Because of historical reasons, the exact time and place of origin of snail meal has been difficult to test, so there is still a lack of convincing authoritative version. The following information is collected and organized, and is widely popular among the public.
Introduction of the snail meal:
a, snail meal: Liuzhou first original snacks - one of the "three famous noodles" in Guangxi, Liuzhou snail meal "sour, spicy, fresh, refreshing, hot," unique flavor. The unique flavor of "sour, spicy, fresh, hot" is made of Liuzhou's unique soft and smooth rice noodle (dry cut noodle), together with ingredients such as pickled bamboo shoots, fungus, peanuts, fried bean curd bamboo, dried radish, cauliflower, fresh greens, etc. and the rich and moderate sour and spicy flavors and broths of boiled snail to blend and become. The flavor of snail noodle is beautiful because it has a unique soup. This soup is made of snail meat, Sannai, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, chili and other 13 kinds of natural spices and flavoring, cane sugar formulated from a kind of seasoning, as for the 13 kinds of spices to put how much and have a strict ratio.
b, snail meal in Liuzhou influence:
Can be said unapologetically: snail meal is the first original snacks in Liuzhou, this prominent position is difficult to shake in the short term. Liuzhou people are addicted to eating snail powder, and the wandering Liuzhou traveler is to return home to eat a bowl of pure flavor of snail powder way to comfort their homesickness for many years!
Analysis of the basic conditions for the emergence of snail powder
1, the necessary conditions:
In Liuzhou, from the streets and alleys of the food stalls to the halls of star-rated restaurants, you can see people eating rice noodles, sucking snail all kinds of eating. The remains of snail shells in Bailian Cave are more than 10,000 years old, which proves the long history of snail eating in Liuzhou. Rice noodles have long been the most important staple food of Liuzhou people besides rice. These make Liuzhou people have a kind of inseparable complex for "rice noodle" and "snail" just like Hunan people's "chili pepper" complex, such a unique complex for the people of Liuzhou. The combination of "rice noodle" and "snail" - "snail" appeared to lay a grand ambush.
2, historical conditions:
Before the Cultural Revolution, due to the low standard of living, Liuzhou's catering night market is not developed. The end of the Cultural Revolution, especially after the reform and opening up, the 80's Liuzhou's rapid economic development, the standard of living is rapidly improving, catering night market is also growing, especially with the city's several major movie theaters and the traditional business district near the catering night market is the most rapid development. the late 70's to the early 80's, initially flourished the night market is fashionable to eat snail (boiled snail), this is the breakfast of the rice noodle is also the growing popularity of the night market to march! The two were also popular in Liuzhou's catering night market. The two in Liuzhou's dining night market on the same stage, passionate collision, the possibility of sparks appear greatly increased.
3, dietary conditions:
Liuzhou people's dietary tastes heavy spicy and sour, snail noodles combined with its own inherent reality, from the beginning of the beginning has been along the search for this flavor line constantly improve and improve, to cater to the taste of the local people, which is why the snail noodles in the experience of but 30 years, this is not a long time soared to Liuzhou, Liuzhou, one of the important reasons for the signature snacks.
The development of snail meal:
1, the beginning: (1970s to the 1980s at the turn of the transition)
The 1970s to the turn of the transition of the 1980s, the state and the community's center of gravity of the development of the economy transferred to the economy, the people of Liuzhou struggle, rapid economic development, the standard of living is rapidly improving. Catering night market from scratch, towards prosperity and development. Local food culture, when the fashionable snail (boiled snail, bone soup with asparagus, red pepper and other condiments simmered snail), selling boiled snail stalls all over downtown Liuzhou, followed by the rice noodles also entered the catering night market, the two Liuzhou popular snacks on the same stage to offer, soon appeared both the rice noodles and snail stall, I do not know whether it is inevitable or unintentional, many diners like to add the snail soup in the rice noodles, the two passionate collision, the initial snail meal was produced. After the passionate collision of the two, the initial prototype of snail soup was produced. Afterwards, through the caterers' continuous refinement and improvement, there appeared an upgraded version of snail noodle, that is to say, there are snail noodle with the addition of other side dishes, such as bok choy.
