There are 36 cities in the world with the title of "City of Food" and 4 in China. Chengdu is the earliest city to be awarded, and was awarded by UNESCO in 2010.

Sichuan Online Reporter Zhang Hongxia

Chengdu food has always been tempting. There are 36 cities with the title of "City of Food" in the world, 4 in China, and Chengdu is the earliest city to be awarded. In 2010, it was awarded by UNESCO .

Chengdu’s food has a history of thousands of years. Chengdu people are delicious and know how to eat. Since ancient times, "it is still delicious and very spicy." Sichuan cuisine has long gone out of Sichuan and globally. It can be said that as long as there are Chinese people, there is Sichuan cuisine.

In the 1950s, Sichuan cuisine was identified as one of the four major cuisines in China. In the more than 100 years of historical evolution of Sichuan cuisine, Blue Light Jian is a shining name and is called the "father of modern Sichuan cuisine". On April 28, the Blue Light Cultivation Sichuan Cuisine Aesthetics Exhibition Hall opened in Tianfu New District, Chengdu, which is considered a landmark event by the industry.

From the Republic of China to the modern era, from the mouth of Sichuan cuisine masters to reality, in recent years, Blue Light Video has been remembered by more and more people. How important is he? Anyone who knows the history of Sichuan cuisine says: " The Sichuan cuisine we eat today is thankful to him a hundred years ago. "

Chef: Apprentice to Manchu Chef Guan Zhengxing

1883, Blue Light Jian was born in Chengdu. He is the eldest son in the family and has two brothers under him, named Blue Light Rong and Blue Light Wall. The three Lan brothers later became the three masters of Sichuan cuisine and performed a legend of Sichuan cuisine.

Blu-ray magazine (1883-1961)

Due to poverty, Blu-ray magazine did not read much, so he had to start making a living at the age of 13. What can be done? At that time, family banquets in Chengdu were prevalent. In the late Qing Dynasty, officials came to Chengdu from all over the country, and each family brought private chefs.

Chengdu has abundant and abundant resources, and the dignitaries and nobles all celebrate guests at home, and the chefs compete for their skills, so the catering industry has also developed.

Guan Zhengxing, who had been an imperial chef, saw the business opportunity and brought the Manhan banquet in the palace to Sichuan, and opened a "mobile restaurant" Zhengxingyuan, which was available for door-to-door service. Anyone who wanted to treat him would invite Zhengxingyuan to cook. They brought pots, dishes, bowls, and ingredients, and after the banquet, they cleaned up and left. Over time, the continuous changes have gradually formed the Han people version of Manchu and Han banquet.

At that time, this emerging team of professional chefs attracted young people's blue light. Under the introduction of an acquaintance, he went to pay homage to Guan Zhengxing, and his intelligence made Guan Zhengxing overjoyed. This tall and thin man came to Lan's house to hold a ceremony to collect disciples.

On April 28, the Blue Light Cultivation Sichuan Cuisine Aesthetics Exhibition Hall opened.

From then on, the Blue Light Archer followed Guan Zhengxing in person. Guan Zhengxing went to the official residence three times to serve as the Manchu and Han banquet, and everyone was surrounded by Blue Light Archer. He prefers and teaches privately. He grows up quickly and can cook alone at the age of 16. He once held a hundred-table banquet for Sichuan Governor Xiong Kewumiao. He was highly praised by Xiong and became close friends.

For decades, the descendants of the Lan family have never spoken. When the Blue Light Jian Sichuan Cuisine Aesthetics Exhibition Hall was opened, Changsun and Lan Yutian of Blue Light Jian spoke for the first time, correcting this statement: Blue Light Jian became a disciple of Guan Zhengxing, and his younger brother Lan Guangrong was more than ten years apart from his brother and had never entered Zhengxing Garden to serve as a chef. Although he later became a master of white cases, he grew up under the teachings of other masters and had nothing to do with Zhengxingyuan.

Entrepreneurship: Rongle Park creates a food peak

In October 1911, Xinhai Revolution kicked off. In the 276th year of the founding of the Qing Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty fell like a destruction. Chengdu in the southwest corner is cold, and Zhengxingyuan's business plummeted and on the verge of bankruptcy.

Blu-ray video is idle at home and thinking about making a living, Guan Zhengxing comes to him again. This man who knew talent and loved talents came to the door and persuaded Blue Light Jian to set up a new branch to work, live up to his talents, and also took his brothers to start a business together. In order to solve the financial problem, Guan Zhengxing convinced Qi Lezhai, a Manchu businessman, to invest 300 yuan to fund the Blue Light.

