 | |
| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Fuzhou[1] |
| Region or state | Fujian,China |
| Main ingredients | Shark fin,quail eggs,bamboo shoots,scallops,sea cucumber,abalone,fish maw,chicken,Jinhua ham, porktendon,ginseng,mushrooms, andtaro |
| Variations | Shark fin soup |
| Buddha Jumps Over the Wall | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 佛跳牆 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 佛跳墙 | ||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese alphabet | Phật nhảy tường | ||||||||||||||||||
| Chữ Nôm | 佛趂牆 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Thai name | |||||||||||||||||||
| Thai | พระกระโดดกำแพง | ||||||||||||||||||
| Korean name | |||||||||||||||||||
| Hangul | 불도장 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hanja | 佛跳牆 | ||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| Japanese name | |||||||||||||||||||
| Kanji | 佛跳牆 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Kana | フッティエウツォン | ||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, also known asBuddha's Temptation orfotiaoqiang (Chinese:佛跳牆;pinyin:fótiàoqiáng;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:hu̍t-thiàu-chhiûⁿ), is a variety ofshark fin soup inFujian cuisine.[2][3] This dish has been regarded as aChinesedelicacy known for its rich taste,[2][4] and special manner of cooking.[2] The dish's name is an allusion to the dish's ability to entice thevegetarian Buddhist monks from their temples to partake in the meat-based dish, and implies that even the strictly vegetarianGautama Buddha would try to jump over a wall to sample it.[5] It is high inprotein andcalcium.[6] It is one of China's state banquet dishes.
Concerns over thesustainability andwelfare of sharks limited its consumption and led to various modified versions without the usage of shark fin as ingredient.[7][8]
Thesoup orstew consists of many ingredients, especially animal products, and requires one to two full days to prepare.[3] A typical recipe requires many ingredients includingquail eggs,bamboo shoots,scallops,sea cucumber,abalone,shark fin,fish maw,chicken,Jinhua ham, porktendon,ginseng,mushrooms andtaro.Huangjiu (yellow wine) is also an important element in the soup.[9] Some recipes require up to thirty main ingredients and twelvecondiments.[3][10]
Use of shark fin, which is sometimes harvested byshark finning, and abalone, which is implicated indestructive fishing practices, are controversial for both environmental and ethical reasons.[11][12]Imitation shark fin andfarmed abalone are available as alternatives.
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There are many different stories about the origin of the dish. A common one is about a scholar traveling on foot throughout Fujian. While he walked with his friends, the scholar preserved all his food for the journey in a clay jar used for holdingwine. Whenever he had a meal, he warmed up the jar with the ingredients over an open fire. Once they arrived inFuzhou, the capital ofFujian Province, the scholar started cooking the dish. The smells spread over to a nearbyBuddhist monastery where monks were meditating. Although monks are not allowed to eat meat, one of the monks, tempted, jumped over the wall. A poet among the travelers said that even Buddha would jump the wall to eat the delicious dish.[2][10]
Another origin is that the dish dates back to theQing Dynasty. It is said to be a recipe that was created by aFuzhou official who was trying to leave an impression on his superior Zhou Lian.[13] He put pork, chicken, duck, and seafood altogether and left it to simmer in an empty wine jar, which followed the recipe at the time that was known as "Full of Blessing and Longevity." The official at the home praised the dish for its aroma and flavor. He was so impressed that he went home and asked his personal chef Zheng Chunfa to learn the recipe. The chef adapted the recipe and made it better, and later opened a restaurant to serve it to his customers. One of the customers wrote a poem on the dish, saying evenBuddha would jump over the wall to have a taste, hence the name Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.[13][14] Another possible origin is that the phrase "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall" appears in a book from theSong dynasty. Many stories existed regarding the origin of the dish name.[13]
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InSouth Korea, the dish is known asbuldojang (the Koreanreading of the sameChinese characters). It was first introduced in 1987 by Hu Deok-juk (侯德竹), anethnic Chinese chef from Taiwan at the Chinese restaurant Palsun, located in theShilla Hotel inSeoul.[5][15] The dish played an important role in changing the mainstream ofChinese cuisine consumed in South Korea. However, in 1989, theJogye Order, the representative order of traditionalKorean Buddhism, strongly opposed the selling of the dish because the name is considered ablasphemy toBuddhism. Althoughbuldojang temporarily disappeared, the dispute ignited the spreading of rumors among the public, and the dish consequently gained popularity.[16][17] When PresidentMoon Jae-in visited China, it was served at the state dinner.
Kai Mayfair in London was dubbed "home of the world's most expensive soup" when it unveiled its £108 version of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall in 2005. The dish includes shark's fin, Japanese flower mushroom, sea cucumber, dried scallops, chicken, Hunan ham, pork, and ginseng.[12]
The dish has been served at many state banquets for decades, including those given in honor of the CambodianKing Sihanouk, USPresident Reagan, and UKQueen Elizabeth II.[18]