2, the development of the first: (early 1980s - mid-1980s)
In the early 1980s, the new thing "snail meal" began to popularize, many operators involved in this field, but because it was in the However, due to the innovative start-up stage at that time, there was no uniform standard recognized by the industry for the production method of each family, especially reflected in the essence of the important part of snail noodles - the part of the soup. Previously talked about cooking snail, bone broth with sour bamboo shoots, red pepper and other condiments simmered snail, because it caters to the Liuzhou people favor sour and spicy taste, and combined with the inherent characteristics of its main body of rice noodles and snail two, the industry's exploration of the direction is divided into two:
a, part of the industry in the exploration of the perfection of snail noodle workmanship, especially the production of the soup process in the process of its always insist on focusing on the basis of the line of sour and spicy flavors. On the basis of the "soup fresh flavor sweet" four words to do a full article. Thus gradually gained the strong recognition of local diners.
b, another part of the industry is stuck in the snail powder snail two words, that snail powder must be snail for the absolute protagonist, who do not know that the snail soup, it is difficult to achieve "sour, spicy, fresh, cool, hot" effect.
c, part of the popularity, the other part is not popular, although the food production process and recipe belongs to the commercial secrets, but at that time we are not very strong awareness of the protection of trade secrets, steal the master or each other's exchanges and teach the production process and flavor positioning of the snail, to the mid-80's gradually have a greater breadth and depth of the uniform.
Thus, after the market and the test of the diners and the related industry's continuous efforts, the production process and flavor positioning of snail meal has the first stereotypes. The prospect of snail flour presents a great trend.
3, the first boom period (the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s)
The mid-1980s to the mid-1990s can be said to be the first boom period of snail flour, with its first after the first one embodied in the characteristics of "sour, spicy, fresh, refreshing, hot," won the hearts of the majority of local diners in Liuzhou. Local diners' hearts, the development is like a crackerjack. As the day in the 10 years, laid and established the snail meal as the first original snacks in Liuzhou's prominent position. Liuzhou wandering outside for many years, after returning to his hometown will usually eat a bowl of authentic flavor snail powder to comfort its years of homesickness.
4, downturn (the mid-1990s to 2001)
a, many of the first generation of snail meal operators to make enough money, success and fame, chose to retreat from the market. As a result, many of the recognized secret recipe for making snail noodles, the recipe then mostly disappeared into the flood of history! (Note: Sell rice noodles in Liuzhou, as long as the rice noodles to do a good job, eat rice noodles of Liuzhou people base is very large, certainly earn no loss, the prospects are good, but at the same time selling rice noodles need to get up early and late, although the money is good to earn, but it is very hard to feel that they have earned enough to not ask for too much of a majority will choose to quit. (* Arrow Panshan night market of a do snail powder flavor authentic and very popular businessmen, do 10 years to earn enough, feel the need to rest and retreat is a very typical example)
b, at the same time in Liuzhou, from the 90's onwards, the greater Liuzhou area of urban and rural exchanges are increasingly active, into the city of the majority of young farmers to work in the city has become the choice of a lot of peasant friends in Liuzhou City, began to do some small business. business. Many of these people also work in restaurants, especially rice noodle stores, or simply raise funds to open a rice noodle store to sell rice noodle.
Beginning in the mid-1990s, many of the first-generation operators of the snail flour after the retreat, leaving a large area of the market vacant, some of the original first-generation operators in the snail flour stores opened by migrant workers friends, after playing a longer period of time, the boss withdrew, they also think that they have a long time to do in the popular snail flour stores, why do not you raise some money to open a shop to do their own boss! Open their own store to do their own boss, but it is a pity that although they have been working for a long time, should also be able to learn to make snail meal or learn from some of the methods of production of the recipe, but after the commercialization of the baptism of the so-called popular snail meal recipe for other purposes or to master the craft, but has been retired from the first generation of operators may not be able to teach the core of its content to the. This part of the wage earners who have only mastered the skin or have not mastered the essence of the production of their own business, but may reduce the quality of snail noodles.
