Ru cuisineis known as the leading among the Eight Great Cuisines, being the imperial court cuisine during the Ming and Qing dynasties.Currently, most dishes served at state banquets are Ru cuisine.Northeastern cuisine



is a branch of Ru cuisine,mainly inheriting the more home-style parts of Ru cuisine.Most Northerners are descendants of Shandong people who migrated to Northeast China during the early 20th century.At that time, most of these migrants came from poor families in Shandong and rarely had access to upscale Ru cuisine at restaurants back home.Instead, they mostly ate simple family dishes.Even those who knew how to cook only knew Shandong home-style cooking.Additionally, most people who successfully made the journey were robust, so their dietary requirements weren't very high; they just needed hearty stews and soups.Thus, Northeastern cuisine essentially represents northern rustic dishes, a branch of home-style Ru cuisine that cannot be equated with Ru cuisine in its entirety.

This analysis does not mean that Ru cuisine is superior or more popular than Northeastern cuisine.It depends on the diners' preferences.Currently, people prefer rustic dishes mainly because they are affordable and have a more primitive flavor; for non-formal dining, having some Northeastern cuisine can be quite enjoyable.