A taste of place
Beggar’s chicken
叫化鸡 Jiàohuà jī
A parcel is opened, and the table fills with the scent of lotus leaves.
For a moment, dinner is still a closed parcel. The wrapping is lifted, steam escapes, and a whole chicken appears among softened leaves. The first pleasure belongs to everyone at the table, before a piece has been served.
A well-loved legend begins with a hungry wanderer and a chicken cooked inside a shell of clay. Hangzhou’s telling has become a much more elaborate meal: the bird may be filled with mushrooms and pork, wrapped in lotus leaves and enclosed for a long bake.
The packet keeps the juices close. The leaves bring their own quiet fragrance. Once opened, the chicken pulls apart easily, ready to be shared. What began as a story about having very little has become a generous centrepiece.
Another palate
What stayed with them.
Tender chicken, pooled juices and a gentle fragrance from the leaves.
A closer look
From ingredients to the table.
Explore the ingredients and the usual preparation, step by step.