Remarkably, Xinjiang Big Plate Chicken, a dish born from the roadside eateries of Shawan in Xinjiang, now boasts nearly four times as many restaurants in Henan as in its place of origin, accounting for 35.3% of the national total. It has long been integrated into the cuisine of Henan.

Henan's ability to "adopt" Big Plate Chicken as one of its own dishes is inseparable from the deep-rooted inclusivity ingrained in the cuisine of the Central Plains. Located in the heart of China, Henan is a place where the sweet of the south, the salty of the north, the spicy of the east, and the sour of the west converge. Coinciding with the journeys of numerous Henan people traveling back and forth to Xinjiang, the cooking methods of Big Plate Chicken were brought back to their homeland, allowing this hearty Northwestern dish to meet its most appreciative audience—the tastes of Henan locals.

The adaptation of Big Plate Chicken by Henan people is full of down-to-earth ingenuity. The original Xinjiang recipe, heavy on oil and spice, is no longer strictly followed. Instead, the spiciness and numbing sensation are reduced, while a richer savory and sauce-forward flavor is developed to suit the milder palate of the Central Plains. Local favorite ingredients like sweet potato vermicelli, tofu skin, and quail eggs are added to the dish, making it more substantial. The chicken is also swapped for the more readily available and tender three-yellow chicken, aligning with local ingredient supplies.

Most ingenious of all is the Henan-style way of eating, which pairs Big Plate Chicken with another Henan classic—Huimian (stewed noodles). The rich, flavorful chicken sauce coats the chewy Huimian noodles perfectly, an even better match for the carbohydrate preferences of Henan people than the belt noodles used in Xinjiang.

Nowadays, restaurants serving Big Plate Chicken are just as common as those selling Hu La Tang or Huimian on the streets of Henan. Families gather around the table to nibble on chicken and mix noodles, while friends chat over the savory sauce. This fusion dish embodies the culinary characteristics of both Xinjiang and the Central Plains.

Henan cuisine has never been about rigidly preserving old flavors; instead, it embraces delicious offerings from all directions with open arms, infusing them with local life to transform every introduced dish into a uniquely Henan-style, comforting, and genuine taste.

Web editors: Shen Jianqi, Li Siyao