China sets standard for Chairman Mao's favourite dish

In Mao's home province of Hunan, much of the Great Helmsman's success has been credited to his fondness for hong shao rou (red braised pork) cubes of braised pork belly glazed with caramelised sugar and Shaoxing rice wine. The dish is widely regarded as the "brain food" which provided Mao with the wits to defeat his enemies.

Now the local government in Hunan has sought to standardise the cooking of the dish, in order to stem the tide of imitations that crowd Chinese restaurants.

According to stringent instructions from the government's food quality supervision and testing institute, true hong shao rou can only be made with the meat of rare pigs from Ningxiang county. Officials have designated the pig, which has been bred for nearly 1,000 years, as an "agricultural treasure".

The Xiaoxiang Morning Herald, a local newspaper, said that three other dishes, including stir-fried peppers with pork, steamed pork with pickled cabbage and steamed fish head with peppers, had also been codified in the official recipe book. Restaurants which do not follow the correct procedures will not be allowed to title themselves as "authentically" Hunanese, said the guidelines.

"These rules are great. I'm pleased my home province can offer standards to all Chinese people for reference," said one Hunanese native, named only as Mr Hu, to the newspaper.

Hunan has not been shy in cashing in on Chairman Mao's fame. Last month, a 100-foot tall statue of Mao as a young man was unveiled in Changsha, while earlier this month the local tourism bureau proposed the designation of December 26, Mao's birthday, as a new national holiday.

RECIPE:

Ingredients 1lb. pork belly (skin optional)

2 Tbsp peanut oil 2 Tbsp white sugar 1 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine ~ Fresh ginger (a ¾-inch piece), skin left on and sliced 1 star anise 2 dried red chilies ~ A small piece of cassia bark or a small cinnamon stick ~ Light soy sauce ~ Salt ~ Sugar ~ Scallion greens Steps 1. Plunge the pork belly into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes, until partially cooked. Remove and, when cool enough to handle, cut into bite-sized chunks.

2. Heat the oil and white sugar in a wok over a gentle flame until the sugar melts, then raise the heat and stir until the melted sugar turns a rich caramel brown. Add the pork and splash in the Shaoxing wine.

3. Add enough water to just cover the pork, along with the ginger, star anise, chilies, and cassia. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes.

4. Toward the end of the cooking time, turn up the heat to reduce the sauce, and season with soy sauce, salt, and a little sugar to taste. Add the scallion greens just before serving.

This recipe is from the Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop.