Liáng Family Spare Ribs

Step into the ancient city of Zhengding and try the Liáng Family Spare Ribs, with a mysterious recipe passed down for over a hundred years.

• Name
  Liáng Family Spare Ribs
• Category
  Specialty Cuisine
• Origin
  Hebei Province – Shijiazhuang City – Zhengding County

Step into the ancient city of Zhengding and try the Liáng Family Spare Ribs, with a mysterious recipe passed down for over a hundred years – this is a must-do for many tourists. Legend has it that Liang Menglong, a statesman and military strategist from the Ming Dynasty, was dismissed from his post in his old age and returned to his hometown of Zhengding. Friends from other regions would often visit him, and each time, there would be a dish everyone particularly loved on the table: spare ribs. After hundreds of years of inheritance, today, the Liáng Family Spare Ribs preparation techniques have branched out into health-focused large spares, secret small spares, and health-focused bone sticks. The Liáng Family Spare Ribs, with their delicious meat and soup, unique flavor, and perfect balance of lean and fat, neither dry nor greasy, have become a signature dish of Zhengding.

The Liáng Family Spare Ribs preparation techniques were included in the eighth batch of protected intangible cultural heritage list of Shijiazhuang City in 2020. According to records in the “Liang Clan Genealogy,” Liang Menglong, a statesman and military strategist of the Ming Dynasty, retired to his home in Zhending in his later years, immersing himself in the study of Taoist principles. He created the “Elder's Menu” for the purpose of self-cultivation. The “Elder's Menu” dates back more than 400 years, with most of its dishes lost to history; only the spare ribs recipe was preserved intact by successive generations of the Liang family. The lineage of the recipe can be traced back five generations, with unclear origins prior to that. The fourth-generation inheritor, Liang Lixin, founded the Zhengding Liáng Family Spare Ribs restaurant, strictly adhering to the ancestral teaching of “technique born from emotion, bones for health.” His spare ribs became well-known in the surrounding areas, earning the name “Liáng Family Spare Ribs.” The preparation techniques involve using pork large spares, small spares, and bone sticks as the main ingredients, prepared with a family-secret recipe, and processed through 16 steps including cutting, marinating, and stewing.

This project has been passed down for a long time and has existed within the family for over 400 years, preserving the ancient methods of preparing spare ribs quite completely. It reflects the dietary habits of people in ancient Zhengding and serves as a living carrier of Zhengding's customs and traditions, holding significant research and preservation value.

The Liáng Family Spare Ribs preparation techniques offer three varieties: health-focused large spares, secret small spares, and health-focused bone sticks. The meat is fragrant and the broth delicious, with a unique flavor. They have always been loved by the locals in Zhengding. When guests come to their homes, the hosts will invite them to taste this local delicacy at Liáng Family Spare Ribs. Due to its health benefits and suitability for all ages, its influence extends to surrounding counties and cities, the provincial capital Shijiazhuang, and even further afield, drawing many diners who come specifically to try it.