Lamb ribs lacquered with honey and fermented soybean, roasted until caramelized, then dusted with toasted Sichuan pepper and ginger. The festive dish par excellence of the Han, where the sweetness of honey meets the floral bite of huājiāo.

Why this dish? Even a frugal regent had to receive dignitaries and princes during grand audiences and calendar festivals. The zhì (炙), meat roasted over embers, was the prestige dish of Han banquets. It can be imagined on the table of the Northern Palace of Luoyang during an official reception — a controlled luxury, served in moderate quantities according to Deng Sui's taste.

Receiving princes and envoys from distant marches is a duty, not a pleasure: the audience table speaks for the empire. So I had the zhì prepared, these roasted ribs glazed with honey and fermented beans, but I made sure only a reasonable measure was presented — none of those mountains of meat that some emperors paraded. Sprinkle them with flower pepper before they leave the embers: the scent rises and announces the dish even before it is set down.

How it was made : Zhì (炙), direct roasting of skewered meat over fire, is attested from Chinese antiquity and appears among the noble dishes of Han banquets. Honey was already used for glazing, and Sichuan pepper (花椒), a native spice, was THE pungent condiment of China long before the arrival of the American chili in the 16th century. Mutton, the meat of the northern elites, suited imperial tables.

The contemporary twist : Present the ribs standing upright in a bundle, like a small bonfire, with a drizzle of warm honey and a final sprinkle of flower pepper at serving.

Sources : Françoise Sabban, « La diète parfaite d'un lettré retiré sous les Song », L'Homme, et travaux sur la cuisine chinoise ancienne · H. T. Huang, Science and Civilisation in China, vol. 6 part 5, Cambridge University Press, 2000 · 齊民要術 (Qímín Yàoshù), agronomic treatise of the 6th century compiling earlier techniques

Deng Sui · Charactorium