Also those who started out as their own boss farmers may be even more because of the "unschooled", only mastered the skin, joined the sale of snail powder this industry, the quality of which may also be uncomplimentary.
c, the end of 1997, the Asian financial crisis swept across Asia. It was this year that the state-owned enterprise reform efforts to increase the establishment of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), Liuzhou has become the "optimization of capital structure" pilot city. Since 1998, Liuzhou, the old industrial base, stepped into the state-owned enterprise reform of three years to attack the stream, and with it is before and after the layoff of more than 100,000 workers, nearly 400,000 urban residents were involved in the great pain, the development of the Dragon City in all aspects of the moment as if it had come to a standstill. Catering industry is inevitably hit hard, the rice flour industry also suffered, innovative development as if at a standstill, at the same time a huge number of laid-off workers, in the process of re-employment there are a lot of people choose to join the snail flour sales industry to support their families, to maintain their livelihoods. As a result, most of these novice snail noodle sellers have not been able to get the essence of the previous production, and become one of the important reasons for the overall level of snail noodle production in this period of time has dropped dramatically, either indirectly or directly.
(Note: We do not mean to discriminate against farmers and laid-off workers, but the fact is that one or two)
d, precisely in this period, Liuzhou, a convenience food enterprises to create a convenient type of snail meal, the sauce package has been developed in a new way, although it still does not show the taste of the original, a big difference, but in fact, for the innovation of the move. The flavor of the original is still not obvious and is far from the original, but it is actually an innovation. Inspired and influenced by it, the tide of jerry-built materials has been surging, as if overnight, in the essence of snail meal, the production of powder soup can be made into ingredients to replace the soup packet, thus maliciously reducing the production cost of the problem of seeking a clear answer,. Undercurrent gradually changed into a flood, by some speculative snail powder seller listed as its best choice. Powder soup no longer need to be finely crafted, but can be speculative, behind the clumsiness lurks a fatal blow to the snail powder.
e, in addition to the level of powder soup has fallen greatly, the use of the main side dish of bamboo shoots, bamboo quality decline is also very shameful. In order to reduce costs, the side dishes fancy new, but also a variety of. Dried radish was replaced by sauerkraut, head lettuce, mustard greens, seems to be unorthodox suspicion.
f, raw materials cut corners, typically manifested in: snail material is not careful not to pay attention to health or simply not even a little snail are not put in the soup, powder soup should be snail flavor disappeared. The choice of chili oil is also mixed up, part of the chili is only to see the red selling image, but not the actual spicy flavor.
g, the traditional snail powder used should be dry cut powder, before cooking should be soaked in water to soften it, so that out of the rice noodles smooth and elastic. A period of time within a certain range, in order to save time and cost, many operators to dry cut powder instead of the ordinary squeeze powder (i.e. round rice noodles). At the same time, problematic dry-cut vermicelli continued to emerge in the market. It greatly destroys the proper taste of the rice noodles used in snail noodles.
5, recovery and development period (2001 - present)
a, into the 21st century, the basic end of the period of reform of state-owned enterprises, the pain is slowly soothed. Liuzhou is restoring the previous vigor. Catering industry's favorable appearance, snail flour after years of depression, began to recover, at this time the original more popular Guilin rice noodles have long been a big move across the breakfast market, into the middle dinner and even the night market, the market share is constantly expanding. Foreign specialties and snacks continue to influx, especially in other categories of foreign specialty rice noodles also attacked the Liuzhou market. Born love to eat, happy to hunt for fresh Liuzhou diners, powder friends (addicted to rice noodles) constantly changing the once rare passion to change the taste, people's tastes and choices continue to expand, snail powder is no longer the only favorite option for people to enjoy late-night snacks.
b, 2003, "three products king" rice noodle chain stores beach Liuzhou rice noodle market. A lot of local has been holding a "small business, a small fortune or even do not think of progress, get by" the idea of rice noodles practitioners, began to disdain, but later saw people doing more and more business, began to have a sense of crisis.
In 2004, government departments carried out a large-scale "three rectification" (refers to the rectification of the phenomenon of dirt and disorder). Before the Guilin rice noodles, special rice noodles in a big expansion and stationed; after the chain concept of strong invasion, the Liuzhou rice noodles market competition accelerated escalation, the traditional Liuzhou rice noodles and snail rice noodles market share of the decline of the great **** witnessed.
"Catfish effect" is more and more obvious, the local sense of crisis and the idea of rice flour bosses, began to think about how to engage in chain? How to implement modern enterprise management in the rice flour industry? How to maintain the characteristics of their own rice noodles and delicious? How to enhance the grade of their stores? Become these bosses think of one problem after another.
