Hu Shi’s Yipin Guo is a beloved classic of Huizhou Cuisine, mixing the coziness of home cooking with the elegance of scholarly tradition. It’s not fancy to look at, but its layered ingredients and rich flavors reflect the wisdom of Huizhou’s mountain communities and the deep homesickness for country and family felt by the renowned modern scholar Hu Shi. Born in rural kitchens, it gained fame through literary influence and has become a proud symbol of Huizhou’s culinary culture. With every bite, you taste the harmony of simple ingredients; with every layer, you feel the weight of history. In the rising steam, you’ll truly grasp the warmth and affection of Huizhou.

The charm of Hu Shi’s Yipin Guo comes from its deep history and cultural roots. It started as a local dish called Lingbei Yipin Guo, or Jixi Pot, from Lingbei in Jixi County, Anhui Province. Back in ancient times, Huizhou’s mountainous landscape made it fairly isolated, and people lived modestly. When guests came, families would gather all their available ingredients, layer them in an iron pot, and simmer them slowly. This practical yet generous way of cooking perfectly captured the Huizhou people’s frugality and warmth as hosts.

What transformed this humble home-style dish into a national and even international favorite was Hu Shi—a renowned scholar and former president of Peking University, born in Jixi. He was deeply fond of Yipin Guo all his life, finding comfort in its familiar, homey flavor. Even while living in the United States, he often cooked it himself for distinguished guests, proudly saying: “This is an authentic Chinese dish, a Huizhou dish, a Jixi dish, a dish from my hometown.” Even U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt tasted it. To honor Hu Shi’s role in popularizing the dish, it was officially named Hu Shi’s Yipin Guo, forever linking it to scholarly spirit and making it a cultural icon of Huizhou Cuisine.

An authentic Hu Shi’s Yipin Guo follows two key rules: layer the ingredients carefully and simmer them low and slow. Every ingredient and its placement is intentional. All ingredients are locally sourced, with a perfect balance of meat and vegetables—truly a gift from Huizhou’s mountains.

The bottom layer is made up of long-simmering vegetables: radishes, greens, fresh bamboo shoots, and dried long beans. They absorb oil and umami from the layers above, prevent sticking, and create a fresh, sweet base. Local winter bamboo shoots from Jixi are a must—crisp, tender, and not easily overcooked—reflecting the Huizhou tradition that “no feast is complete without bamboo shoots.”

The middle layer is the flavor heart of the dish: pork belly, free-range chicken and duck, ham, and fried tofu. These ingredients are pre-seared or blanched to cut down on grease, releasing their rich, savory flavor into the broth.

The top layer features egg dumplings, tofu puffs, and meatballs—beautifully arranged to add texture and symbolize fulfillment and happiness.

The key to making this dish well is patience and a steady hand. It’s cooked in a special earthen or iron pot. After layering the ingredients, add ham-bone broth and mild Huizhou seasonings: ginger, star anise, and rice wine for aroma. No garlic is added, so the natural flavors of the ingredients can shine through. Simmer it gently for hours, keeping the broth at a slow boil, so the flavors blend perfectly. When it’s done, golden egg dumplings, red ham, green vegetables, brown mushrooms, and white bamboo shoots create a striking, colorful display.

You eat it from top to bottom—a tradition that symbolizes steady progress in life. Start with the tender egg dumplings, juicy and soaked in broth. Next, the pork belly: soft, rich, and never greasy, with every bite infused with deep flavor. Then the chicken or duck—tender, savory, and bursting with umami. Finally, the bottom vegetables: radishes sweet and soft, dried beans chewy, and bamboo shoots crisp—all balanced and refreshing. The thick, savory, slightly spicy broth is perfect over rice or bread, and every spoonful is unforgettable.

One iron pot holds a thousand years of Huizhou’s home-cooked warmth; one delicious dish carries a scholar’s homesickness across thousands of miles. The beauty of Hu Shi’s Yipin Guo isn’t in fancy ingredients, but in how perfectly the simple ingredients blend together; it isn’t in complicated techniques, but in genuine craftsmanship. Beyond the tender meat, rich broth, and fresh vegetables, you’ll taste Huizhou’s hospitality, folk wisdom, and Hu Shi’s deep love for his country. It’s a treasure of Huizhou Cuisine, a carrier of culture, and the very taste of reunion deep in the Chinese soul. After a century, it still steams warmly, its aroma spreading far and wide.