One day, the chef of the imperial chef made a stuffed snack for Cixi. After eating it, Cixi thought it tasted very good, so she asked the imperial chef what the snack was. But she had not named it yet. The imperial chef had an idea and remembered the nail cap on the palace door, so he casually replied, "This is called 'door nail meat pie.'" This snack was born.

Origin of Old Beijing Door-Tail Meat Pie

Many of Beijing’s famous snacks are related to the Empress Dowager Cixi, and Door-Tail Meat Pie is no exception. One day, the chef from the imperial kitchen made a stuffed snack for Cixi. After eating it, Cixi found it delicious and liked it very much, so she asked what kind of food it was. There was no name yet, but the Queen Mother asked, can't you say you don't know? Then the chef thought of the nail cap on the palace door, so he casually said: "This is called 'Door Nail Meat Pie'." That’s how doornail meatloaf was born.

Doornail meatloaf is one of the traditional snacks of old Beijing. It is named because it is shaped like a doornail, which symbolizes good luck.