Manchu cuisine or Manchurian cuisine is the cuisine of

Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer Manc ...

, the historical name for a region which now covers mostly

Northeast China Northeast China or Northeastern China () is a geographical region of China, which is often referred to as "Manchuria" or "Inner Manchuria" by surrounding countries and the West. It usually corresponds specifically to the three provinces east of t ...

and

Outer Manchuria Outer Manchuria (russian: Приаму́рье, translit=Priamurye; zh, s=外满洲, t=外滿洲, p=Wài Mǎnzhōu), or Outer Northeast China ( zh, s=外东北, t=外東北, p=Wài Dōngběi), refers to a territory in Northeast Asia that is now ...

. It uses the traditional Manchu staple foods of

millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets al ...

soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu an ...

pea The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the flowering plant species ''Pisum sativum''. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and d ...

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

and

broomcorn ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family ( Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many ot ...

. It relies heavily on

preserved food Food preservation includes processes that make food more resistant to microorganism growth and slow the oxidation of fats. This slows down the decomposition and rancidification process. Food preservation may also include processes that inhibit ...

s (often pickling) due to the harsh winters and scorching summers in Northeast China. Manchu cuisine is also known for grilling, wild meat, strong flavours and the wide use of

soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...

. Manchu cuisine is more wheat based than

Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...

cuisines.

History

The ancestors of the Manchus were the Jurchen and Mohe people. The Mohe enjoyed eating pork, practised pig farming extensively, and were mainly sedentary, and also used both pig and dog skins for coats. They were predominantly farmers who grew soybean, wheat, millet and rice, in addition to engaging in hunting. In contrast with their Mohe ancestors, the Jurchens developed respect for dogs around the time of the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

and passed this tradition to their Manchu descendants. In Jurchen culture, it was forbidden to use dog skin and harm, kill or eat dogs. The Jurchens also believed that the

Koreans Koreans ( South Korean: , , North Korean: , ; see names of Korea) are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Korean Peninsula. Koreans mainly live in the two Korean nation states: North Korea and South Korea (collectively and simply refe ...

' use of dog skin was an "utmost evil". The Koreans' consumption of dog meat set them apart from the Manchus. The

Manchu Han Imperial Feast The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and Q ...

() includes many notable dishes in Manchu cuisine. This banquet combined the best cuisine from the Manchus,

Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...

Hui people The Hui people ( zh, c=, p=Huízú, w=Hui2-tsu2, Xiao'erjing: , dng, Хуэйзў, ) are an East Asian ethnoreligious group predominantly composed of Chinese-speaking adherents of Islam. They are distributed throughout China, mainly in the ...

and

Tibetans The Tibetan people (; ) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Tibet. Their current population is estimated to be around 6.7 million. In addition to the majority living in Tibet Autonomous Region of China, significant numbers of Tibetans live ...

. It included 108 dishes (of which 54 are northern dishes and 54 are southern dishes) that would be eaten over three days. The Manchu palace banquets were subdivided into six grades. The first, second and third grades were prepared for deceased imperial ancestors. The fourth grade food was served to the imperial family during the

Lunar New Year Lunar New Year is the beginning of a calendar year whose months are moon cycles, based on the lunar calendar or lunisolar calendar. The Lunar New Year as a celebration is observed by numerous cultures. It is also named " Chinese New Year" becau ...

and other festivals. The fifth and sixth grades were served on all other occasions.

Notable dishes in Manchu cuisine

The typical Manchu dishes include pickled vegetables. Manchurian hot pot () is a traditional dish, made with pickled Chinese cabbage, pork and mutton. ''Bairou xuechang'' () is a soup with pork and

blood sausage A blood sausage is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used. In Europe and the A ...

and pickled Chinese cabbage. ''Suziyie doubao'' () is a

steamed bun ''Mantou'' (), often referred to as Chinese steamed bun, is a white and soft type of steamed bread or bun popular in northern China. Folk etymology connects the name ''mantou'' to a tale about Zhuge Liang. Description ''Mantou'' are ty ...

, stuffed with sweetened, mashed beans and wrapped with perilla leaves outside. Sachima is a candied fritter similar to

Tatar The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different

Çäkçäk Çäkçäk (pronounced , Yañalif: ''Cəkcək'', Tatar Cyrillic: Чәкчәк or чәк-чәк, ''çäk-çäk''; tg, чақчақ, ''chaqchaq''; ky, чак-чак; uz, chak-chak; russian: чак-чак, ''chak-chak''; ba, сәк-сәк, ''s� ...

, which is a very popular sweet. Other common dishes are: * ''suancai cuan bairou'' (; sour vegetables with boiled meat), * ''suan tangzi'' (; a sour soup with fermented corn flour), * '' di san xian'' (stir-fried eggplant, potato and green pepper), * Manchu sausage, '' ludagun'' (a steamed roll made of bean flour), and * ''niushe bing'' (; a type of cake).

Manchurian/Manchow dishes in India

The popular Indian Chinese style of cooking known as Manchurian, where an ingredient is first deep-fried and then sauteed in a spicy sauce, was invented in India and bears little if any relation to actual Manchu cooking.

Manchow soup Manchow soup is a soup popular in Indian Chinese cuisine due to its easy preparation and hot spicy taste. It is available in many restaurants and street food carts alike. Although the soup is named after Manchuria it does not resemble any that i ...

is also an Indian creation.

References

{{reflist Regional cuisines of China