Editor's note: This is a letter from Yin Zetian, a trainee of the "Telling Chinese Stories Well" training course at Shandong University Weihai Campus, sharing his thoughts on popular Chinese cuisine – Dezhou Braised Chicken.
If you order takeout in China, it is believed that when you open the ordering app, most of the food options are chicken-based. Regarding the topic of consuming chicken, Wang Zengqi, a famous Chinese writer once said that Chinese people are very good at eating chicken. When it comes to Americans eating chicken, it is mainly through methods like frying, grilling, and roasting. In comparison, Dezhou Braised Chicken is seen as a fascinating culinary experience in China.
Speaking of Texas, it is often associated with Texas Hold'em Poker and Texas fried chicken. However, Dezhou Braised Chicken does not originate from Texas but from the city of Dezhou in east China's Shandong Province. Dezhou is located on the edge of Shandong Province and braised chicken is considered one of the "three treasures" of Dezhou by the locals, with Dezhou Braised Chicken being the most recognized.