A tradition dating back to the ancient Tang dynasty and one that has become a tradition in Henan, the Luoyang Water Banquet 洛陽水席 is one of the most ancient Chinese banquets preserved till date.

Regarding the name of banquet, it is said to have two layers of meanings; first, there is soup in all the dishes; second, after eating the dish, it is removed before going to the other, like flowing water. Since 5 Nov 2013, the Luoyang Water Banquet 洛陽水席 has been standardised by Henan Province Quality Supervision Bureau 省质监局 in a standard set by Luoyang. “Quality and Service Specifications of Luoyang Water Banquet”《洛阳水席质量与服务规范》basically dictates how the banquet will be served and who can put the official moniker to the banquet.

The entire banquet is made up of 24 courses, starting with 8 appetizers, 4 main courses and 8 complimentary dishes. The feast concludes with 4 finale dishes. Different restaurants may have varying combinations of the individual dishes, they may also interpret the same dish differently. However, the menu should include some of the more commonly recognised signature dishes of a Water Banquet.

牡丹燕菜 Peony Swallow Dish

This is perhaps the most recognisable dish from the Water Banquet and the poster child of Luoyang cuisine to the world. In 1973, Premier Zhou Enlai threw a banquet for the visiting Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau (yes, the father of the current PM) in Luoyang. The banquet was hosted in Zhenbutong Restaurant 真不同饭店, the official Water Banquet restaurant since then. Premier Zhou commented that the Luoyang Swallow Dish looked like a blossoming peony, the city flower of Luoyang. Hence the dish was officially changed to 牡丹燕菜 Peony Swallow Dish.

The main ingredient of this dish is radish, and lots of it. The radish has been shredded into long strips to resemble vermicelli. The complicated cooking technique resulted in a radish that has the texture of bird’s nest (hence the moniker, swallow dish) and the taste of shark’s fin. This is my second favourite dish from the banquet, and the first of four Main courses 四镇桌 that is served in the banquet. The dish is left on the table throughout the duration of the meal.

蜜汁八宝饭 Eight Treasures in Syrup

Another Main course is 蜜汁八宝饭 Eight Treasures in Syrup; this course is served last. It is selected as a Main course despite that it is more like a dessert is due to the auspicious meaning of the dish. The eight treasures are lotus seeds 莲子 (representing “harmonious marriage”), red dates 红枣 (“plenty offsprings”), dried tangerine 金橘脯 (“good luck”), dried longan 桂圆肉 (“reunion”), maraschino cherroes 蜜樱桃 and sugared dried melon 蜜冬瓜 (“sweet life”), barley 薏仁米 (“longevity”) and melon seeds 瓜子仁 (“peaceful life”).

There are many variations of the same dish, but it is always eight auspicious ingredients.

胡辣汤 Hot Pepper Soup

Hulatang 胡辣湯 is a Chinese soup with origins in the Henan region, although today it is a popular breakfast item in northern China. The soup usually contains ingredients such as beef, vermicelli noodles, ginger, vinegar, flour, and vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, and spinach.

Hulatang is characterised by its thick, sticky texture and its spiciness, which is imparted by large amounts of black pepper and chilli powder. This forms the basic stock flavour for a few of the Water Banquet 8 complimentary dishes.

洛陽糊塗面 Luoyang Noodles in Sticky Gravy

洛陽漿麵條 Luoyang Noodles in Sticky Gravy is also known commonly as 洛陽糊塗面, which literally translates to “sloppy or silly noodles”. This gooey noodle dish can be found as a street food, and if you can get use to the consistency of the gravy, is quite a good eat. Similar to the Hokkien braised noodles 福建鹵面 or Shanxi gravy noodles 打鹵面, except that the Henan version is peppery like hulatang. This is the only dish I liked in the Water Banquet.

連湯肉片 Pork Slices With Soup

連湯肉片 Pork Slices With Soup is one of the permanent fixture of the 8 complimentary dishes and is made of lean pork loin as the main ingredient. The slightly sour and sharp gruel includes a wide variety of ingredients like black ear fungus, enoki mushroom, fava beans, etc.

The pork slices are smooth and tender, which in the old days when meat is seldom served on a daily basis, would make this a dish to look forward to in a banquet. These days, pork is commonly served which makes this dish loses its appeal as a banquet course.

焦炸丸子 Meatballs In Soup

焦炸丸子 Meatballs In Soup uses deep fried meatballs that are added into a sour and savoury soup. Variations of this dish include soup poured at the table so that you can get a crackling sound when the hot soup hits the crispy meatballs, and this meatball stew.

洛阳不翻汤 Stir-Fried Vegetable With Savoury Soup Base

洛阳不翻汤 Stir-Fried Vegetable With Savoury Soup Base is a famous street food in Luoyang. Legend has it that Emperor Kangxi was in Luoyang incognito. He was really hungry that he did not wait for the street vendor to fry both sides of the flatbread before throwing pieces of the bread into the soup. Hence 不翻 meaning “no flip” referred to this urban legend. Again variations of this dish are served in the banquet but the basic technique and ingredients (pig tendons, deep fried pig skin, leeks, bamboo shoots, wood ear fungus, bean curd skin) are the same.

蜜汁红薯 Sweet Potato in Syrup

I couldn’t believe that this is one of the basic dish in the Water Banquet. 蜜汁红薯 Sweet Potato in Syrup is one of the 8 complimentary dishes. Simply put, it is just boiled sweet potato in molasses.

Conclusion

Since the state-backed economic reforms in the 80s started, many social-called successors of the “Imperial Banquet” emerge onto the culinary scene. Many profess to be the “authentic” Water Banquet, but little do the people realised that the so-called Luoyang Water Banquet is a modern invention by a local government hoping to revive its dwindling tourist attractions.

One would find that the backstreet eateries and street vendors may create better tasting Water Banquet dishes than the “official successors”. In reality, Water Banquet was Luoyang’s local cuisine passed down over the years and has nothing to do with the emperors and empresses of the past. The techniques are very rustic and home-cooked, the ingredients commonly found and simple.

In conclusion, many traditional old dishes, including Luoyang Water Banquet, and time-honoured brands do not live up to the expectation. “越地道，越不好吃” (“the more authentic, the less delicious”).

Visited Mar 2024