Jiuzhuan Dachang

Jiuzhuan Dachang (Simplified Chinese: 九转大肠; Traditional Chinese: 九轉大腸; Pinyin: Jiǔzhuǎn dàcháng), literally “nine-turn large intestine,” is a Shandong (Lu cuisine) banquet classic of thoroughly cleaned pork large intestine that is fried and then braised in a glossy sweet-savory sauce. It ranks among flagship plates of Shandong Food alongside Sweet and Sour Carp, Scallion Braised Sea Cucumber, and Dezhou Braised Chicken.

Characteristics

Properly prepared intestine is tender with a slight chew; the sauce balances sweet, savory, aromatic spice, and a bright vinegar edge, finishing red-brown and shiny. Banquet plating presents coiled or sectioned pieces that showcase the glaze. The poetic “nine-turn” name refers to elaborate technique and Daoist elixir rhetoric in restaurant lore—not a literal requirement of nine plating spins in every modern kitchen.

Ingredients (overview)

Encyclopedic overview only: pork large intestine; oil for frying; sugar; vinegar; soy; ginger, scallion, and warm spices (sand ginger, cinnamon, and related aromatics appear in classic Lu descriptions). Cleaning and pre-cooking are essential craft talk. No recipe steps here.

History and culture

Civic and culinary narratives commonly place the named dish in late-Qing Jinan, attributing refinement to the Jiuhualou restaurant line and noting an earlier plain name “红烧大肠” (red-braised large intestine). The upgrade to “九转” is explained as borrowing the Daoist phrase for a perfected elixir—marketing poetry that stuck as the standard dish title. Treat founder-shop details as attributed Lu-cuisine lore consistent across provincial culture pages.

As banquet offal cookery, the dish signals Lu cuisine’s comfort with transforming humble cuts through multi-stage sweet-savory braising—distinct from Chaozhou clear-braised offal or Sichuan mala intestine hot pots.

Serving and variations

Banquet main or specialty restaurant plate. Spice balance and sweetness vary by chef within the Lu sweet-savory envelope. Keep separate from plain stir-fried intestine street snacks and from Sichuan spicy intestine categories.

See also

• Shandong Food
• Sweet and Sour Carp
• Scallion Braised Sea Cucumber
• Dezhou Braised Chicken
• List of dishes (A-Z)