děng duō zhǒng hǎo dōngxi, màn màn dùn hěn jiǔ.
它用海参、鲍鱼、鱼翅、花菇、火腿等多种好东西，慢慢炖很久。
It uses sea cucumber, abalone, shark fin, mushrooms, ham, and many other fine ingredients, slowly simmered for a long time.

Yǒu yí gè gùshi shuō: yī wèi chúshi zuò hǎo zhè dào cài, xiāngwèi piāo chū qù, pángbiān de héshang wén dào xiāngwèi, jūrán tiào guò qiáng lái chī!
有一个故事说：一位厨师做好这道菜，香味飘出去，旁边的和尚闻到香味，居然跳过墙来吃！
One story says: when a chef made this dish, the aroma drifted out, and a nearby monk smelled it — he actually jumped over the wall to eat it!

Suǒyǐ dàjiā jiào tā “Fó tiào qiáng” – jiùshì “Fó tiào guò qiáng”.
所以大家叫它“佛跳墙” – 就是“佛跳过墙”。
So people called it “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.”

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6. 西湖醋鱼 – Xīhú cùyú

West Lake Vinegar Fish

Gùshi:
Hángzhōu yǒu yī gè hěn měi de hú, jiào Xīhú.
杭州有一个很美的湖，叫西湖。
Hangzhou has a beautiful lake called West Lake.

Zhè dào cài yòng de shì Xīhú lǐ de cǎoyú.
这道菜用的是西湖里的草鱼。
This dish uses grass carp from West Lake.

Chúshi bǎ yú zhǔ shú, ránhòu jiā shàng cù hé táng zuò de jiàngzhī.
厨师把鱼煮熟，然后加上醋和糖做的酱汁。
The chef boils the fish, then adds a sauce made of vinegar and sugar.

Wèidào suān zhōng dài tián, yúròu hěn nèn.
味道酸中带甜，鱼肉很嫩。
The taste is sour with a hint of sweetness, and the fish is very tender.

Dāngdì rén shuō: “Dào Hángzhōu, bù chī Xīhú cùyú, jiù bái lái le.”
当地人说：“到杭州，不吃西湖醋鱼，就白来了。”
Locals say: “If you go to Hangzhou and don’t eat West Lake Vinegar Fish, you came for nothing.”

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7. 东安子鸡 – Dōng’ān zǐjī

Dong’an Chicken

Gùshi:
Húnán yǒu yī gè dìfāng jiào Dōng’ān.
湖南有一个地方叫东安。
There is a place in Hunan called Dong’an.

Gǔshíhou, yǒu yī wèi cái zhǔ zuò le yī dào là de, suān de, xiāng de jī ròu cài.
古时候，有一位财主做了一道辣的、酸的、香的鸡肉菜。
Long ago, a rich man made a spicy, sour, and aromatic chicken dish.

Tā yòng le hěnduō shēngjiāng, làjiāo hé cù, chǎo chūlái de jīròu yòu huá yòu nèn.
他用了很多生姜、辣椒和醋，炒出来的鸡肉又滑又嫩。
He used a lot of ginger, chili, and vinegar, and the chicken turned out smooth and tender.

Zhè dào cài hòulái chéngle Xiāng cài de dàibiǎo.
这道菜后来成了湘菜的代表。
This dish later became a representative of Hunan cuisine.

Tā de tèdiǎn shì: là, suān, xiān, xiāng – sì zhǒng wèidào yīqǐ lái.
它的特点是：辣、酸、鲜、香 – 四种味道一起来。
Its feature is: spicy, sour, fresh, and aromatic — all four flavors together.

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8. 臭鳜鱼 – Chòu guìyú

Stinky Mandarin Fish

Gùshi:
Ānhuī de rén yǒu yī zhǒng tèbié de bǎocún yú de fāngfǎ.
安徽的人有一种特别的保存鱼的方法。
People in Anhui have a special way of preserving fish.

Tāmen bǎ guìyú fàng zài mùtǒng lǐ, jiā yīxiē yán, ràng tā zìrán fāxiào.
他们把鳜鱼放在木桶里，加一些盐，让它自然发酵。
They put mandarin fish in a wooden barrel with some salt and let it ferment naturally.

Fāxiào yǐhòu, yú yǒu yī zhǒng “chòu” de qìwèi, dàn shì jiā shàng làjiāo hé shēngjiāng yī shāo, wèidào fēicháng xiān.
发酵以后，鱼有一种“臭”的气味，但是加上辣椒和生姜一烧，味道非常鲜。
After fermentation, the fish has a “stinky” smell, but when cooked with chili and ginger, the taste is surprisingly fresh.

Ānhuī rén shuō: “Wén qǐlái chòu, chī qǐlái xiāng.”
安徽人说：“闻起来臭，吃起来香。”
Anhui people say: “Smells stinky, tastes fragrant.”

Zhè jiù shì tā de mèilì.
这就是它的魅力。
That’s its charm.

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小总结 – Xiǎo zǒngjié (Summary)