Eating in China
EN
Get the app
Original generated guide illustration of Ziyang whole chicken, chopped pork trotters, root vegetables and golden folded egg-skin dumplings steamed in a basin; not restaurant photography.
Shaanxi

Ziyang Zhengpenzi (Steamed Basin Feast)

紫阳蒸盆子Zǐyáng zhēngpénzi

Ziyang chicken, pork trotter and egg-dumpling basin

A shared Ziyang specialty steamed in a large basin. This version combines whole chicken, pork trotters, pork-filled egg dumplings, lotus root, carrot, daikon, celtuce and Chinese yam in savory broth.

Heat
Region
Shaanxi
Type
Dishes
Order in Chinese

At the table

How to enjoy it

Ask how many people one basin serves. Share the broth, meat, vegetables and egg dumplings in small bowls. Check for bones and let hot portions cool.

A useful check

Contains chicken, pork, egg and soy; it is neither vegetarian nor vegan. Some sauces or seasonings may contain wheat. Watch for bones, hot broth and variable chili.

How it may vary

Dried chilies season this version, so it is not automatically chili-free. Pepper and Sichuan pepper add different pungent or numbing sensations. Ask about the spice mix.

GET TO KNOW THE DISH

What goes into it?

Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.

Other versions use cut chicken, ribs, pork elbow or seafood. Meat, vegetables, seasonings and basin size vary.

Typical ingredients

AI-generated ingredient illustration: raw skinless boneless chicken breast and small pieces, one possible chicken-meat form.Chicken鸡肉Cleaned, chopped and blanched pork trotter pieces with skin and small joint bones.Pork trotter猪蹄（猪脚）AI-generated ingredient illustration: raw chicken eggs in their shells and one raw yolk and white in a bowl.Chicken egg鸡蛋Illustration of minced porkMinced pork猪肉末Generated guide illustration of lotus root. Not a product photograph.Lotus root莲藕Generated guide illustration of carrot; not a restaurant or product photograph.Carrot胡萝卜Generated guide illustration of white radish; not a restaurant or product photograph.White radish白萝卜Generated guide illustration of celtuce.Celtuce stem莴笋AI-generated ingredient illustration: fresh Chinese yam with brown skin and white cut surfaces.Chinese yam山药AI-generated ingredient illustration of fresh scallions, with white bulbs, roots, and tubular green leaves.Scallions葱Generated guide illustration of garlic; not a restaurant or product photograph.Garlic大蒜Generated guide illustration of ginger; not a restaurant or product photograph.Ginger姜Generated guide illustration of star anise.Star anise八角Generated guide illustration of cassia bark. Not a product photograph.Cassia bark桂皮Generated guide illustration of dried baizhi root slices.Baizhi root白芷Tsaoko (Chinese black cardamom)Tsaoko (Chinese black cardamom)草果Generated guide illustration of dried red Sichuan peppercorn husksSichuan peppercorns花椒AI-generated ingredient illustration: dried red chili pods, including a broken pod and its seeds.Dried red chilies干红辣椒AI-generated ingredient illustration: clear amber cooking wine in a bowl, one yellow-rice-wine appearance.Cooking wine料酒Fine brown five-spice powder in a small plain dish.Five-spice powder五香粉AI-generated ingredient illustration: ground black pepper with irregular dark skin flecks and lighter interior fragments, one common pepper form.Pepper胡椒Generated guide illustration of soy sauce; not a restaurant or product photograph.Soy sauce醬油Generated guide illustration of salt; not a restaurant or product photograph.Salt食盐AI-generated ingredient illustration: white to translucent monosodium glutamate seasoning crystals in a small dish.Monosodium glutamate (MSG)味精Generated guide illustration of powdered cooking starch; its crop is unspecified in the dish reference.Culinary starch淀粉AI-generated ingredient illustration: pale golden liquid cooking oil in a bowl, shown as one possible appearance.Cooking oil食用油

Recipes vary by restaurant.

How does it taste?

Savory chicken-and-pork broth, warm spices, root-vegetable sweetness and a little chili heat.

Chili heat
Texture
Tender meat, gelatinous trotter skin, soft roots and delicate egg wrappers. The meats contain bones.
How it’s made
Chicken and blanched trotters steam with wrapped spices. Vegetables and pork-filled egg-skin dumplings are added later; broth gathers in the serving basin.

Other versions use cut chicken, ribs, pork elbow or seafood. Meat, vegetables, seasonings and basin size vary.

A CONNECTION TO PLACE

Origin & regional roots

Shaanxi
Explore regional food

Associated with Shaanxi.

About this regional connection

Shaanxi: ActualprovincialheritageandcompleteauthoredZiyangrecipe, regionalassociation notexclusiveoriginorvenueclaim.

Ask if they have it first

ASK IF IT'S AVAILABLE

请问你们有紫阳蒸盆子吗？

Do you have this item?

A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ

Story & history

A basin at the center of the table

This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.

In Ziyang in southern Shaanxi, zhengpenzi is a dish for hospitality and shared meals. Its name refers to steaming food in a basin that holds both the solids and soup. Whole-bird, pork-elbow and cut-meat versions coexist: the name describes a serving tradition as well as a recipe.

EATING IN CHINA · THE APP

Get the app

Discover local dishes, understand their ingredients and flavours, and choose what you’d like to try. Explore vegetarian, vegan and kid-friendly food ideas for your China trip.

App StoreGoogle Play
Scan with your iPhone
Scan with your Android phone

Food guides, ingredients and trip planning are free.

See what’s in the app