Satisfy My Hunger Without a Care for Others

This book approaches the daily life of Su Dongpo from five perspectives： artistic achievements， dietary health， friendship and social interactions， family life， and travel experiences. It portrays Su Dongpo’s daily life and explores the hidden personal charm and humanistic world behind it. By depicting small events against the backdrop of significant historical events， it can be regarded as a unique and distinctive “unofficial biography” of Su Dongpo.

Su Dongpo’s optimistic attitude toward life is particularly evident in his approach to food.

Scholars and literati often have sensitive tongues to discover extraordinary flavors in ordinary dishes. When Confucius accepted disciples， it was preferable if they brought a few pieces of preserved meat as tuition fees. “Eat no rice but is of the finest quality， nor meat but is finely minced，” was his advocacy of eating. The great talent Jin Shengtan was on the verge of being executed and whispered a secret eating technique to his son， where chewing peanuts and dried tofu together tasted like ham. Su Dongpo’s approach to satisfying his culinary desires seems more down-to-earth， exuding warmth and humanity.

Su Dongpo once discussed a delicious dish called “san bai fan”

（三白飯， three white meal） with his good friend Liu Gongfu. It was a dish he frequently ate during his childhood， with an incomparable taste. Typically， he could easily devour three large bowls of rice in one sitting. Intrigued， Liu Gongfu repeatedly inquired about the dish， and Su Dongpo had no choice but to reveal the secret： white rice， a small dish of fine salt， and a bowl of white radish strips. Upon hearing this， Liu Gongfu almost burst out laughing， but managed to hold it in and asked， \"Is it really that delicious？\" Su Dongpo nodded without a doubt.

After some time， Liu Gongfu invited Su Dongpo to try “xiao fan” （皛飯）. Su Dongpo， being a seasoned connoisseur， had never heard of “xiao fan” but was curious and couldn’t wait to try it. Liu Gongfu led him to the dining room， where the meal was ready and covered with a bowl. After Su Dongpo sat down， Liu Gongfu uncovered the bowl， and Su Dongpo looked at the dish in surprise. He couldn’t help but laugh and immediately began to enjoy the meal. What is xiao fan？ The character “皛，” composed of three bai （白， white）， means “three white.” Liu Gongfu played a word game using Su Dongpo's story.

Su Dongpo savored the meal with great relish. It seems that he wasn't picky about food during his childhood， and even the three white meal was considered a delicacy. As he grew older， he developed a profound understanding of the essence of taste， finding wonders in the ordinary and appreciating both the common and the refined. He relished the taste of humble ingredients and truly appreciated the flavors of life.

During his tenure as a magistrate in Fengxiang， Su Dongpo sought refuge from the summer heat at Donghu. In the summertime， people often have poor appetites and don’t feel like eating. Su Dongpo instructed people to grind lentils， mung beans， and other ingredients into powder， boil them into a paste， and pour it into stone containers. After it cooled down， he cut it into strips and seasoned it with salt， vinegar， and chilis for a refreshing cold dish. It turned out to be truly appetizing， and that’s how “l(fā)iangfen”（mung bean jelly noodles） came into being.

When Su Dongpo was demoted to Huangzhou， he had little salary. He lived by farming in the fields near Dongpo and became self-sufficient. The limited money he had for expenses was tied in strings hanging from the roof beams so that he couldn’t afford expensive dishes.

Usually， Su Dongpo kept himself busy in the fields. The earth rewards a diligent worker. With work and food to eat， he had a purpose in life. When he had free time， he would chat with farmers in the fields， discuss Zen with monks in mountain temples， or drink and sing with friends. He rarely went to the market unless he needed to buy seeds or agricultural tools， which he had to do himself. When he saw the butcher’s meat stall， with business being slow， he thought that perhaps ordinary people couldn’t afford it， and if it were cheaper， more people would buy it. He approached and asked about the price of pork， only to be surprised that it was very cheap. Feeling like he had stumbled upon a treasure， he quickly bought several pounds of pork.

