Another Sichuan Dish! Gua Yan Sui Du, Comparable to ``Steamed Chinese Cabbage in Supreme Soup''

“Steamed Chinese Cabbage in Supreme Soup” (Kai Shui Bai Cai) is a very classic Sichuan dish and a staple of state banquets. I have previously written a popular science introduction titled “Not seeking a hundred flavors of delicacies, but wishing for Steamed Chinese Cabbage in Supreme Soup” to introduce it.

There are many delicious things in the world, but what makes me remember “Steamed Chinese Cabbage in Supreme Soup” is its pursuit of ultimate refinement and its understated, restrained brilliance.

While browsing videos just now, I discovered another similar dish: Gua Yan Sui Du (Winter Melon “Bird’s Nest” and Ear-of-Grain Tripe). It is also a Sichuan dish—using the tender part of the pig tripe cut into the shape of wheat ears, and winter melon crafted to resemble the appearance of bird’s nest, combined with the same high-quality clear soup used in “Steamed Chinese Cabbage in Supreme Soup.”

In fact, just like “Steamed Chinese Cabbage in Supreme Soup,” the main effort of this dish lies in “clarifying the soup” (diao tang), which involves making the soup as clear as water. Once the soup has been clarified to look like plain water, more than half the work is done. The difference is that after the soup is finished, the cabbage dish is essentially complete with just a simple “pouring” process. However, Gua Yan Sui Du also tests one’s knife skills, as the winter melon and pig tripe must be processed into their respective shapes. From this perspective, Gua Yan Sui Du is even more complex.

Of course, it would be unfair to say that Gua Yan Sui Du is superior to “Steamed Chinese Cabbage in Supreme Soup” based on that alone. The cabbage dish brings a sense of unadorned, simple refinement, whereas Gua Yan Sui Du looks complex at first glance, perhaps lacking that extra layer of hidden depth.

Finally, here is a comparison photo:

Introduction video on iQIYI: