Xuanmiao Temple diet

Xuanmiao Temple diet

Xuanmiao Temple in Nanyang is a Daoism temple that was built up in the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1371). It has been one of the most famous temples since the Qing Dynasty and into the Republic of China. It is as famous as Baiyun Temple in Beijing, Changqing Temple in Shanxi, and Baxian Temple in Xi’an. The four temples are considered as the most sacred in Daoism.

According to Daoism, Taoists follow a vegetarian diet. They usually invite local celebrities to visit the temple on important festivals or when the flowers in the temple are in full bloom. On these occasions, vegetable dishes are cooked with special skills. The raw ingredients for these dishes come from all over the whole country. They are then carefully stewed, fried, braised, or steamed so that the dish could be pleasing, tasty and fragrant. With innovative cooks, Taoists and dinners of Xuanmiao Temple for generations have enjoyed the finest in vegetarian dishes.  With the creative cooking skills, more and more famous dishes have been added. Yin Deming, a cook at Xuanmiao Temple, who works in Nanyang Restaurant now, studied and collected 55 recipes of the Xuanmiao Temple Diet. In 1984, the recipes were televised on Beijing TV to the national audience. These dishes are regarded as some of the most famous traditional recipes from the Henan Cooking Association.