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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Y. María Teresa Hernández

Once shaped by court rituals, China’s imperial cuisine lives on today

China Imperial Cuisine - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

It is said that Empress Dowager Cixi once dreamed of a pastry during the final decades of imperial China.

The same treat was served to her at breakfast the following morning. Delighted, she summoned her chef and rewarded him with a silver ingot.

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