Blue Light Archive and his wife Zhang Chengru

So, "Rong Leyuan" was born at the end of 1911, and the hotel was changed to a hall. It opened in Xinglong Temple on Dongfeng Road in Chengdu today, thus becoming the first restaurant in Sichuan. The 27-year-old Blue Light Archive ushered in its own era.

is named Rong Leyuan. "Rong" is named after the next generation of "Rong" by Blue Light, and "Le" is the word "Le" in Qi Lezhai to express gratitude. Guan Zhengxing and Qi Lezhai also lived in Rongleyuan until they were retired and died.

"Rong Zu Rongxian's four seasons of color, fragrance, spoon, and the eight treasures of mountains and rivers are combined with yin and yang." This is a famous couplet from Rong Paradise in New York, USA in 1980, and it is also a later interpretation of the food proposition of "Rong Paradise".

The picture of Rong Paradise in New York, USA was published on the cover of the first issue of " Chinese Cooking ".

Rongliyuan thus opens a page of modern Sichuan cuisine. In 1933, Rong Leyuan moved to No. 1, , Buhou Street, . It is now the location of , Sichuan Daily Newspaper Group. Now the two large ginkgo trees in the newspaper are the landscape planted at that time.

Rong Paradise reached its peak here - covering an area of ​​thousands of square meters, with a courtyard and garden in front, as well as a parking lot. The dining building is a two-story western-style building, and 100 tables can be held simultaneously in the lobby on the ground floor. The second floor is full of private rooms, with a total of 16 rooms, the same as the 1911 Chinese Sichuan Cuisine Experience Center, which opened at the same time today. This is a tribute that has traveled through a century.

1911 A corner of the Chinese Sichuan Cuisine Experience Center

At this time, Rong Leyuan has been upgraded from a simple restaurant to a cultural and artistic place - the private room, with famous calligraphy and paintings hanging on all four walls, including Tang Bohu, Zhang Daqian and many other original works of famous artists. The calligraphy and paintings are changed every week, and they can be different every month. The dining table utensils are exquisite, and the chopsticks are ivory chopsticks.

is behind the dining building of Rongleyuan. It covers a wide area and has more than 200 chefs at the peak of current affairs. Every morning, you can hear the sound of chopping meat on Rongleyuan pier.

Blu-ray Archive (left) and Che Yang (middle) and other well-known reporters from Chengdu

1936, US tank commander Aping and US military Flying Tigers Chennard came to Rongle Park for dinner. Their gorgeous clothes and beautiful cars drove straight in and became a scenery for others to stop and enjoy. The two had excellent dining experience and high evaluations, which caused a sensation among foreigners stationed in Chengdu, and diplomats from Britain, the United States and France visited Chengdu frequently.

Lan Yutian revealed two real stories: In 1979, the Hong Kong Governor Patten met with Chinese representatives and asked to meet the owner of Rongyuan Park Blue Light Jian. The Lan family received a call from relevant departments and learned that the Blue Light Jian had passed away in 1961, Patten felt lost for a moment.

Shanghai Daxiang Huang Jinrong also sent an olive branch, inviting Blue Light Jian to lead the team to Shanghai to open a museum. Without spending funds, only technical investment is required. Thinking of the long and long mountains and rivers, the Blue Light Critic rejected this kind of grand intention.

Teaching: Students publish "Family Nutrition Knowledge"

See the prosperity all the way home. In 1948, Blue Light Jian decided to close Rong Pao. First, because of soaring prices, and second, because of serious credit, it has difficulty in operating operations, which is no longer sustainable.

The chefs of Rong Leyuan stayed apart and they reopened a "labor restaurant".

On July 26, 1953, at Chengdu Metropolitan Photo Studio, Blue Light Jian and his wife Zhang Chengru (sitting in the middle) took a photo.

After the liberation, the Southwest Military and Political Committee conducted a comprehensive political review of the Blue Light Archive. Although the Blue Light Archive is very close to Sichuan political leaders - Zhou Shanpei, who was the general manager of Sichuan Quanye Road, praised the poem: ", Chengdu 100 museums are serving guests, and Zhengxing Garden is the best in Chengdu. There are more than a few thousand people in the management of chefs, and the first Sichuan flavor is to recommend the Blue Light Archive. " Xiong Kewu, who was the governor of Sichuan at the time, wrote the inscription: Sichuan flavor is authentic. But their friendship is limited to food culture.

Although Rong Leyuan employs hundreds of chefs and handymen, none of them have ever said that it is not because he is an upright and kind person. Every New Year's Eve, he would go out with 300 silver dollars and to see who would fund the New Year.

