After the emperor finished his meal, any leftover food that was not given to the concubines or officials would be secretly hidden away by the eunuchs and palace maids in the Forbidden City and then quietly taken outside the palace to be sold to the larger taverns.
The Chinese emperor held an exalted position, which meant that every aspect of their daily life was attended to with great care.
Meals of the Chinese Emperors
Contrary to popular belief, the lives of emperors in the Forbidden City were not as extravagant as commonly rumored.
The emperor’s diet primarily consists of pork, lamb, fish, and green vegetables. (Illustrative image)
In each dynasty, the emperor was the highest representative of the nation, yet they did not frequently indulge in lavish feasts. On the contrary, the diet of the emperors was often surprisingly balanced and simple.
Both the Ming and Qing dynasties adhered to the same principle: The diet should enhance health.
The royal kitchen was divided into three parts: the main kitchen, the tea kitchen, and the dessert kitchen. Each kitchen had a head chef and five assistant chefs, along with a supervisor and a person responsible for procurement and monitoring supplies.
The menu was always attributed to the chef, allowing for easy rearrangement of dishes and accountability in case of any issues. The royal recipes were essentially refined versions of meals beloved by commoners.
The emperor’s diet primarily consisted of pork, lamb, fish, and green vegetables. Menus were proposed in advance for each meal and submitted to the head of the kitchen for approval. Each menu had to be documented.
What Happens to the Emperor’s Leftovers?
The Qing dynasty was the last imperial dynasty of China and had the most stringent standards imposed on the emperor. This is understandable, as no emperor wanted to live a lifestyle inferior to that of their predecessor.
The Qing emperors followed clear regulations during meals, with each meal containing over 120 dishes. The preparation methods were highly demanding, requiring three essential elements: color, aroma, and flavor. Regardless of the complicated cooking process, the presentation of the dishes before the emperor had to be meticulous in every detail.
Of course, some emperors felt that this way of dining was wasteful. Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong reduced the number of dishes at their meals to 64 and 48, respectively. However, this number was still considerable, and compared to the highest-ranking emperors, it was seen as a form of frugality.
The emperor usually did not finish all 120 dishes, with many left untouched. Each dish might only be sampled with three bites. Nevertheless, the variety of dishes at each meal had to be maintained.
Even if the emperor’s leftover delicacies reached the palace maids and eunuchs, most of them would not consume these dishes but use them for other purposes. (Illustrative image)
Future generations often wonder: Each meal of the emperors in ancient times included exquisitely selected and prepared dishes, yet each dish was only sampled a few times. What happened to the considerable amount of leftover food after each meal?
In reality, these leftovers were rarely discarded, as the emperors valued frugality. According to Qulishi, the leftover food from each imperial meal was typically handled in two common ways.
First, it was gifted to concubines or officials.
The recipients of the exquisite dishes from the emperor’s table were primarily concubines or high-ranking officials. In ancient times, the items frequently bestowed by the emperor upon officials were primarily gold, silver, and jewels. However, in the eyes of these officials, such material wealth was often considered less valuable than a few dishes granted by the emperor.
This is because ancient Chinese believed that the highest etiquette in dining was inviting someone to eat at one’s home. Therefore, having the emperor present food to the officials was regarded as a great favor.
Second, it was consumed by palace maids and eunuchs.
Many emperors of ancient times were likely unaware of this very particular way of handling leftover food. In fact, if these dishes were not explicitly awarded to anyone, they became the target of competition among the palace maids and eunuchs.
However, these individuals did not compete for the delicacies to eat. Instead, they would secretly hide the emperor’s leftovers and quietly take them outside the palace to sell to larger taverns.
Since the emperor often only sampled a few bites and many dishes were nearly untouched, ordinary people could hardly discern these as leftovers. Moreover, the culinary skills of the palace chefs were unmatched. Therefore, these dishes were often sold outside at high prices.
Outside the Forbidden City, some taverns deliberately collected what was deemed “the emperor’s leftovers” and then studied how to recreate them, declaring them as dishes once enjoyed by the emperor. As a result, any connection to the emperor made these dishes seem like an incredible fortune to the common people. Thus, regardless of the price, many would scramble to buy them.
This indicates that what the emperor considered “the leftovers” became a key commodity in an ancient trade that thrived.
