Ningguo Suzhai, which has been on Dianping’s “Must Eat List” for two consecutive years, has recently gained another title – Xuhui District Intangible Cultural Heritage Project. What is the charm of this intangible cultural heritage on the tip of the tongue? Follow the reporter to find out.
Inheritance, what remains unchanged is taste and original intention
In the 1980s, 16-year-old Wang Yong learned the art from chef Yao Zhixing, the representative of the first generation inheritor of Ningguo Suzhai. He recalled: "At that time, the master asked us to learn the art. I learned all-round from each of my predecessors, from cutting vegetables, garnishing dishes, to seasoning and cooking, and completely inherited the production techniques handed down from the original palace vegetarian food, temple vegetarian food and folk vegetarian food." Zhu, who started at the same time as Wang Yong Chef Wenzhen studied under the older generation of Su-style boat pastry chefs and combined it with vegetarian vegetarian snacks to create realistic Su-style boat snacks and vegetarian snacks.
In 2010, they followed Master Pingxi to Huajing Town to participate in the reconstruction of Ningguo Zen Temple. From a kitchen built with tiles to the current three-story Ningguo Vegetarian Restaurant, they have persisted for nearly 40 years. "The eight old vegetarian dishes in Ningguo, such as Golden Autumn Crab Meal, Crispy Duck in a Hanging Oven, Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, etc. are all dishes that have been passed down for decades." Wang Yong told reporters that Ningguo Suzhai has retained the most authentic and traditional No. 1 dish in New China. It combines the characteristics of vegetarian food in modern temples with the characteristics of Shanghai style and the regional characteristics of Huajing Town, and finally forms the local characteristics of Ningguo vegetarian food.
Ningguo Suzhai follows traditional procedures and strictly uses ingredients, which has contributed to Ningguo Suzhai’s good reputation among diners.
Innovation creates artistic conception and style
As the times evolve, vegetarian techniques are also innovating and improving. Ningguo Suzhai has always adhered to the concept of "inheriting skills and innovating methods". From the old eight dishes to the new eight dishes, it not only absorbs the modern vegetarian food culture, but also absorbs the strengths of various recipes. “For example, the ‘Haihuang Daigo Soup’ among the new eight dishes, the dishes have created a cultural mood in terms of naming, ingredient selection, shape, and presentation,” Wang Yong said.
Ningguo Suzhai, under the leadership of the second-generation inheritors Wang Yong and Zhu Wenzhen, handed over to the third-generation inheritors Shi Renping and Liu Binling, etc., Ningguo Suzhai’s positioning in advocating vegetarian culture has become increasingly clear. In 2018, Ningguo Suzhai’s external catering department underwent a service operation transformation and a Ningguo Suzhai pastry department was added. In 2020, Ningguo Vegetarian Restaurant officially opened. At the same time, Ningguo Suzhai also launched a festive pastry gift box. Suzhai will make seasonal traditional pastries based on traditional festivals and seasonal solar terms, such as Double Ninth Festival cakes, eight-treasure rice, glutinous rice balls, vegetarian green dumplings, vegetarian rice dumplings, etc.
Ningguo Suzhai now has more than 30 chefs and pastry chefs, serving four major systems: temple vegetarian food, traditional pastries, innovative vegetarian dishes and festive pastry gift boxes. It provides hundreds of recipes such as dine-in and seasonal gift boxes. . The orderly inheritance and development of three generations has enabled Ningguosuzhai to completely inherit the national and municipal intangible cultural heritage, and have more original strength for independent development, creating a food style that combines independent innovation with local regional culture. .
Culture is contained in folk customs and history.
Vegetarian culture has the function of spreading folk culture and health and aesthetic education. Ningguo Suzhai has always used vegetarian culture as a carrier to advocate the concept of "body tranquility, mind tranquility, family tranquility, and national tranquility".
Ningguo vegetarian food inherits not only the old taste, but also the accumulation of folk culture and history. The simplest plain buns and plain noodles contain good wishes. For example, the plain noodles are named after "auspicious" and "arhat", and cost 12 yuan for a bowl, with free refills of noodles, which means "adding blessings and longevity".
Three generations of inheritors have integrated the simplest and most primitive folk food aesthetic culture into a plain bun and a bowl of plain noodles through hand-to-mouth transmission.
Source: Shanghai Xuhui