In 1955, the Southwest Military and Political Committee issued a letter of appointment, appointing Blue Light as a teacher in the Nutrition Department of Sichuan Medical College. At that time, Blue Light Jian was already 71 years old, and this appointment was a great responsibility for his ability and character.

In 1961, Blue Light Jian died of illness at the age of 77. During his six years of teaching at Sichuan Medical (Imakawa University West China Hospital), he led his colleagues and students to sort out and cook 75 Sichuan dishes from the perspective of nutrition , and also consider calorie matching from the perspective of dietary balance.It was included in "Family Nutrition Knowledge" in 1984 and became a textbook for nutrition discipline.

"Family Nutrition Knowledge" published in 1984

Blue Light Jian, Blue Glory, and Blue Light Bi, no descendants of the Lan family are engaged in the catering industry. Today, the Lan family has , descendants, some overseas and some outside the province. No matter what profession they are in, the Lan family never mentions the past of their ancestors. When preparing for the Blue Light Cultivation Sichuan Cuisine Aesthetics Exhibition Hall, Lan Yutian and others visited investors many times to consider whether their intention to revive Rongzhai is pure and whether it can promote the development of Sichuan cuisine.

For more than 70 years after Rongli Park bid farewell, relevant parties have tried to restore Rongli Park many times, but they have failed because of inadequate technical inheritance. This time, under the leadership of the third generation successor of Rongleyuan, Rongpai Sichuan cuisine has returned to the world and has become a full reappearance. The descendants of the Lan family held meetings and discussed many times, and finally decided to fully support and not make any requests, so that their grandfather's food concept can benefit the present and make Sichuan cuisine continue to become Sichuan's business card.

Contribution: Five major impacts on modern Sichuan cuisine

For Rongpai Sichuan cuisine, which has returned to the world, 2021 is a year full of coincidences. This year marks the 110th anniversary of Rongleyuan and the 60th anniversary of the death of Blue Light. During the glorious 40 years of Rongleyuan, the Blue Light Review team has created more than 300 Sichuan cuisines, creating a new situation for Sichuan cuisine.

inherits the traditional classic Sichuan cuisine

Lan Yutian recalls a dish made by his grandfather - " back to stir-fry ".

This is a very interesting "dish-for-dish" dish - the conventional method is to stir-fry pheasant red + pork, and the red pheasant red is to stir-fry celery and shredded carrots.

The method of blue light detection is: pheasant red + pork + beef, the pork fiber is fine and soft, connective tissue is less , stir-fry quickly when stir-frying, the meat is square and tender; the beef fiber is thicker and the meat is solid.

Fry in one pot. Both meats must be just right and very skillful, and the heat and time are very particular. Blu-ray has mastered the cooking of "returning to the rice" well, and it is amazing in the era when tender meat powder was not available.

inherits the traditional classic Sichuan cuisine that inherits the Rong Paradise style

loves learning, is good at absorbing, and is good at learning from one example and applying it to others. Blue Light Chronicle is known as "a rare cooking genius in a century." The Blue Light Cultivation Sichuan Cuisine Aesthetics Exhibition Hall evaluates him as an innovator and builder of the modern Sichuan Cuisine system, and a generation of masters who set up a school of modern Sichuan cuisine.

Comprehensive opinions from multiple parties, Blue Light Censoring Sichuan Cuisine Aesthetics Exhibition Hall believes that it has left five major heritages for modern Sichuan Cuisine :

First, it established the "Rongle Park System", which deeply influenced the modern Sichuan Cuisine system;

Second, it combines palace dishes with folk dishes, allowing modern Sichuan cuisine to move towards the public to the future;

Third, it reforms the old banquet system, simplifies the complex, saves dining time, and saves expenses;

Fourth, it focuses on "food, beautiful utensils, and beautiful scenery" and upgrades simple meal gatherings to culture and art;

Fifth, it cultivates a large number of famous chefs, and their inheritance has supported most of the Sichuan cuisine, which has influenced for decades.

has been in the world for a long time, and there is still his legend in the world - for more than half a century, the name of the Blue Light Chronicle has been often mentioned by his younger generations, full of respect. Now, the Blue Light Cultivation Sichuan Cuisine Aesthetics Exhibition Hall has been completed, and a generation of masters wish Sichuan Cuisine a better future in a special way.

(Note: The old photos in this article are provided by the Blue Light Sichuan Cuisine Aesthetics Exhibition Hall, thanks to Mr. Liu Deyue)