Menu 1: Qie Xiang The story behind the dish Author Cao Xueqin’s most detailed dish in his Dream of the Red Chamber, appearing in Chapter 41, this Qie Xiang leads to Granny Liu calling the food fit for even the Lord Buddha after tasting it. Wang Xifeng, who lets Granny Liu taste it, describes Qie Xiang’s recipe in great detail in the novel.

Menu 1: Cao Cao Chicken The story behind the dish Luchou (today's Hefei ) was a favoured battleground during the Three Kingdoms period. After Cao Cao unifies the northern regions during Emperor Xian's reign, he advances towards Luoyang capital for what is later known as the Battle of Red Cliffs. During this time , he suffers from severe headaches and falls s eriously ill because of overwork ...

Menu 1: Wu Song Beef It is said that when Wu Song defeated the tiger with his bare hands, it wasn't just the good wine that bolstered his courage, but he also gained strength from consuming large portions of beef. This dish, using top-grade beef, is known for its succulence and memorable taste. Menu 2: Shi Qian Ji One key story in Heroes of the Marshes is how Shi Qian was captured at the Zhu village for stealing their chickens ..

Menu 1: Ximen Ba Zhen An original creation that takes inspiration from a story in Chapter 31, when Ximen Qing throws a lavish banquet of heavenly delicacies to win over the officials. Menu 2: Ximen Tofu A dish mentioned many times in the novel, especially in Chapter 62. When the concubine Li Ping'er falls ill, the nun Sister Wang brings this dish to her and they eat it together.

Menu 1: Dong Po Meat One of Su Dong Po’s poems, Ode to Pork, talks about his experience creating his famous Dong Po meat, which came about by accident. Su was making stewed pork in Hangzhou when a friend dropped by for a game of chess. So engrossed was he in the game that he forgot all about what was cooking in the kitchen. It was only when a delectable aroma from the kitchen reached his nose that he was reminded of his pork ...

Menu 1: Pan-Fried Bun Eileen Chang’s husband Hu Lancheng wrote about pan-fried buns in his work Jin Sheng Jin Shi because apparently the writer Eileen loved the buns. In this incident, Eileen is bringing home fresh pan-fried buns she just bought, but runs into a beggar who tries to rob her. In the tussle, she’s left with half a bun which she insists on bringing home, proving her love for the buns.

Menu 1: Beggar’s Chicken (Jiao Hua Ji) This important dish in the Louis Cha epic is what Huang Rong uses to tempt Hong Qigong. As described in the novel, Huang Rong cuts the chicken open with the E-mei spear and removes its innards. Without removing the feathers of the chicken, she applies a layer of muddy mixture before roasting it.

Menu: Legend has it that this jadeite carved into the shape of a cabbage head was given to Guangxu's Emperor's concubine, the Imperial Consort Jin. Its colour and leaves represent purity, while the two insects, grasshoppers and locust , stand for children i.e. a wealth of descendants. Another treasure at the museum is the incredibly lifelike Meat-shaped Stone.

Menu: Korea’s royal court cuisine and traditional medicine is richly presented in the story of Jang-geum, the first female court physician of the Joseon Dynasty. I. Kimchi Mixed Tofu Pot - This healthy dish, an original creation from Crystal Jade’s head chef, is a soup concoction using tofu and five kinds of mushroom (including abalone mushroom and lingzhi mushroom) ....

Legendary Cuisines 传说中的料理 is a 2009 Mediacorp variety programme.