Once shaped by court rituals, China’s imperial cuisine lives on today
- Imperial cuisine in Beijing is being kept alive by a small number of chefs who adapt old recipes and techniques to modern ingredients while trying to preserve the tradition’s history and craftsmanship.
- Fangshan Restaurant in Beihai Park specializes in imperial cuisine and was founded in 1925 by former chefs from the Qing Dynasty.
- The restaurant serves dishes linked to court lore, including a pastry once said to have been renamed after Empress Dowager Cixi dreamed of it.
- Imperial cuisine covered both everyday meals for emperors and elaborate court banquets, each governed by its own rituals and rules.
- The Palace Museum also preserves Qing-dynasty objects connected to court dining, including pastry molds.
Imperial cuisine, once shaped by court rituals, is still being practiced in Beijing. A small number of chefs are adapting centuries-old traditions to modern ingredients while trying to preserve the cuisine’s history, craftsmanship, and cultural legacy.
One of the best-known examples is Fangshan Restaurant in Beihai Park. Founded in 1925 by former Qing Dynasty chefs, it specializes in imperial dishes and serves food tied to stories from the court, including a pastry associated with Empress Dowager Cixi.
The article describes imperial cuisine as more than a collection of recipes. It included both the emperor’s daily meals and formal banquets, and those occasions followed strict customs. At Qing-dynasty banquets, for example, drinking milk tea was an important first step, and princes and officials were expected to show respect before receiving food or wine from the emperor.
The tradition also extended to sacrificial rites, which had their own separate system and could include meat offerings. Beyond restaurants, the Palace Museum preserves Qing-dynasty objects connected to court dining, such as pastry molds, underscoring how the culinary tradition survives through both practice and preservation.
曾由宫廷礼仪塑造的中国御膳，如今仍在北京延续
御膳原本是在宫廷礼仪中形成的，如今仍在北京延续。少数厨师把几百年前的做法与现代食材结合，同时努力保留这门饮食传统的历史、技艺和文化价值。
其中最有代表性的是位于北海公园的仿膳饭庄。这家餐馆由清朝旧宫厨于1925年创办，专做御膳，也供应一些与宫廷故事相关的菜点，其中包括和慈禧太后传说有关的一种点心。
报道指出，御膳不只是菜谱，还包含制度和礼节。它既包括皇帝平日的饮食，也包括正式宫宴；在清代宴席上，喝奶茶是重要的第一步，亲王和官员在接受皇帝赏赐的酒食前也要行礼致敬。
御膳传统还延伸到祭祀活动，这类仪式有自己独立的体系，可能包括肉类供品。除了餐馆之外，故宫博物院也保存着与宫廷饮食相关的清代器物，例如点心模具，说明这一传统正在通过实践和保存两条路径延续下来。