Dunhuang snacks have a history of thousands of years and are still widely eaten. Among them, Longevity Alkaline Noodles, Paoer Oil Cake, Mutton Mixed Juice, Red Willow Sticks and Donkey Yellow Noodles are especially popular among locals and tourists.

Longevity alkaline noodles

Longevity alkaline noodles, also called noodles with minced meat, are famous snacks in Dunhuang. There is a story about its origin.

a long time ago, there was a poor family, two couples and a son, who lived in a few thin fields in front of and behind the house, working at sunrise and resting every day.

One evening, when the old man finished his work in the field and was about to go home, he heard someone calling in the distance and hurried to look for it. Under a buttonwood tree, he saw an exhausted woman sitting on the floor by the tree. He was very surprised and asked where the girl came from. With chapped lips, the girl told the story intermittently:

It turned out that she was a southern businessman, passing through Dunhuang, driving camels and carrying goods with her father. In the chaos, her father and daughter were separated. In order to escape, she ran for her life and ran all the way here. Seeing that it was getting dark, she was afraid, thirsty and hungry, and she couldn't run any more. Only then did she shout loudly.

when the old man heard this, he was moved with compassion. Who doesn't do something in his life? Seeing a lonely girl, he decided to take her home. He comforted her and helped her home.

My wife and son are very surprised at their longevity. Busy asking why, the old man said in a few words, telling his wife and son: the war is in chaos, a female doll's house. Let's stay in our house first. My wife and longevity are full of promises.

The girl is a southerner. She is small, exquisite and polite, and she is very popular with her parents. My son is wooden and kind-hearted. He is shy and happy when he meets the girl.

In a blink of an eye, the old man's birthday is coming. The girl thought that they kindly took me in and haven't repaid me yet, but looking around, I really don't know what to do.

When I was helping with my work in the field the other day, I saw the alkali from the leaves of the buttonwood tree, and she thought, can you put some in it when mixing flour?

she didn't tell anyone. Just the next day, when mixing noodles, she mixed a little into it. As a result, the noodles were a little yellow, and they were more flexible and energetic than before. She suddenly became happy. I did it several times over and over again, and the effect was very good.

I decided to use this as a birthday present for the elderly.

In a blink of an eye, the old man's birthday arrived. On this morning, she got up early and swept the yard. First, she mixed the noodles with leaf alkali and kneaded them repeatedly. I turned to the vegetable field, picked fresh eggplant, pepper and tomato, took out the small mushrooms I usually picked, and made a delicious soup with meat. Roll the noodles thin, evenly and cut them.

I have prepared some small dishes.

When steaming, bright and yellow noodles were served on the kang table, the old couple and their son were overjoyed and boasted while eating. Praising her for her good craftsmanship, bright mind and long life, she ate two bowls at once.

I've lived in front of a buttonwood tree all my life. I can't believe it.

this matter was passed down from mouth to mouth among neighbors, and everyone was eager to learn, which became the trend for a while.

Girls and longevity, love comes from labor, and soon, their parents get married for them.

to thank the longevity daughter-in-law for cooking noodles, they call it longevity alkaline noodles.

Paoer Oil Cake

Paoer Oil Cake is the current name. At the earliest time, it was called mallet or mallet cake. The existing Dunhuang documents are recorded in the official Zhai book of Pingkang Township in Volume p3231.

later, it was also called sugar oil cake.

The history in Dunhuang is quite long, which is more than 1,211 years. It is a traditional snack. At that time, it was an indispensable food for every important banquet or New Year's Day, from officials and businessmen to the people.

In the past, it used a simple material, just flour and sugar, and then it was fried and ready to eat, preferably while it was hot, which was more fragrant.

in the 1981s, the pastry chef in the catering department of Dunhuang Hotel made many improvements in materials and production techniques on the basis of making crude oil cakes by going out to study and communicate. Peach kernel, sesame, rose and lard were added to the materials, and the experiment was repeated to make a bubble oil cake with a soft surface and dense pearl bubbles.

At this point, the color, flavor and taste of Paoer oil cake are all occupied, and it is loved by tourists because of its sweetness, softness, instant taste and long aftertaste.

it is small and exquisite, like a small jasper, sweet and dignified, round and golden, mixed with big dishes, and has a unique taste.

if you are in a bad mood, you will immediately become happy after eating it.

There is a saying that a beautiful woman delights people's eyes and a virtuous lady delights people's hearts.

Paoer oil cake, which is more like a sweet and warm cotton-padded jacket, is a little intimate and close to the lungs, and a little innocent girl, which makes you like it when you see it, and miss it when you leave.

mutton mixed juice

Speaking of mutton mixed juice, I have to mention the Zhengjia restaurant.

Dunhuang has been a semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral area since ancient times. It has a long history to eat mutton, and it is also recorded in Dunhuang's suicide note, but all of them eat mutton by hand and stew mutton.

mutton can be used not only as a big meal, but also as a snack.

Master Zheng Zhaolan, a famous Dunhuang chef in 1951s, had the most say in this.

He opened the restaurant Fusheng Garden in Zhengjia, pondered it by himself, studied it carefully, tried it again and again, and added mutton slices, meatballs, Gaza, fragrant soup, and finally put chopped green onion and coriander. The taste was almost indescribable. That is booming, that is lively, and the whole house is crowded.

the situation at that time was that every morning, before dawn, the mutton pot in the Zhengjia restaurant was already full of hot air. Old and new customers come in twos and threes, greeting each other and joking. Old friends come together, young people come here with diligent legs and feet, and students with better living conditions also come in a hurry to drink a steaming bowl of mutton juice with schoolbags on their backs and go to school in high spirits.

