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 M ...

, 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 ...

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,

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 a ...

, peas, corn and broomcorn. It relies heavily on preserved foods (often

pickling Pickling is the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. The pickling procedure typically affects the food's texture and flavor. The resulting food is cal ...

) 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. 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 distinctiv ...

cuisines.

History

The ancestors of the

Manchus 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 ...

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 imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

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 re ...

' 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 ...

() 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 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 liv ...

. 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 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 Hot pot or hotpot (), also known as soup-food or steamboat, is a cooking method that originated in China. A heat source on the dining table keeps a pot of soup stock simmering, and a variety of Chinese foodstuffs and ingredients are served b ...

() is a traditional dish, made with pickled Chinese cabbage, pork and mutton. ''Bairou xuechang'' () is a soup with pork and blood sausage and pickled

Chinese cabbage Chinese cabbage (''Brassica rapa'', subspecies ''pekinensis'' and ''chinensis'') can refer to two cultivar groups of leaf vegetables often used in Chinese cuisine: the Pekinensis Group (napa cabbage) and the Chinensis Group (bok choy). These ...

. ''Suziyie doubao'' () is a steamed bun, stuffed with sweetened, mashed beans and wrapped with

perilla ''Perilla'' is a genus consisting of one major Asiatic crop species ''Perilla frutescens'' and a few wild species in nature belonging to the mint family, Lamiaceae. The genus encompasses several distinct varieties of Asian herb, seed, and veget ...

leaves outside.

Sachima Sachima is a sweet snack in Chinese cuisine made of fluffy strands of fried batter bound together with a stiff sugar syrup, and of an appearance somewhat similar to American Rice Krispies Treats. It originated in Manchuria and is now popular thr ...

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 Ludagun (simplified Chinese: 驴打滚; traditional Chinese: 驢打滾; pinyin: lǘ dǎ gǔn), also called as "doumiangao" or "fried chop rice cake", is a traditional Manchu snack in China. It has origins from Manchuria, and later became famous ...

'' (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 is also an Indian creation.

References

{{reflist Regional cuisines of China