Luoyang Water Banquet is a local dish unique to Luoyang, Henan. It is exquisitely selected, delicious and unique in flavor. It is known as the "Three Wonders of Luoyang" together with the Longmen Grottoes and the Luoyang Peony. In 2008, the Luoyang Water Banquet craftsmanship was selected into the second batch of China's national intangible cultural heritage protection list. Luoyang Water Banquet has 24 dishes, namely eight cold dishes, four large dishes and four table dishes. The serving procedure is: first put four meat dishes, four vegetarian dishes and eight cold dishes on the table, then four large dishes, each with two Chinese dishes, called "going to court with children". The fourth large dish is beetroot sweet soup, followed by the staple food, followed by four table dishes, and finally a "farewell soup". The 24 dishes are well-organized and not chaotic. Because every dish of Luoyang Water Banquet cannot be separated from soup, and the serving procedure is to eat one dish and change one, like flowing clouds and water, it is called Water Banquet. Another feature of Luoyang Water Banquet is that vegetarian dishes are made with meat. For example, the famous "Luoyang bird's nest" and "fake sea cucumber" in Luoyang Water Banquet are made of ordinary radish and vermicelli. After being cooked by the chefs, they are called delicious delicacies. Luoyang bird's nest is the first dish of Luoyang Water Banquet and the best dish in the water banquet. This dish is finely made, with a sour, spicy and fragrant taste, fresh and refreshing. Legend has it that during the Tang Dynasty, Wu Zetian grew a large radish weighing nearly 15,000 grams in the garden under the East Gate of Luoyang. The people believed that it was a sign of a good harvest, so they presented it to the empress. Wu Zetian was very pleased when she saw it and asked the imperial chef to cook it. Radish was originally just a civilian food, and the court chef had no experience in cooking radish, but under the imperial order, he finally made a radish soup with shredded radish and added delicacies from the mountains and the sea. Wu Zetian was very impressed after using it, and named it "fake bird's nest" because it had the flavor of bird's nest. Since then, this common folk dish has become a high-class dish overnight, and has become a banquet dish that the emperor, ministers, and common people compete to imitate. Because it can adapt to a variety of raw material configurations, it can be used with precious mountain and sea delicacies, as well as ordinary shredded meat, eggs, etc. It has a rich flavor and is very delicious. With the changes in history and the hard work of famous chefs of all generations, through innovation and development, the "fake bird's nest" has been perfected. Because it originated in Luoyang, it is called "Luoyang bird's nest". Luoyang bird's nest is also called "Peony bird's nest". In 1973, Comrade 1, then Prime Minister, accompanied Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau to visit Luoyang, and the people of Luoyang used a water banquet to entertain the Canadian Prime Minister. After the chefs made Luoyang bird's nest, they carefully carved a peony flower with a cake and placed it on the bird's nest. Premier Zhou looked at the blooming "peony flower" and said humorously: "Luoyang peony is the best in the world, and peony flowers can also be born in dishes!" Since then, Luoyang bird's nest has been renamed "Peony bird's nest". Luoyang Water Banquet began in the Tang Dynasty and has a history of more than a thousand years. It is one of the oldest famous banquets in China. The origin of the water banquet is in Luoyang, which is directly related to its geographical climate. Luoyang is surrounded by mountains and is located in a basin with little rain and dryness. In ancient times, the weather was cold and no fruits were produced, so soups were mostly used in folk meals. Today, Luoyang Water Banquet is divided into high, medium and low grades. Nowadays, high-end water banquets include sea cucumber banquets, shark fin banquets, and wide belly banquets; mid-range water banquets include chicken banquets, fish banquets, and meat banquets; low-end water banquets are public banquets, mainly meat, vermicelli, and vegetables. Because Luoyang Water Banquet has a unique flavor, delicious taste, salty, sweet, sour and spicy, and one dish has a different taste; from mountain delicacies to vermicelli and radish, a banquet can be made, which can meet the needs of consumers at different levels. Therefore, Luoyang Water Banquet has lasted for thousands of years and has been enduring. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)