道口烧鸡的概况　　
      
    道口烧鸡是河南省安阳市滑县道口镇“义兴张”世家烧鸡店所制，是我国著名的特产。由河南省民间文化杰出传承人、省特级烧鸡技师张中海先生的先祖张炳始创于清朝顺治十八年（1661年），至今已有近三百五十年的历史，开始制作不得法，生意并不兴隆，后从清宫御膳房的御厨那里求得制作烧鸡秘方，做出的鸡果然香美。道口烧鸡的制作技艺历代相传，形成自己的独特风格。1981年被商业部评为全国名特优产品。 道口烧鸡与北京烤鸭、金华火腿齐名，被誉为“天下第一鸡”。用多种名贵中药，辅之陈年老汤 ，其成品烧鸡色泽鲜艳，形如元宝，口衔瑞蚨。极具食疗和保健功能。豫北滑县道口镇，素有"烧鸡之乡"的称号。"义兴张"的道口烧鸡，象金华火腿、高邮鸭蛋、北京烤鸭一样，在全国食品中独占鳌头，并且誉满神州，名扬海外。
      
    道口烧鸡的由来
      
    豫北滑县道口镇，素称烧鸡之乡。美国一家餐厅的华人经理陆德，曾品尝过道口烧鸡，他赞美道口烧鸡肥而不腻，色鲜味美，食用勿需刀，用手一抖，骨肉自行分离。无论冷热，均余香满口。至今回味起来，犹垂涎三尺。
      
     道口烧鸡创始于清顺治十八年（公元1661年）距今已有三百多年的历史，据《浚县志》及《滑县志》记载，在开始的一百多年时间里，由于技术条件差，尚未具特色，生意并不兴隆。到乾隆五十二年（公元1787年）现在的烧鸡大师张中海的先祖张炳，偶遇清宫御膳房御厨老友刘义，他在道口镇大集街开了个小烧鸡店，因制作不得法，生意萧条。有一天一位曾在清宫御膳房当过御厨的老朋友来访，他身怀绝技。两人久别重逢，对饮畅谈。张炳向他求教，那朋友便告诉他一个秘方： “要想烧鸡香，八料加老汤。”八料就是陈皮、肉桂、豆蔻、良姜、丁香、砂仁、草果和白芷八种佐料；老汤就是煮鸡的陈汤。每煮一锅鸡，必须加上头锅的老汤，如此沿袭，越老越好。张炳如法炮制，做出的鸡果然香。从此，营业兴旺，张炳把他的烧鸡店定名为“义兴张”，寓意“友义兴张”。
      
    “义兴张”的牌子打出以后，张炳反复实践，在选鸡、宰杀、撑型、烹煮、用汤、火候等方面，摸索出一套经验。他选鸡严格，要选两年以内的嫩鸡，以保证鸡肉质量。挑来的鸡，要留一段候宰时间，让鸡消除紧张状态，恢复正常的生理机能，有利于杀鸡时充分放血，也不影响鸡的颜色。配料、烹煮是最关键的工序。将炸好的鸡放在锅里，对上老汤，配好佐料，用武火煮沸，再用文火慢煮。烧鸡的造型更是独具匠心，鸡体开剖后，用一段高粱秆把鸡撑开，形成两头尖尖的半圆形，别致美观。“义兴张”开业已近三百年了，张炳的烧鸡技术历代相传，始终保持独特的风味，其色、香、味、烂被称为“四绝”。
      
    自此以后，道口烧鸡便一代一代地传下来，既传家珍绝技，又传百年老汤。但在旧社会，由于官府繁重的苛税，地方豪强的盘剥，流氓无赖的敲诈，使道口烧鸡惨遭厄运。解放后，道口烧鸡才又重获新生，得到了发展。
      
    清嘉庆年间，一次嘉庆皇帝巡路过道口，忽闻奇香而振奋，问左右人道：“何物发出此香？”左右答道：“烧鸡”。随从将烧鸡献上，嘉庆尝后大喜说道：“色、香、味三绝”。从此以后，道口烧鸡成了清廷的贡品。张炳的世代子孙，继承和发展了祖先的精湛技艺，使“义兴店”烧鸡一直保持着他的独特风味。从七十年代以来，各国驻华使节和国外来宾吃了“道口烧鸡”，无不交口称赞。加拿大总理特鲁多、赞比亚总统卡翁达、丹麦首相等贵宾，品尝道口烧鸡后都赞叹不已。
      