Su Dongpo had his own way of cooking pork. When he served as the governor of Xuzhou， he led the people of Pengcheng in building flood defenses to protect the city， earning their love and admiration. After the successful flood prevention， the people slaughtered pigs and sent pork to his home to express their gratitude. Su Dongpo couldn't refuse their gesture and accepted the pork. He personally guided his family in cooking hong shao rou （red-braised pork） to give back to the people. The hong shao rou he prepared was fatty but not greasy， lean but not dry， and had a delicious and fragrant taste. People called it huizeng rou （gift pork）. This dish can also be considered the precursor to Dongpo pork.

When Su Dongpo bought the pork， he washed it， cut it into pieces， placed it in a pot， added appropriate water and seasonings， and cooked it on high heat until it was well-done， then simmered it on low heat until it was tender and fragrant， making one’s mouth water.

Su Dongpo expressed his experience of cooking pork in a humorous and witty poem called Zhu Rou Song （Ode to Pork）： “Scour the pot till it gleams， add a scant amount of water， kindle the flames with seasoned wood and wild grass， taming the fire’s vigor. Let it simmer and stew， undisturbed， until it succumbs to its own tenderness. When the perfect moment arrives， it will yield a taste beyond comparison. In Huangzhou there is pork so exquisite， yet priced as humble as the earth. The wealthy refuse to eat it， and the poor don’t know how to cook it. At daybreak， I prepare two bowls for myself， satisfying my hunger without a care for others.” Mr. Dongpo's self-satisfied image comes to life in his poem.

Some have analyzed this Ode to Pork， asserting that it embodies Su Dongpo’s philosophical musings on life. It is an interpretation based on their own understanding， and it would not be fair to deem it incorrect. However， Su Dongpo may not have intentionally done so. It was probably an unintentional incorporation of his insights into life and existence into the poem. The pork is no longer just pork; it becomes Dongpo， and Dongpo is no longer just Dongpo; it becomes the meat in the bowl. Hence， it is called Dongpo pork.

Su Dongpo openly shared his secret recipe for cooking pork with everyone， and it was estimated that the price of pork in Huangzhou would increase. Those who were reluctant to eat pork may want to give it a try， and those who didn’t know how to cook it will likely follow his method. It’s better to enjoy together than alone， so if pork became more expensive， Su would just accept it.

Dongpo pork gained popularity in Huangzhou， but after all， Huangzhou was a remote place with limited influence and poor information dissemination. The real surge in popularity for Dongpo pork came years later when Su Dongpo served as the Governor of Hangzhou.

During his tenure， he focused on the welfare of the people. In Hangzhou， Su Dongpo turned his attention to improving the livelihood of its residents. He dredged West Lake， built Su Causeway， and allocated portions of the lake for free to the common people to grow water chestnuts and lotus roots. He also dug numerous water wells throughout the city， addressing the water scarcity issue faced by the locals. These efforts endeared him to the people of Hangzhou. Just like the people in Xuzhou years ago， the residents of Hangzhou knew that Su Dongpo enjoyed eating red-braised pork and started sending pork to the residence of Governor Su as a gesture of appreciation. Similar to the past， he made the pork into Dongpo pork and distributed it to everyone. Hangzhou， with its superior geographical location， cultural atmosphere， and developed economy， far surpassed Huangzhou. The reputation of Dongpo pork， which was fatty but not greasy， lean but not dry， spread far and wide， becoming known throughout the country.

Nowadays， Dongpo pork is enjoyed worldwide， not only by the Chinese but also by people from various countries. With the advancement of time， new cooking techniques have been incorporated into Dongpo pork. Preserving the essence while adapting to changes， Dongpo pork continues to nourish generation after generation.

