On the eve of the week-long May Day holiday, twocars driving us from the Confucius Mansion stopped at the door of 49, Chengroucang Lane. Greeting us there was the owner of the house, Peng Wenyu, son of former Master Chef of the Confucius Mansion Mr. Peng Junde, and an outstanding exponent of Confucius Mansion cuisine. Ge Changtian, once also a chef at the Confucius Mansion, was also with Peng Wenyu to welcome us. They wanted to treat the old lady to Confucius Mansion home-style dishes.
Ge Changtian was already 74 years old. He and his fellow apprentices and disciples had doubled the size of the Confucius Mansion menu from around 170 to more than 340. Madame Kong was the honorary president of the Confucius Mansion Cuisine Research Society and had a profound knowledge of the family learning. On the occasion of her visit, Peng Wenyu and Ge Changtian wanted to give a special "flower food dinner" in her honor.

According to historical records, "flower foods" were first seen among the common people, and in the Tang Dynasty, "fresh chestnut cake with osmanthus flowers" and "chrysanthemum cake" were being served as dainties at state banquets. A chapter in the Qing Dynasty Book of Delicious Dishes describes more than 20 foods requiring fresh flower ingredients. Going a little further back, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty (581-618) used flowers to make dishes. He once praised a famous dish from the south, a delicacy of chopped fine day lily with sliced Chinese herring. Lu You, a great patriotic poet of the Song Dynasty and also a famous gourmet, once spoke of flower dishes as: "How can mountain delicacies of every kind replace 'fish with waterlily'!" This dish was and is a sweet-and-sour tasting thick sauce of fresh fish slices and waterlily cooked with Chinese onion and vinegar.