Tujia Three-Ingredient Pot 土家三下锅

Tujia Three-Ingredient Pot (土家三下锅) is a one-pot dish of Zhangjiajie (张家界) in Hunan. The government of Yongding District (永定区) in Zhangjiajie includes it among the district's foods and says that anyone who has been to Zhangjiajie knows it.

Where it comes from

The Yongding district government tells the origin as a legend set in the Jiajing reign (嘉靖) of the Ming dynasty. The court called up the troops of the native chieftains (土司) of western Hunan and Hubei to fight the Japanese pirates, and the order came just as the New Year arrived. So as not to delay the campaign, the chieftain ordered the New Year to be celebrated a day early, and cured pork, tofu and radish were boiled together in one pot. The meal was called "合菜" ("combined dish"), and the district government says it later developed into Tujia Three-Ingredient Pot.

How it is eaten

According to the district government, shops serving the pot are found at every step in Zhangjiajie city, and some specialise in one main ingredient: the district government mentions tofu shops, intestine shops and pork-tripe shops. Before the pot arrives, local pickled radish, fermented tofu (霉豆腐) and pickled greens are brought to the table as starters.