Beggar's Chicken

Beggar's chicken (jiàohuā jī, literally 'flower-beggar chicken') is a Jiangnan classic with origins traced to Hangzhou and the surrounding Zhejiang region. A whole chicken is first marinated, then stuffed with a fragrant mixture of spring onion, ginger, pickled vegetables and Shaoxing wine. It is wrapped tightly in lotus leaves — which perfume the meat during cooking — and historically encased in clay before baking. Modern restaurant versions substitute an oven-safe dough crust or aluminium foil, though clay-baked versions persist in heritage restaurants. Cooking takes two to four hours; the steam trapped inside the parcel keeps the meat exceptionally moist. The ritual of cracking open the crust at the table is part of the dining experience. It is a centrepiece dish for groups.