DongpoporkisatraditionalChinesedishthathasbeenenjoyedforcenturies.ItisapopulardishthatoriginatedinthecityofHangzhou,andisnamedafterthefamousSongDynastypoetSuShi,whowasalsoknownasSuDongpo.Thedishisalsosometimesreferredtoas“braisedporkbelly”orsimply“Dongpopork”.
ThemainingredientsofDongpoporkareporkbellyandsoysauce,alongwithotherflavoringssuchassugar,spicesandwine.Itisaslow-cookeddish,withtheporkbellybeingbraisedinasauceforseveralhoursuntilitistenderandflavorful.Thedishistypicallyservedwithsteamedbuns,andtherichsauceisusedasadipforthebuns.
DespiteitspopularityinChina,Dongpoporkisnotaswell-knownoutsideofthecountry.Therearemanyreasonsforthis,butoneofthemainfactorsisthedifficultyintranslatingthenameofthedishintoEnglish.“Dongpo”isaname,andassuchdoesnothaveadirectEnglishequivalent.Thismeansthatthedishisoftenlistedonmenusas“braisedporkbelly”or“Dongpo-stylepork”,whichcanbeconfusingforthosewhoareunfamiliarwithit.
Inrecentyears,therehavebeenattemptstogiveDongpoporkamorerecognizableEnglishname.Somerestaurantshaveevengonesofarastorenamethedishentirely,withnamessuchas“Hangzhou-stylepork”or“SuDongpo’sbraisedpork”beingused.Thesenamesaremoredescriptiveandmakeiteasierfornon-Chinesespeakerstounderstandwhatthedishis.
However,regardlessofwhatitiscalled,DongpoporkremainsoneofChina’smostbeloveddishes,witharichhistoryandauniqueflavor.WhetheryouareinChinaorabroad,itisdefinitelyworthtryingifyouhavethechance.
