Guobaorou (Sweet-and-Sour Crispy Pork)

Sliced pork tenderloin coated in starch batter, deep-fried until golden, then stir-fried with a sweet-and-sour sauce until the crust is crisp.

Invented by chef Zheng Xingwen at the Harbin provincial yamen in late Qing, adapted to suit foreign officials with a sweet-and-sour twist; it later spread throughout the three northeastern provinces.

Eaten as a side dish with steamed rice or as part of a northeastern banquet.

Authentic guobaorou uses rice vinegar rather than ketchup — golden in colour with a sweet-tart tang and proper wok-breath.