In China, it’s widely accepted that there are "Eight Cuisines" that best represent the regional variety of the country’s many culinary schools. Curiously, Dongbei cuisine, or food from the northeast, doesn’t even get a mention. Strange, since this historically rich region was home to the Manchus who founded the Qing empire, China's last imperial dynasty. Naturally, Dongbei food reflects its environment, and its people: lots of meaty, hearty dishes – fuel for warriors braving the harsh elements. Perhaps the heartiest of them all is "Shazhucai," literally "Pig Slaughter Dish."

As you might have guessed, Shazhucai is definitely not kosher. After slaughtering the pig, everything – from its ears to its trotters – is served up; nothing goes to waste. The feast is usually held to celebrate the end of a lunar year and usher in a new, hopefully even more prosperous one. In the rural parts of northeast China, it’s an inviolable tradition that sees families, close friends and important guests get together to share the fruits of a year’s labor. 

So what should you expect from Shazhucai? Experts say that the blood sausage makes or breaks the feast. Done right, a chunk of the thin-skinned, wobbly red offal will just about hold together as you balance it precariously on your chopsticks, then practically melt inside your mouth as you slurp it down. Piping hot and fresh from the wok, it tastes like savoury jelly, devoid of the metallic tang usually found in blood.

Meat from the pig’s head is also considered a delicacy, and a dish of thinly sliced pig’s ears is a must for every table. They’re best dipped in soy sauce sprinkled with diced onions, garlic, ginger and chopped chillies. If you’re squeamish, you can instead dip chunks of sinewy, tender pork off the bone, called "Chaigurou".

The centrepiece is a giant stew comprised predominantly of fatty pork, sauerkraut and tofu. It may not look pretty, but it was never meant to. In the past, farmers didn’t have the luxury of buying expensive spices – their priority was to kill the pig, bung everything into a great big pot and have a boozy feast in fantastic company. In that sense, Shazhucai is a celebration of the best qualities of China’s north-easterners: straightforward, generous… and always up for a drink!