Zhengjia Restaurant is an old shop in Dunhuang. From the selection of mutton, the deep-frying of meatballs, and the making of eggs for Gaza, every working procedure is well done, and the boiled soup tastes delicious and affordable, so I am satisfied with eating a bowl. Going to work, walking and walking, each has its place.

the old people all say that it seems that if they don't eat for a few days, they always feel something is missing.

This snack, created by a generation of masters, is well received by the general public, with constant old customers and new customers. Until the public-private partnership became public, he still worked meticulously.

When people come out early in the morning, they always say hello: Go to the Zheng family restaurant for a bowl?

ok.

Today, we can eat so many authentic mutton mixed juices, thanks to Master Zheng. There is an old saying: predecessors planted trees, and later generations enjoyed the cool. That's right.

Now, although Master Zheng has been away for many years, his mutton juice is deeply loved by people.

Red willow pokes a knot in one's heart

Dunhuang, located at the westernmost end of Hexi Corridor, has no coal since ancient times. In order to keep warm and cook, every family must go to the Gobi Desert every year to dig the roots and branches of red willow, commonly known as "planing the tops". Used to solve the problem of domestic fuel.

Wood-cutters often bring their own flour, take water and mix flour on the spot, and use the branches of red willow at hand to stir up trouble, forming a "little fish", which is called "poking a knot in one's heart".

there is an interesting story when it comes to removing pimples from red willows.

In the late autumn of 1951s, it was going to be cold. Two brothers were worried about burning firewood in winter. After consulting with my widowed mother, they took a donkey cart and went to the North Lake to plan the tips.

At that time, everyone was in a bad condition, so they took the steamed buns, salted leeks and water prepared by their mother and went on their way.

On the way, the two brothers rambled and talked endlessly. Because they were young and afraid of being tired of the little donkey, they walked more than when they took the bus.

they thought that when they came back, a load of firewood and freshly shaved tips were wet and heavy, which was enough for the little donkey.

on the way there, just let it be free.

Both brothers haven't got married yet, and my mother is also worried. When can I be a daughter-in-law?

But the boss is not in a hurry, which is exactly what he said. The Yellow Emperor is not in a hurry.

maybe it's because we have good intentions and have our own help.

Just as they were approaching the North Lake, there came another donkey cart on the road. The driver was a man in his forties, with a dark and red face. There was a girl sitting on the cart, that is, about 21 years old, with fine eyes and long dark hair. It was very beautiful.

It's also fate that they are all firewood collectors and meet in this wild place.

They greeted each other, and the man introduced that this is his daughter Eiko.

they also introduced themselves.

The two brothers wondered why they brought a girl as beautiful as flowers and pure as jade when they went to the lake to get firewood. I heard there were wolves here.

I'm worried, but I'm happy when I think about it. If she doesn't come, how can we meet them?

When I arrived at Beihu Lake, I settled down, simply ate the steamed bun I brought, and stayed silent all night.

the next day, they began to plane the tips.

That's a hard job. The red willow in the desert grows up under the condition of lack of water, and its branches are flexible and grow sturdily, so it can't be planed without great efforts.

The two brothers are young and strong. When the sun is shining, they have already planed a lot.

Look at Eiko's father again, and it's not much. Eiko is only on the side, coming and going.

Seeing this situation, the elder brother whispered to his younger brother: Let's hurry up and help them, that's enough, or don't scare the girl in this deserted place.

By the time of eating, the advantages of jujube flower were completely highlighted. She lit a fire quickly, folded red willow branches and wrapped the noodles. After a while, the "little fish" were put into the pot, and the two brothers made great efforts. They were hungry. After they were put out of the pot, they mixed with oil and spicy seeds, salted leeks and old vinegar and had a good time.

praise Eiko for her quick hands and quick feet and good tea and rice.

eiko just chuckled, but she was secretly happy. How can these two people eat so much?

my father secretly looked at my brother, and he was healthy, realistic and practical, so he took up housekeeping and my brother told me everything.

Isn't this a godsend? Where there are many red willows, there are two young people, one has a crush on the other. What a wonderful thing.

Soon after their return, they became a happy family with the help of the old man.

yellow noodles with donkey meat

Dunhuang people have a special liking for yellow noodles with donkey meat.

Actually, it is a Dunhuang folk food that existed in the Tang Dynasty, and it has the effects of invigorating qi and nourishing blood, and benefiting health and spirit.

A folk proverb in Dunhuang says, "Dragon meat in the sky, donkey meat in the ground". It shows its position in the hearts of local people.

in the 1971s and 1981s, Dunhuang was developed into a tourist city, and donkey meat became the top choice for Chinese and foreign tourists, becoming a famous snack in China.

The famous Dong 'e Ejiao in Shandong Province is made from donkey skin, and its blood-enriching effect is irreplaceable, which is well known all over the world.

Moreover, donkey meat is cold. If you have an internal fire, or in hot summer and autumn, eating it is even more perfect for Shu Tai.

The donkey meat noodle restaurant in Dunhuang is very popular among local people and tourists, and many of them have been opened.

among them, especially "Daji donkey meat yellow noodles" and "Shunzhang donkey meat yellow noodles" have the longest history.

Especially in recent years, Dunhuang tourism continues to heat up. It is really a fly in the ointment to come to Dunhuang without eating yellow noodles with donkey meat.

In folk, donkey meat is generally regarded as a non-staple food, and yellow flour is used as a staple food, supplemented by garlic paste and seasoning. It has long simmering time, deep taste and soft taste, and is suitable for people of all ages.

Its nourishing function is increasingly praised by people. Shang Ruo, if you have concerns, why don't you try it yourself?