The origins of pen cai

THE origins of pen cai can be traced back to the late Song Dynasty (AD1132 -1279). There are two stories about its origin: one told of the escape of the last Emperor to the southern part of China; and the other in which the scholar-general Wen Tianxiang retreated with his army to Dong Guan, now known as Shenzhen.

The residents, being mostly Hakka, fed the soldiers with whatever they had from their humble kitchens. Food was collected in huge wooden basins and passed to the starving soldiers. Since then, this practice has been preserved and handed down to commemorate the patriotism of General Wen, who was executed in 1283 by Kublai Khan.

Pen cai may look simple but it actually embodies the spirit of Hakka cooking, in which complex cooking techniques are used to alleviate the taste of "poor man's" ingredients. The soul of the dish lies in the number "8" - there are eight main seasonings and key cooking techniques, with eight layers of dishes stacked to form pen cai.

The eight seasonings consist of soya bean paste, superior light sauce, preserved bean curd, fennel powder, cinnamon, cloves, oyster sauce and dried lohan. The eight cooking techniques comprise pan-frying, deep-frying, braising, stewing, roasting, boiling and reduction. The dishes are stacked according to this order, beginning from the bottom: boiled radish; stewed mushroom and bean curd skin; boiled fried pig's skin and yam; deep-fried fish paste; braised roast pork belly and dried cod; pan-fried prawns; boiled chicken; and lastly caramelised pig's trotter.

The etiquette of eating pen cai states that you start from the top most layer; finishing it before starting on the next lower layer. The bottom layers are generally much prized as they comprise radishes, mushrooms and bean curd skins that have soaked up the juices from the upper layers for a long period of time.

Today, the Hakkas who live in the New Territories in Hong Kong still celebrate Chinese New Year with a massive pen cai feast at their village.