Tujia Sanxiaguo Hot Pot


Tujia Sanxiaguo Hot Pot, also known as  Zhangjiajie Sanxiguo Hot Pot, is a kind of hot pot which mixes  bacon, tofu, and radish in a hot pot  to make into a "dish". It tastes refreshing, and local people called this dish " 三下锅 (sān xià guō)" in Chinese.
Legend of Tujia Sanxiaguo Hot Pot
Due to corruption in the political affairs, the robbers from Japan continued to scream in the southeastern coastal areas of China in the thirty-three years of the Jiajing (1555) during the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644), The court  of the Ming Dynasty had repeatedly sent troops to fight against the robbers, but all ended in disastrous defeat.

Zhang Jing (1492—1555),  a famous minister of the Ming Dynasty, suggested that the emperor should seek the pirates from West  area of Hunan and Hubei provinces  to fight against the Japanese robbers. The Emperor Shizong of the Ming Dynasty ordered the General Hu Zongxian to supervise it. 

After getting this order from the court, Qin Yaozhi, King of  Maogang Tusi in Yongding, Xiang Hefeng of Sangzhi Tusi, Peng Jinan of Yongshun Tusi, Tian Shijue of Meirong Tusi ( today's Enshi County in Hubei Province), led their troops to hurry up to  southeastern areas of China.

At that time, it would be the holidays of Chinese Spring Festival. the kings of Tusi knew that it was very difficult to return while they moved away from their hometown at this time. So they decided to ask their soldiers to have the last new year's reunion dinners with each one's family before long march.  And they ordered to steamed rice dumplings, cut the meat, smash the big bowl of wine, so that they had reunion dinner in advance before the Chinese New's Day coming."

Because of no  time to make a lot of dishes, they had to cook bacon, tofu, and radish in a pot.  Originally, this dish was called "He Cai" which means "the Mixed Dish". And it was later evolved into a dish of  " Sanxiaguo."  

After the Tujia soldiers got on the front line of the war, they quickly defeated the Japanese robbers and recovered the lost land. The Emperor Shizong in the Ming Dynasty gave a plaque and wrote on it : "The First Warfare of Southeast China. "

Since that time,  the descendants has followed it and become a family style dinner. This special toast feast has been following until today. It has become the most delicious cuisine in Zhangjiajie
Where to eat Tujia Sanxiaguo Dish?

In recent years, lots of restaurants that offer Tujia Sanxiaguo Dish has been opened in the area of Zhangjiajie. The most famous restaurants includes Master Hu's Sanxiaguo Restaurants and Fu Zhengyi Sanxiaguo Restaurant.
 
Today, Zhangjiajie Tujia Sanxiaguo Hot Poare is no longer boiled only bacon, tofu and radish,  usually they are changed to sausage, pork belly, beef belly, lamb belly, pig's trotters or pig's head. One can choose two or three or more kinds of local chefs to be specially processed and  cooked in a pot. Perhaps it is the reason for mixing, the taste of the Tujia Sanxiaguo Dissh is really special. It’s memorable!.

Tujia Sanxiaguo Dish is also divided into the dry pot and  the soup pot. There is no soup in the dry pot, and the spicy taste of the dry pot is heavy. It is best to choose carefully if you can't eat spicy food.


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