Beggar's Chicken (Jiao Hua Ji / 叫化鸡)
Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province — legend from Zhou Dynasty
Legendary Hangzhou dish of whole marinated chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and clay, then baked in a firepit or oven for 3–4 hours. The clay seals all moisture and fragrance inside, creating an extraordinary steaming-baking environment. Diners crack open the clay at table in a theatrical presentation. Origin story: a beggar who had no cooking equipment wrapped his stolen chicken in mud and buried it in embers.