Zhongxin. com, Sichuan News, January 24th (Reporter He Yuqing) The reporter learned from the Sichuan Historical Society’s Sichuan Oral History Committee on the 24th that Dong Jidu, a master chef of China, former head chef of Jingchengyuan Restaurant of Chengdu Catering Company and co-chairman of the Association’s professional committee, died in Chengdu at 18: 00 on January 23rd, 2023, at the age of 79.
This culinary master who wrote in the Annals of Sichuan Cuisine is not only proficient in Sichuan cuisine, but also bypasses western food and western pastry technology. His representative dishes include poached squid, dried fish wings, preserved chrysanthemum abalone, dried deer tendon, pigeon eggs with hoof swallows, and young chicken tofu pudding.
Dong Jidu went to Chengdu Yaohua Western Food Department as an apprentice in 1961, and studied in Yulong Restaurant Chef Training Class in 1964, under the guidance of famous chef Xie Shaoyun. Later, I worked as a chef in Rong Paradise and Yaohua Restaurant. In 1979, he was admitted to Chengdu Senior Chef Training Course. After graduation in 1981, he was assigned to work in Jingchengyuan as a chef, and studied under the famous teacher Liu Duyun. During this period, he went to Jingchengyuan Restaurant in New Jersey, USA as a chef for two years in 1983. After returning to China, he also served as a professional teacher of Sichuan cuisine training class of the city catering company, and participated in the compilation of several Sichuan cuisine cooking textbooks. He has participated in the evaluation of Chengdu chefs’ titles for many times and was awarded the title of Chinese Senior Cooker Appraiser.
In recent years, many Sichuan cuisine masters who witnessed the development history of Sichuan cuisine have passed away one after another. In order to carry out the rescue excavation of Sichuan cuisine culture and promote Sichuan cuisine to the world better, the Sichuan Historical Society’s Sichuan Oral History Committee was established in November 2022. Dong Jidu is also one of the co-chairs of the Sichuan Historical Society’s Sichuan Oral History Committee.
In an interview with Dong Jidu recorded by the Special Committee on Oral History of Sichuan Cuisine of Sichuan Historical Society, this Sichuan cuisine master once revealed "the secret of learning to cook Sichuan cuisine"-"If you want to learn technology, go to the place where the old masters drink morning tea".
Dong Jidu recalled that there was a Caotangzi tea shop in Dajin Street, Chengdu, where masters such as Liu Duyun, Zhang Songyun, Ceng Guohua and Mao Qicheng loved to drink tea. He used to go to the tea shop with Wang Kaifa and Li Defu in the morning to have tea with the grandfathers, and listen to their dragon gate array of Sichuan cuisine. At that time, Zhang Songyun had a sentence that impressed Dong Jidu-"In any case, we should make the best use of our raw materials and not waste them".
In 1983, 39-year-old Dong Jidu was sent to Jingchengyuan, New Jersey, USA as a chef. At that time, Wang Development was also working as a chef in the American Paradise. On vacation, Dong Jidu hitchhiked to Rongyuan to discuss cooking with Wang Kaifa, and they often discussed it late into the night.
"The departure of Master Dong Jidu makes us feel that the oral history of Sichuan cuisine is imminent, and it is necessary to race against time to record and preserve the cooking essence of more Sichuan cuisine masters in time." Li Zuomin, Secretary-General of the Special Committee on Oral History of Sichuan Cuisine, said that Dong Jidu was very supportive of oral history before his death, and donated the Sichuan Cuisine books and used Sichuan Cuisine utensils he participated in, leaving his mark on the development history of Sichuan Cuisine. (End)
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