Cixi at the table

At the Qing court, the Empress did not sit before "an appetizer, a main course, a dessert." She was presented with a vast spread of small dishes—tradition speaks of up to one hundred and eight dishes, many of which were there only for show and auspiciousness. Savory dishes (lacquered meats, dumplings, stews) sat alongside pastries (糕点, gāodiǎn), snacks inherited from the Manchu and Beijing streets, and medicinal brews. One tasted a little of everything, in small bites, as a sign of abundance rather than hunger.

Barley or millet malt syrup is the hallmark of the imperial Beijing table: brushed on duck, it gives that amber, crunchy, slightly sweet lacquer when cooked. Mild without being candied, it marries savory and sweet in almost all Northern court cuisine.