From Dongpo pork， another delicacy， Dongpo pork knuckle， emerged. The soup of Dongpo pork knuckle is milky white， while the garden peas are pure white. The pork knuckle is tender and delectable， with a perfect balance of fat and lean meat， offering an exquisite combination of color， aroma， taste， and texture. Legend has it that Su Dongpo once passed through the Yongxiu area in Jiangxi Province. He encountered a young boy who had suffered from heatstroke and was in a critical condition. The boy’s father， a farmer， was distraught and didn’t know what to do. Dongpo comforted the farmer while attending to the child， eventually saving him from danger. Grateful for his help， the farmer invited him to have a meal with them. During the meal， Dongpo recited a line of poetry： “The fragrance of pearl-like grains permeates the heart.” The farmer， who was cooking at the stove， misunderstood Dongpo’s intention and thought he was teaching him how to cook the pork knuckles. He misinterpreted the line as “cooking the knuckle with grain until it becomes fragrant.” But this legend seems far-fetched. Anyway， it makes some sense that dongpo pork knuckle is given the name from the method of cooking the pork knuckle in the style of Dongpo pork. In any case， both dishes carry the prestige of the Dongpo label.

In Su Dongpo’s eyes， there was probably no food that was not delicious. All ingredients could be consumed， and the concept of deliciousness lies in the taste buds’ perception. Sour， sweet， bitter， spicy， and salty flavors that satisfy the palate are all considered delicacies. The key lies in how to make good use of the ingredients， discovering their strengths， understanding their weaknesses， capitalizing on advantages， mitigating shortcomings， or exploring different cooking methods.

Barley， with its husk removed， is commonly known as barley kernel. Cooking rice with barley kernels might sound appetizing， but in reality it falls short. Even when thoroughly cooked， barley kernels remain firm， with distinct grains that lack stickiness and become waxy and less fragrant when chewed. Su Dongpo， eager to make barley kernel rice more delicious， brainstormed and experimented with various ingredients to mix and cook together. With determination， Su Dongpo discovered that when cooked with red adzuki beans， the combination brought an exciting flavor to the taste buds. Perhaps it was the gentle nature of the adzuki beans that tamed the rebelliousness of the barley kernels. Adzuki beans withstand cooking， inadvertently intensifying the barley kernels’ ordeal. In the boiling water， the barley kernels gradually opened up， becoming round， tender， and infused with enticing aromas. This was Su Dongpo’s invention of er hong rice （two red rice）.

It was a way to find joy amidst hardship， creating a flavorful and interesting life within difficult conditions. Su Dongpo also invented a type of Dongpo soup. It was another product of his challenging life.

Firewood， rice， oil， and salt — firewood ranks first， signifying its importance in daily life. As the saying goes， “where there is firewood to burn， there is a meal to eat.” To save firewood， Su Dongpo invented Dongpo soup. Water is added to the pot along with vegetables， a suitable amount of oil， and seasonings. On top， a steamer containing rice is placed. As the fire burns， the vegetable soup becomes ready， and the rice is steamed to perfection. With vegetables， soup， and rice all in one pot， the meal is complete.

A few years ago， while enjoying seafood in a coastal city， I discovered a dish similar to Dongpo soup， where the chef probably drew inspiration from the cooking method of Dongpo soup. In a pot， a small amount of millet is placed along with water， and the seafood is placed on a strainer above it. The pot is covered， and the electric switch is turned on. The cooking time varies depending on the type of seafood and the amount of ingredients piled up. This steaming method produces seafood that is even fresher and retains its authentic flavors compared to boiling in water. The seafood juices that drip into the pot， combined with the millet， are simmered to create a seafood millet porridge， which tastes exceptionally delicious.

