Lion head is a traditional dish in Chinese Huaiyang cuisine. Legend has it that the practice of lion head began in the Sui Dynasty. It was during the fortune of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty. The chef made squirrel mandarin fish, money shrimp cakes, ivory chicken strips and squirrel mandarin fish with the theme of the four famous sceneries of Yangzhou Wansongshan, Qiandun, Ivory Forest, and Sunflower Hill. There are four dishes of sunflower meat cutting. It is said that the original name is sunflower meat meatballs and sunflower meatballs. Wei Juyuan, the home cook of Wei Zhi in the Tang Dynasty, made squirrel mandarin fish, money shrimp cakes, ivory chicken strips, and sunflower meat meatballs. The guests in the seat were amazed, and Sunflower Cut Meat was renamed Lion Head. The taste of this dish is soft, waxy and creamy, healthy and nutritious.
Jiangxi Yifeng also has this dish. It has been popular for more than 100 years. It has the characteristics of snow-white color, fresh meat quality, and mellow fragrance. It is suitable for all seasons. Every year during the Spring Festival, the Chaohu area in Anhui will play colorful balls and play lions to celebrate the harvest. Local people will then make snacks that look like lion heads to reward the lion dancers. This custom has been passed down since ancient times. This snack uses a slightly larger amount of alkali than ordinary yeast dough, so it is particularly crisp and fragrant, and it can be stored for several days without being soft.