The last two years (2004-2005) in the constant thinking and practical action, Liuzhou City, the image of many rice noodle store greatly improved. Snail flour downturn revealed irregularities, the impact of the market mechanism and the diners of the survival of the fittest, to a greater extent to improve and restore.
c, snail meal industry's own awareness also continues to improve, improvement and innovation, chain management, booming! Snail powder flavor and practice return to the traditional at the same time improvement and innovation is also continuing. Improvement in living standards and the requirements of diners (some people think the same price, other rice noodles can eat meat and snail meal is not very cost-effective), the market and the requirements of diners make the emergence of the traditional snail meal and improved snail meal [such as the three fresh snail meal (with meat type)] classification trend.
6, conclusion
Whether it is abiding by the tradition or improvement and innovation, snail flour recovery trend is continuing. The status of snail meal as the first original snack in Liuzhou has never been seriously shaken. May the future of snail flour become better and better. Or the saying: "If you don't eat snail flour, you are in vain of Liuzhou people".
Because of historical reasons, the exact time and place of origin of snail flour has been difficult to test, but in the folk popularity is very wide, follow the premise of respect for history, a little to make up for the lack of snail flour allusion regret.
Legend of the origin of one: Wang Kee has Granny
In the mid-1980s, South Jiefang Road, there is a part-time dry cut powder grocery store (now "Dai Can Hotel" building), the clerk needs to study every morning, but the study is finished is already more than nine o'clock, too late for breakfast, the clerk had to take a handful of dry cut powder, to the next door to the snail stall (Granny). Next door to the Grandma snail stall (now Jiefang South Road, Goldfish Lane) to cook the powder to eat, the clerk thought it was delicious, and later on, they bought vegetables to cook together. The shopkeeper thought it was delicious and later bought vegetables to cook with it. The snail seller, Mrs. Wang Ji, also thought that the taste of the noodles was very good, so she started to sell the snail noodles. After that, after the industry went back and forth several times to improve, and add other ingredients, and then, Liuzhou's classic snack - snail flour slowly formed, full of street fragrance, the public for the wild.
Legend of the birthplace of two: Gubu night market
The end of the 1970s, the end of the Cultural Revolution, the private sector began to recover, Gubu Street market (near Milk Lane) has gradually become the largest wholesale distribution of raw snails in Liuzhou City, coupled with the cause of the nearby Worker's Cinema in the days of the number of large numbers of casual audience from the side of the strong pull, the Gubu Street night market has also been formed. Liuzhou people are addicted to snail and rice noodles is a tradition, some shrewd night market bosses began to operate at the same time boiled snail and rice noodles to. At that time, people didn't have such rich and delicious dishes as we have today, so they didn't have much oil in their stomachs. So after the movie, those hungry diners, intentionally or unintentionally asked to add a few spoons of snail soup with a lot of oil in their own order of rice noodles to enjoy together, which slowly formed the prototype of snail noodles. After its ingredients and production process has been improved and perfected, and gradually molded, a hair out of control, and in the mid-1980s developed to its first boom, snail flour as Liuzhou's original signature snack status has also been established and consolidated.
Legend of origin III: no coincidence
Late one night in the early 1980s, a few outsiders rushed to Liuzhou, hungry to find a nearly closed rice noodle stalls, but the rice noodle must be used for the bone broth is no longer available, there is only a pot of boiled snail snail soup, the owner of the stalls in a hurry, the rice noodle into the snail soup to cook, and then add greens, as well as peanuts and other vegetables, the few outsiders ate it, and the big surprise was that the rice noodle was not cooked, but the snail soup was not cooked. These foreigners ate it, and shouted that it was delicious. The owner of the stall will be in mind, and gradually improve its ingredients and production, and then slowly formed the prototype of the current snail noodles.
Snail flour first appeared in the late 1970s, no later than the early 1980s, due to the serious lack of relevant information, the exact origin has been difficult to prove, and has a strong "snail complex" and "rice flour complex" of the Liuzhou people, in the unintentional inadvertent, created a famous Liuzhou original first snack - snail flour. History's clever arrangement, there may also be its inevitable side.