The 300-Year-Old Chinese New Year 9-Bowl Banquet (Sichuan 九大碗)

Hello hello! If you watched my latest YouTube video, you saw me spend two full days cooking one of the oldest feasts in Sichuan — the Nine Great Bowls (九大碗 Jiu Da Wan). This is not a regular dinner. This is the banquet my ancestors cooked in the mud fields three hundred years ago, and I am still making it today.

Let me tell you the story.

How It All Started

Over 300 years ago, during the Kangxi Emperor's reign in the Qing Dynasty, there was a massive migration called "Hu Guang Tian Si Chuan" (湖广填四川). Millions of people from Hunan and Guangdong moved into Sichuan. They arrived with nothing. They did not know anyone. So they helped each other. Today I help you plant rice, tomorrow you help me harvest.

And the host? The host would dig a stove right there in the dirt and cook one big meal to say thank you. This was called Tian Xi (田席), the Field Banquet. Everything was steamed in big bowls because you had to feed the whole village.

Later, as families did better, the banquet moved from the fields into the courtyard. They called it Ba Ba Yan (坝坝宴), the Open Air Feast. The bowls got bigger. The dishes got fancier. But it was always nine bowls.

Why Exactly 9 Bowls?

Not ten. Not eight. Nine. Because in Sichuan, if you serve the wrong number, you are insulting your guests.

Why not 10? In Sichuan dialect, ten (十 Shi) sounds like stone (石 Shi). Pigs eat from stone troughs. So if you serve ten bowls, you are basically telling your guests: you eat like a pig. Not a great message at a wedding.

Why not 8? In the old days, when a wealthy family threw a banquet, beggars would show up to offer congratulations. The host could not turn them away, so they would seat the beggars at a separate table and give them each a bowl of rice. Serving 8 bowls became the "Beggar's Banquet." You do not want your honored guests to feel like beggars.

So we stick with nine. Nine is the highest single digit. It means eternity, longevity, and the highest respect you can give.

The Rule: Pork Is King

When you look at the menu below, you will notice something — it is almost all pork. That is not an accident. Back then, one pig was everything a poor family had. When it was time to celebrate, every part of that pig was used. Belly became sweet and savory dishes. Leg was fried and steamed. Bones became soup. Nothing was wasted.

There was no beef at these banquets. Cows plowed the fields. You kill the cow, who is going to plant next year? But as families got richer, the table grew. Chicken joined because killing a chicken was the highest honor — you were giving up the eggs you traded for salt. Duck joined. Even soft-shell turtle showed up at the fancy tables.

For my modern family feast, I made two swaps. I used whole fish instead of turtle, because at Chinese New Year you need a fish with head and tail — Yu (鱼) sounds like surplus (余), so Nian Nian You Yu (年年有余) means surplus every year. And I added steamed beef with rice powder because my son is 12 and he is American and he wants beef. My ancestors, please forgive me.

The tradition changes. But the feeling stays the same. You sit down. You share the food. You share the year.

The 9-Bowl Menu

Click on any dish to get the full recipe. I wrote them all out so you can recreate this 300-year-old feast in your own kitchen.

1. [Steamed Pork Cake — 香碗 Xiang Wan (The Etiquette Bowl)] This is the Head Bowl. Nobody picks up their chopsticks until this one hits the table. Soft meat cake with a golden egg skin on top, layered over hidden treasures underneath.  

2. [Sweet Steamed Pork Belly — 夹沙肉 Jia Sha Rou]  Pork belly stuffed with red bean paste and steamed with sticky rice until the fat turns into glass. Yes, glass. You will understand when you try it.

3. [Savory Steamed Pork Belly — 蒸扣肉 Kou Rou] The savory king. Fried pork belly steamed for two hours over Ya Cai (pickled mustard sprouts). These two are soulmates.

4. [Crispy Fried Pork — 蒸酥肉 Su Rou] Every person from Sichuan has a memory of stealing these from grandma's wok. Fried first, then steamed in broth until the outside goes soft and drinks the soup.

5. [Steamed Beef with Rice Powder — 粉蒸牛肉 Fen Zheng Niu Rou] My modern addition. Spicy beef coated in homemade toasted rice powder, steamed over sweet potatoes. My son says the sweet potato at the bottom is better than the beef. He is not wrong.

6. [Steamed Whole Fish — 清蒸全鱼 Qing Zheng Yu]The lucky dish. Whole fish, head and tail, because you want surplus all year long. This foolproof steaming method is from my first cookbook, The Asian Market Cookbook. I want you to have the full set of recipes, so I am sharing it here — but if you love this kind of cooking, [the book has so much more][INSERT LINK].

7. [Steamed Chicken — 清蒸扣鸡 Kou Ji]  In old Sichuan, killing a chicken for your guest was the biggest honor. Pure chicken flavor, no fancy sauces. Just respect.

8. [Crispy Steamed Ribs — 蒸酥排骨 Su Pai Gu] Battered and fried ribs, then steamed until tender. The batter soaks up all the broth like a sponge.

9. [Eight Treasure Rice — 红糖八宝饭 Ba Bao Fan]The grand finale dessert. Sticky rice steamed with red sugar and dried fruits, then flipped upside down to show off all the treasures. This recipe is from my newest cookbook, Traditional Chinese Wellness Recipes. I am sharing it here so you can complete the full banquet — and if you want to learn how to cook for your health the Chinese way, [grab a copy here][INSERT LINK].