◎Cao’s Donkey Meat

Jizhou Cao’s donkey meat originated at Xianyukou,Beijing in the Xianfeng Period of the Qing Dynasty,and was developed by Cao Jiangong,the third-generation successor.Cao Jiangong (1878-1962) was born in Xiaowangzhuang Village,Jizhou.Through experiments,he added several kinds of traditional Chinese medicine to remove the cold of donkey meat.The meat is soft and easily chewed,fat but not greasy,thin but not dried,mellow and tasty,and salty and delicious,and has nourishing effect on human body.Cao Jiangong successively settled at Yanjiawu Village and Qianhuying Village,and created the brand of “Heshun Donkey Meat” at Li Town,the wharf of Jizhou.In the mid-1930s,his second son,Cao Futang,and his third son,Cao Lihai,went to Tianjin and opened “Jizhou Rongxiang Cao’s Restaurant,” (commonly known as Jizhou Restaurant) to mainly sell Cao’s donkey meat,Jizhou stewed cakes and fried dishes.From the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s,Cao’s donkey meat (made by Cao Zhouxin,a son of Cao Futang) at Tianjin Zhongliyuan Restaurant was well-known in Tianjin,and frequently consumed by many people of the literary and art circles and social celebrities.(https://www.daowen.com)

In 1983,Cao’s donkey meat was rated as the Best Food at the Food Fair held in Tianjin and the trademark “Jizhou Cao’s Donkey Meat” was registered.In the 1980s,“Jizhou Cao’s Donkey Meat” was included in the Famous Food of Tianjin,Dictionary of Chinese Famous Food and other books.