A Bite of Innovation: What is pork belly wrapped chicken

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Any cuisine is nothing if not creative in China. Chicken wrapped in pork belly is a southern Chinese classic, but now a chef has taken it to even greater heights.

The pork belly with chicken dish originated from south China's Guangdong Province, but a chef in central Hubei Province has made a hot pot dish with the delicacy that has people lining up for hours just to get a taste.

The hot pot created from pork belly wrapped chicken /CGTN Photo

Ye Jinsheng created the hot pot concoction five years ago in the provincial capital Wuhan, growing from a tiny eatery to a restaurant chain with 23 stores.

Chef Ye Jinsheng is cleaning the pork belly. /CGTN Photo

The secret to his creative cuisine lies in the selection of ingredients, using pork belly from Denmark and chicken raised for more than six months.

Another important ingredient is the white pepper. Ye usually buys peppercorns from central Hainan Province, manually fries them for two hours at 120 degrees Celsius inside the pan, and then grinds them into powder.

Ye is serving the hot pot for customers. /CGTN Photo

There is also no shortcut for the broth. After cooking for eight hours, the ingredients fully blend into the soup, creating a rich, smooth taste. Diners can even customize their hot pot with their own ingredients, choosing among meat, mushrooms, and other vegetables.

For Ye, a veteran chef of 28 years, the art of cooking is all important.