The Kitchen God – Zao Jun

How a man called Zhang Lang became the kitchen god Zao Jun. Zhang Lang married a chaste woman, but soon after his marriage he fell for a younger woman. So he abandoned his wife. As punishment for his adultery the gods afflicted him with blindness. His young lover left him and he had to resort to begging to support himself.

While out begging one day his former wife came across him, despite the way he had treat her, she took pity on him and invited him to her house for a meal, but did not tell him who she was. After the meal Zhang Lang told her his story and he was so overcome with pain at his folly that he began to weep.

His former wife told him to open his eyes, whereupon his vision was restored. Recognising the woman he had abandoned, Zhang felt such remorse that he threw himself on the fire in the hearth. His former wife tried to save him but all she managed to save was one leg.

The devoted woman then created a shrine to her former husband and placed it above the fireplace. The gods were impressed by the woman’s devotion and Zhang Lang’s sacrifice so they made him the Kitchen god, and to this day in Chinese homes a fire poke is sometimes referred to as Zhang Lang’s leg.

Whisper Baijiu Cocktail

45ml V.I.P Jiu 8
White sweet sparkling wine
2 drops Angostura bitters
4 drops Arak
1 sugar cube
3 ice cubes

Put sugar cube into a old fashioned glass, drop bitters onto it add the Arak and swirl to coat glass, put in the ice cubes add V.I.P Jiu 8, top with wine, stir gently.