Introduction

Jilized bamboo shoots is a specialty food originated from Quanzhou, Fujian Province. It is a frozen product processed from unique products. It contains colloid, and the main raw material is a kind of worm, which belongs to the phylum Asterozoa. Its scientific name is Lepidoptera, and it is two to three inches in length. After boiling, the colloid contained in the insect body dissolves into the water and condenses into blocks after cooling. The meat is clear and delicious. Paired with good soy sauce, northern vinegar, sweet sauce, chili sauce, mustard, minced garlic, jellyfish and coriander, shredded white radish, shredded chili peppers, and tomato slices, it becomes a delicious snack with good color, fragrance and flavor. Local bamboo shoots are also known as Tu bamboo shoots. According to "Min Xiaoji", "I often eat frozen local bamboo shoots in Fujian. The taste is very unique, but I heard them growing on the seashore. They look like earthworms, which is Sha Xun." The most famous ones in history are The frozen bamboo shoots in Anhai, Quanzhou, are very delicious. It is also recorded in "Fujian Miscellaneous Notes": "The bamboo shoots grow in the sand caves on the beach and are produced in Haiya, Quanzhou today." Today, Anhai has the largest output. Jellied bamboo shoots are off-white in color, crystal clear, tender, crisp, and elastic. It has a particularly good flavor when paired with other seasonings. It is a seasonal delicacy in winter and spring in Quanzhou and even in the southern Fujian area.

History and Culture

The frozen bamboo shoots are delicious. There are many theories about its origin. In Xi'an Village, Anhai Town, which is rich in bamboo shoot jelly, the villagers circulated a legend: During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, Qi Jiguang went to Anhai to fight against the Japanese. Due to the shortage of food, the soldiers went to the tidal flats to catch a kind of sea earthworms to make soup. When Qi Jiguang finally ate, only the sea earthworms that had condensed into gelatin were left. He drew his sword and took out a piece to taste. Unexpectedly, it was more delicious than fish and crabs. After the chef knew about it, he refined it according to this method, and the bamboo shoot jelly has been popular since then. This is a popular saying among the people, and written records about soil bamboo shoots can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty. There are records in "Min Zhonghai Cuosu" in the Ming Dynasty, "Wuzazu" by Xie Zhaozhe in the late Ming Dynasty, and "Min Xiaoji" written by Zhou Lianggong in the Qing Dynasty. Zhou Lianggong's "Min Xiaoji" written in 1658 records: "I often eat frozen bamboo shoots in Fujian, and the taste is very strange, but I heard that they were born on the seaside and looked like earthworms, but I didn't know what they looked like." In this way, 350 years ago, bamboo shoot jelly was already a very popular snack in the market, and Zhou Lianggong became the earliest person found to mention the term "bamboo shoot jelly" so far.

How to do it

Making "soil bamboo shoot jelly" is actually very simple. First soak the bamboo shoots in water, let it spit out the mud in its belly, and then spread it on the stone slab and crush it. Break the belly, wash away the remaining mud impurities in the belly, then add water to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. It only takes two or three minutes to boil. After three steps of soaking, pressing and cooking, it is finally scooped up and poured into a prepared mold to cool and shape. There are many ways to eat bamboo shoots. In addition to being made into "earth bamboo shoot jelly", they can also be stir-fried, cooked in soups, or cooked with ginseng, lean meat, etc. to make medicinal meals, which have the effect of tonifying the kidneys and strengthening yang. In the past, it was difficult to freeze the "soil bamboo shoots jelly" on hot days. With the refrigerator, you can make it even on hot days. You can eat "soil bamboo shoots jelly" all year round. Vinegar, minced garlic, and served with cold and chewy bamboo shoot jelly, one after another, it's hard to stop.