    张中海的祖父张长贵（字和礼）先生，解放后，是省、县政协委员，我国著名烧鸡专家。党和政府对他的亲切关怀，人民给他的崇高荣誉，使这位饱经沧桑的老人感激涕零。1955年河南省政协会议上，他慷慨无私、毫不保留地公开了他家祖传三百余年的绝技秘方，受到了人民的热烈欢迎。此后，道口烧鸡不仅远销京、津、沪、宁，而且大批销往香港。
      
    道口烧鸡的特色
      
    人们喜爱道口烧鸡，是因为它香味浓郁、酥香软烂、咸淡适口、肥而不腻。这些特点说起来容易，但做起来就比较困难了。
      
    就拿香味浓郁这一点来说，道口烧鸡需要用陈皮、肉桂、豆营、白芷、丁香、草果、砂仁和良姜八味佐料，缺一不可。 酥香软烂是道口最受人欢迎的原因之一，光是煮鸡这一道程序，就需要花上3至5个小时，再加上火候的调整，制作技术要求很高。
      
    做好的烧鸡不需刀切，用手轻轻一抖，骨和鸡肉自动分离。不用说是饥肠辘辘之时，就是酒足饭饱之后，它也会令人馋涎欲滴。
      
    道口烧鸡具有五味佳、酥香软烂、咸淡适口、肥而不腻的特点。食用不需要刀切，用手一抖，骨肉即自行分离，无论凉热、食之均余。


 

Red-cooked Chicken Daokou Style

    Red-cooked Chicken Daokou Style is a famous specialty which is made by Yixingzhang chicken shop in Daokou town, Anyang, Henan province. It’s created by Zhang Bing, the ancestor of Zhang Zhonghai who is the inheritor of Henan’s folk culture and provincial roast chicken cook, in as early as 18th year of Shunzhi period of Qing Dynasty, dating back nearly 350 years ago. Zhang made roast chickens not very well in the beginning until he got a secret recipe form an imperial cook. From then on, his posterities handed down this skill and advanced it gradually so that nowadays the chicken has their unique style. In 1981, Red-cooked Chicken Daokou Style had been prized national quality products. Besides, it earns equal reputation with Peking Roast Duck and Jinhua Ham, praised as the No. 1 chicken. Using many expensive traditional Chinese medicines and combining with nourishing original soup endows it bright color as well as diet therapy and health care functions. Daokou town is always called the Hometown of Roast Chicken, as the most famous one, Yixingzhang roast chicken stands at the top of all kinds of food.   
      
   Red-cooked Chicken Daokou Style is highly popular for its fragrant smell, soft and moderate flavor, fat but not greasy taste. It has very high standards for choosing materials and cooking processes.
      
    Red-cooked Chicken Daokou Style was created in as early as 18th year of Shunzhi period of Qing Dynasty, dating back nearly 350 years ago. According to the documents Junxian Record and Huaxian Record, this kind of roast chicken was unknown for bad taste until the 52nd year of Qianlong period, when the creator Zhang Bing met with his old friend, Liu Yi, who was a cook in Imperial Palace and told Zhang the secret recipe: use original soup including 8 kinds of seasoning. The seasonings are dried tangerine or orange peel, cinnamon, cardamun, ginger, clove, fructus amomi, amomum tsao-ko, angelica root. Zhang followed this way and boomed his restaurant and then he changed the name as Yixingzhang meaning Liu Yi flourished Zhang Bing. From then on, Zhang tried again and again and finally created more unique roast chickens in shape as well as flavor, whose bright color, tempting smell, dainty flavor and soft meet quality were called the four unique features. In Jiaqing period of Qing Dynasty, Red-cooked Chicken Daokou Style became a tribute out of the Emperorr’s high praise. However, it also suffered many hardships until the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. From 1970s, many foreign higher officials like prime minister of Canada and Denmark, president of Zambia, etc, all gave a high praise to this carbonado. In 1955, Zhang Changgui overted the recipe of Red-cooked Chicken Daokou Style, which made the yield increased quickly and stimulated the chicken sold to as far as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Xianggang