The traditional production techniques of Fenglezhai Ma Er Roast Chicken originated in the Ming Dynasty. The Ma family's roast chicken has been passed down from the early Ming Dynasty to the present day, operating continuously for over 600 years. The Ma Er Roast Chicken is characterized by its perfect shape and color, exquisite aroma, tender meat and brittle bones, rich and refreshing taste, unforgettable aftertaste, elegant flavor, and nourishing benefits for the complexion, making it a complete package in terms of appearance, color, aroma, taste, and nourishment.
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NameMa Er Roast Chicken
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CategorySpecialty Cuisine
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OriginTianjin – Ninghe District
Fenglezhai Ma Er Roast Chicken, also known as the “Governor's Chicken,” is a traditional specialty food exclusively produced by the Muslim Ma family. This product originated in the Ming Dynasty, flourished in the Qing Dynasty, was passed down through the Republican era, and thrived in modern times. Over six centuries, it has been passed down through more than twenty generations of Ma family artisans and is now a well-renowned local delicacy across China.
During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, the Islamic Ma family migrated from Shandong to settle in Fengtai Town, Ninghe. The first ancestor of the Ma family started a business cooking roast chicken. Due to the meticulous preparation and unique flavor of the Ma family's roast chicken, it quickly became a must-have delicacy at restaurants and taverns within a hundred miles.
In the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, the Ma family's roast chicken caught the attention of Liu Zhaoqi and his son Liu Dianheng, both prominent officials from Fengtai who served as governors of Huguang Province. Later, a chef from the Ma family was recruited to work in the Liu family kitchen, becoming the exclusive chef for the governor's household. As a result, locals bestowed the Ma family's roast chicken with the honorific title of “Governor's Chicken,” and the Ma family became renowned as masters of roast chicken.
In the 1980s, Ma Zhenhai, the main inheritor of the Ma family's roast chicken tradition, carefully summarized the experiences of his ancestors and conducted extensive trials, boldly improving the recipe. He eventually developed a new technique for making roast chicken, systematizing and perfecting the production process. A new generation of five-spice secret recipe roast chicken emerged.
The characteristics of the new Ma family roast chicken are: perfect shape and color, exquisite aroma, tender meat and brittle bones, rich and elegant flavor, and nourishing benefits for the complexion. It is truly a complete package in terms of color, aroma, taste, appearance, and nourishment.
The production of Ma Er Roast Chicken is extremely meticulous, involving over a dozen steps. The main ingredient is high-quality young free-range chickens, which are guaranteed to be freshly slaughtered. For shaping, the legs are tucked close to the body, the claws folded into the cavity, the right wing crossed through the neck and beak, and the left wing tip tucked between the ribs, giving the chicken a side-lying pose resembling a duck swimming, which is both beautiful and elegant. After shaping, the whole chicken is first simmered in aged broth, allowing the medicinal flavors to penetrate thoroughly. Originally, the primary ingredients in the broth were only Sichuan pepper, star anise, scallions, ginger, garlic, etc., but after Ma Zhenhai's improvements, there are now more than twenty ingredients. Once cooked, the chickens are then placed in a large steamer and smoked, ensuring that the flavors are perfectly balanced and the texture is just right. After steaming and smoking, the chickens have a yellowish-red hue, pleasing but not overly bright, and are cooked to perfection without being overdone. To retain moisture and prevent the flavors from evaporating, the chickens are finally brushed with a layer of sesame oil, making their color even more golden and lustrous, tender and enticing.
In 2012, “Fenglezhai Ma Er Roast Chicken” won the gold medal at the Beijing China Original Ecology Dish Innovation Performance Competition, and Master Ma Zhenhai received the title of China Original Ecology Culinary Master. In May 2014, “Fenglezhai Ma Er Roast Chicken” was listed in the third batch of county-level intangible cultural heritage by the Ninghe County government. Media outlets such as Tianjin Television, Phoenix TV's Tianjin station, and Ninghe Television have all provided promotional coverage.
The traditional Ma family roast chicken is a five-spice deboned chicken. The primary ingredients in the simmering broth include scallions, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, white peony root, sand ginger, galangal, angelica, cassia bark, cardamom, star anise, tangerine peel, and more than twenty other spices.
The main characteristics of the Ma family's roast chicken are: perfect shape and color, exquisite aroma, tender meat and brittle bones, rich and elegant flavor, and nourishing benefits for the complexion, making it a complete package in terms of appearance, color, aroma, taste, and nourishment.