Kai Shui Bai Cai (Sichuan Supreme Clear Broth with Cabbage)
It looks just like hot water and Chinese cabbage!? The best soup of the Chinese State Guest Banquet
Description
The absolute pinnacle of Sichuan cuisine. An ultimate minimalist dish where a single cabbage heart floats in a soup as clear as plain hot water (Kai Shui). This broth is brewed for days from old hens and Jinhua ham, then meticulously filtered using minced meat. Every drop is a crystallization of umami.
Restaurants serving Kai Shui Bai Cai (Sichuan Supreme Clear Broth with Cabbage)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Napa cabbage heart
- Old hen
- Duck
- Jinhua ham
- Pork
- Dried scallops
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Place old hen, duck, lean pork, and Jinhua ham in a giant pot. Simmer on extreme low heat without boiling for a full
- hours to create a golden premium broth.
- Cool the broth slightly, pour in the pork/chicken slurry, and heat gently. As the meat coagulates, it acts as a magnet, absorbing every microscopic impurity. Skim it off completely.
- Repeat the process to filter out every last drop of cloudiness. The result is a 'Qing Tang' that tastes rich but looks like 'plain hot water'.
- Carve out only the most tender heart of a Napa cabbage. Blanch briefly.
- Place in a bowl and gently pour the boiling Kai Shui over it.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
The 'invisible' yet intense umami woven by Jinhua ham and dried scallops
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Boil Napa cabbage heart in premium Japanese consomme
Pairing
Premium Baijiu(Moutai)
Trivia
[Trivia] Legend says a Sichuan imperial chef invented this to silence officials who mocked Sichuan food as just spicy peasant food. Today, it retains the highest prestige, invariably served at Chinese State Banquets to entertain global dignitaries.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Sip the transparent 'plain hot water' with a spoon. The instant it hits your tongue, the massive gap between your visual expectation and the violent umami causes your brain to glitch in sheer awe. The cabbage acts purely as the ultimate sponge to absorb this premium broth.
Allergen
Poultry, Pork, Seafood