The idea of “kaiserkrainer” reminds me of emperor's chicken, more commonly known as 叫化鸡, beggar's chicken. You cook this dish by wrapping the chicken in clay and lotus leaves. Various folktales explain this cooking method. In one version, the beggar stole the chicken from the emperor and used this method to avoid attracting attention. In another, the emperor, to stay in touch with the struggles of the people, dined with a beggar, and enjoyed the chicken so much he added it to the imperial menu. In yet another, the emperor, born a peasant, added his favorite childhood dish to the imperial menu.

Searching for “emperor's chicken” doesn't lead me to recipes with clay or lotus leaves. I suspect the rename “emperor's chicken” comes from a Chinese restaurant trying to make the dish more appealing, or my dad's own storytelling. In my dad's story, the emperor dined at a humble restaurant. He enjoyed the chicken so much that he asked the owner for the name of the dish. Not wanting to insult the emperor, the owner replaced the name of beggar's chicken with emperor's chicken.¹

The true story probably comes down to people using the materials available and convenient to them. However, the various tales about 叫化鸡 find importance in expressing culture. Food and stories form the easiest and most common way to share culture.