The prime minister and his chicken

Many regarded the Tang Dynasty (618-907) as the pinnacle period of Chinese culture. It was known for its architecture, its women, their dress and its food and these influences spread out to Korea and Japan where they are still apparent to this day.

On a recent stopover to revisit the terracotta warriors in Xi'an, we discovered a delicious dish that has quietly withstood the test of centuries. It was a chicken that was immensely tender and flavorful, but had a crisp crunchy skin.

The first time we had it was an afterthought. We were thoroughly enjoying the famous soup dumplings at a little restaurant along the Muslim snack street.