In the northern regions， there is a local dish called Yishanbangshui， which is also believed to be influenced by Dongpo soup. Typically， the dish consists of miscellaneous fish or a small rooster cooked in a large cast-iron pot with additional ingredients and broth. Along the rim of the pot， bread or corn cakes， or mixed grain cakes are placed. Once the fish or rooster is thoroughly stewed and the broth becomes rich， the cakes are cooked as well. One can enjoy the cakes along with the fish or chicken pieces， accompanied by the delectable fish or chicken broth. It is truly a delightful culinary experience！

When Su Dongpo was in Huangzhou， he often visited the temple to play chess with Master Jilian， seeking solace from his inner loneliness. One night， while playing chess with the master until late， he became hungry. The master asked a young monk to prepare some food. When the young monk went to the kitchen， he found only half a bowl of noodles that had clumped together. The young monk started a fire， added a little oil to the pot， and dumped the clump of noodles into it. Gradually， he began to doze off. When Su Dongpo went to the kitchen to get the food， he smelled a delightful aroma. He lifted the pot lid and saw the doughy noodles pan-fried to a golden brown. He used chopsticks to pick up a piece， took a bite， and experienced a fragrant， crispy texture that filled his mouth with flavor. The next morning， he went to the market in search of this type of pancake but couldn’t find it.

So， he decided to teach a pastry chef how to make it. From then on， a new pastry called Dongpo pancake emerged in the world. Today， Dongpo pancake is also a famous local delicacy in Hubei Province.

If Su Dongpo had not been someone who embraced life， he’d just eaten the pancake and forgotten about it， and there would be no such thing as Dongpo pancakes. It is not by chance that seemingly accidental things happen; they are all the result of purposeful actions.

Later， Su Dongpo was demoted to Huizhou in Lingnan， where the living conditions were even harsher. However， he lived leisurely and happily， grateful for the delicious lychees he could eat. “I eat three hundred lychees a day， and I don’t mind being a Lingnan resident forever.”

In Huizhou， they would only slaughter one sheep per day. Rarity equaled value， and even if you had money， you might not be able to buy it because all the sheep meat had already been bought by prominent figures in the city. Su Dongpo wanted to eat mutton， but he couldn’t afford it， nor was he qualified to buy it. So， he made a deal with the master who sold the mutton to keep the sheep’s back bones for him.

Su Dongpo roasted the sheep bones using his own method， picked off the meat strands from the bones， and extracted the bone marrow. After carefully picking and savoring for a long time， he could only accumulate a small amount. The process was slow， resembling the act of eating crab， and he enjoyed every moment of it， feeling overwhelmed by the deliciousness. He once wrote a letter to his younger brother Su Zhe to share this joy：

“The market of Huizhou， it’s not bustling， but they slaughter one sheep every day. I don’t dare to compete with the influential figures in buying mutton. So， occasionally， I instruct the butcher to keep the sheep’s back bones for me to purchase. There is a small amount of meat between the bones. After boiling the bones， I shave off the meat while it’s still hot， marinate it in wine， sprinkle a little salt， and grill it until slightly charred before eating. It always takes me a whole day to shave off the meat. Even then， I could only get a small amount from the joints between the bones. But I am still very delighted. I feel like I’m eating crab， indulging in it every few days， and I believe it nourishes the body. My dear brother， you have been eating meals from wealthy households for many years， where when you take a bite of the meat， your teeth can’t reach the bones. How would you know about this deliciousness？ I am sharing the method with you in this letter. Although it was meant as a joke， the method is feasible. However， if this eating method becomes popular， the dogs might not be happy.”

At the end of the letter， he couldn’t help but add a touch of humor. If his method of having sheep bones became popular among the common people and all the bones were gnawed on， the dogs probably wouldn’t be happy. Su Dongpo’s joy overwhelmed him， causing him to forget to write “hehe” at the end of this short note.

Su Dongpo can be considered a culinary inventor. When it came to food， he never adhered to conventional rules but instead utilized his poet’s imagination and dared to innovate.

Understanding Su Dongpo

Ma Hao

Guangxi Normal University Press

January 2023

68.00 （CNY）

Ma Hao

Ma Hao is the author of several collections， including Sand Between Fingers， Tasting Jiangsu， and Twenty-four Solar Terms Hidden in Poetry.