A Confucius family cuisine dish [Photo/sdchina.com]

The family cuisine of Confucius developed as a result of frequent visits by China's emperors, high-ranking officials and other distinguished guests to Confucius' home. Many banquets, ceremonies and royal commemorations were held there, giving the family the opportunity to develop its own formal cuisine.

The time-consuming and labor-intensive cuisine has been adversely affected by modern technology and must be preserved, experts say.

A Confucius family cuisine dish [Photo/sdchina.com]

The most complex banquet in Confucius family cuisine consists of 196 dishes, including six cold dishes such as braised sea cucumber and stir-fried seasonal vegetables. They are served on special silver porcelain plates, and dining etiquette and manners have been passed down by Confucius' descendants for more than 2,000 years, according to experts.

In ancient times, chefs at the Confucius Mansion passed on cooking skills and recipes only to their descendants or apprentices, but now experts believe the recipes should be made public so they can be preserved.

Confucius (551-479 BC) is regarded as one of China's most influential sages. Some of his ideas about food and diet played a significant role in the development of Chinese food culture.

Confucius family cuisine was included as part of China's national intangible cultural heritage in June 2011.