道口烧鸡

道口烧鸡

道口烧鸡是河南省安阳市的一道传统名菜，始创于清顺治十八年（公元1661年），成型于清乾隆时期，经过几百年的传承与发展，道口烧鸡已经成为与北京烤鸭、金华火腿齐名的中国名菜。

据传，道口烧鸡由滑县道口镇“义兴张”烧鸡店所制，开始制作不得法，生意并不兴隆，后从清宫御膳房的御厨处求得制作烧鸡秘方，做出的烧鸡十分香美。道口烧鸡的制作技艺由此历代相传，并逐渐形成其独特风格。

道口烧鸡之所以享誉海内外，关键在于它精细的制作工艺。其使用多种中药辅之陈年老汤，成品烧鸡色泽鲜艳，极具食疗和保健功能。老汤就是煮鸡的陈汤，每煮一锅鸡，必须加上头锅的老汤，如此沿袭，越老越好。单单煮鸡一道程序便需要花上3至5个小时，再加上火候的调整，制作技术要求很高。

Daokou Red-Cooked Chicken

The Daokou red-cooked chicken is a traditional dish of Anyang, Henan Province. Created in 1661 during the Qing Dynasty, the dish, with improvements over hundreds of years, now enjoys equal fame in China as Beijing roast duck and Jinhua ham.

It is said that the chicken was first cooked by the Yixingzhang restaurant in Daokou Town, Huaxian County. At first, the chicken did not sell very well. Later the owner got a recipe from a royal cook to make mouth-watering chicken, which was passed down from generation to generation with a distinctive local flavor added.

The Daokou red-cooked chicken's fame should be attributed to its meticulous cooking process. The use of multiple Chinese medicinal herbs and the long-cooked soup give the chicken a bright color and good therapeutic and tonic effects. It takes three to five hours to prepare the soup, not to mention the well-timed adjustment of the fire, which requires rich experience and a high level of expertise.