China’s food culture has a long history, carrying the local customs, history and culture, culinary characteristics, taste bud preferences and nostalgic memories of various places... Those famous officials of the Holy Emperor who are commemorated and praised by the people in the form of delicious food, It has been famous for centuries and has become a household name; those delicacies that were personally tasted, praised and recommended by emperors have continued to be carried forward and passed down from generation to generation. They have strong vitality that will last for thousands of years and are widely welcomed by the people.
Qin Shihuang and Liangpi
Liangpi is available in many places, but why is Shaanxi Liangpi so famous and delicious? Because that is the birthplace of Liangpi, it became a royal tribute due to the favor of Qin Shihuang. The production technology was continuously improved, and the patterns were numerous and refined. It became popular in the Three Qin Dynasties, and then spread throughout the Central Plains and the north and south of the Yangtze River for more than two thousand years.
Qin Town, also known as Qindu Town, is located in Huyi District (Hu County), Xi'an. It was once the capital of the Western Zhou Dynasty. According to legend, one year there was a severe drought in Qinzhen, and the rice withered. The harvested rice was small and dry, making it impossible to pay tribute. A farmer named Li Twelve ground this rice into rice pulp, steamed it in a steamer to make rice skin, cut it into thin strips, added seasonings, and presented it to the court. Qin Shihuang was so delighted after tasting it that he waived the local annual tax and designated Qinzhen Liangpi as a tribute. Over time, it became a famous traditional snack. "Chang'an County Chronicle" and "Liuba County Chronicle" describe the origin of rice noodles in Hanzhong (in southern Shaanxi) and there are similar stories related to Qin Shihuang.
Liangpi is divided into two categories: rice skin and dough skin. Rice skin is made by grinding rice and steaming it, while dough skin is made by washing and steaming wheat flour. Liangpi can appetize and remove greasiness, remove dampness and relieve heat, reduce fire and relieve fatigue. "Compendium of Materia Medica" says: Rice can nourish the spleen, and wheat can nourish the heart. A good spleen makes a person healthy; a good heart makes a person honest. Qin people have been blessed with this since ancient times.
The jade-white skin is topped with bright red oily chili seeds and served with crispy bean sprouts, cucumber shreds or celery. It is full of color, flavor and flavor. The smooth and refreshing Qinzhen rice noodles are made from local indica rice, while the Hanzhong hot rice noodles are soft, glutinous and spicy. The Guanzhong noodles in Woye Qianli are mostly made of wheat dough, which is springy and chewy. Some of them are mixed with honeycomb-shaped gluten (croak) that is full of soup, which is sour and spicy. The tough Baoji Qishan dough is really delicious and refreshing! There are also baked noodles, sesame paste cold noodles, konjac cold noodles, black rice cold noodles, mung bean cold noodles... In northwest regions such as Gansu, Ningxia, and Xinjiang, this kind of dough steamed with flour slurry is called stuffed noodles and is very popular. Specialties.
Liangpi is cheap, high-quality, convenient and fast. It can be eaten cold or stir-fried, and can be eaten in all seasons. Liangpi is an indispensable part of local banquets at weddings, funerals, or various festive festivals. Liangpi has low investment, large profits and quick returns, and has become one of the main items of snack business. Secret recipes passed down from ancestors, masters among the people, and seasonings vary from place to place and from person to person, each with its own merits.
Liu Bang and Ziyang Steamed Pot
Ziyang Steamed Pot is a famous traditional snack that originated in Hanwang Town, Ziyang County, Shaanxi Province. The widely circulated legend is that it was founded in the Liu Bang period of Han Dynasty. When Liu Bang led his army to the Han Dynasty at night, the villagers prepared to throw a banquet to entertain them. However, the army was about to leave the next day, and it was too late to cook step by step. The smart chef adds seasonings such as pig's trotters, hens, squid, black fungus, lotus root, etc., puts them into a large black basin, and steams them over high heat overnight. In the early morning, the soldiers woke up from the smell of the delicious food and devoured it like a whirlwind. They were all refreshed. Liu Bang was very impressed and asked what the name of this dish was. The chef had never done this before. When he was in trouble, he saw the big black basin on the table and had an idea and said that the dish was called "steamed basin".
Ziyang Steamed Pot was first served as a stew for steamboat workers on the Han River when they had a rest, and later developed into the final dish at the New Year's Eve reunion dinner. The materials are carefully selected, the workmanship is fine, and the procedures are complex. The main ingredients are all local products, including whole chickens (local chickens), pig trotters, lotus roots, red and white radish, yellow flowers, fungus, mushrooms, egg dumplings, cuttlefish and other dried vegetables. The main utensils are large black basins produced locally. When cooking, earth stoves and bamboo fire must be used, and the cooking time must be more than 8 hours.
Thousands of flavors gathered in one pot, mellow and delicious. The ingot-shaped egg dumplings mean "prosperity in all seasons", the "goldfish" shape means "abundance all year round", and the steaming pot symbolizes reunion, auspiciousness, wealth and prosperity. For entertaining distinguished guests and organizing weddings and weddings, this unique and precious dish is the only dish at the banquet. It is also used to make steaming pots to express kindness to close relatives and friends when they return home, or when traveling far away.
Emperor Taizong’s Bamboo Shoot Banquet, Fine Wine and Noodle Soup
“Spring bamboo shoots are a must-try for everyone”. They have been regarded as “treasures in dishes” since ancient times. They are fat, tender, crispy, nutritious and delicious. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty liked to eat bamboo shoots very much. Whenever the spring bamboo shoots were on the market, he would always gather his ministers to eat bamboo shoots, which was called a "bamboo shoot banquet". He also used bamboo shoots to symbolize the prosperity of the country and the emergence of talents, like "bamboo shoots springing up after the rain." During the Zhenguan Dynasty, there were fierce generals, counselors, and talented people. The twenty-four heroes of Lingyan Pavilion were all the best. It was known as the gathering of prime ministers, assistants, generals, and heroes of the Qingming Dynasty in China. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty "drives talented people and treats scholars with sincerity". He accepts advice readily and only promotes talents. The relationship between the emperor and his ministers is extremely harmonious. Liu Zongyuan's "Dragon City Records" records that Taizong specially gave Wei Zheng "vinegar celery" at the banquet because it was his favorite side dish. Wei Zheng, who was usually serious in speech and outspoken in admonishing, was so happy that he ate all the vinegar and celery before eating, and talked and laughed happily.
In the fourteenth year of Zhenguan (640), after Tang Taizong obtained the horse milk grape and wine brewing method from Gaochang State (Turpan), he not only planted grapes in the palace garden, but also personally participated in the brewing, making eight colors of wine. "The fragrance is pungent and strong, and the taste is rich. After it was given to the ministers, the capital began to recognize its taste." (Volume 970 of "Cefu Yuangui" in the Song Dynasty) The brewing of wine moved from the palace to the people, and the cultivation of grapes followed. universal. The Tang Dynasty was a glorious period in the history of Chinese wine making. People in the Tang Dynasty who often drank rice wine fell in love with this health-beautifying grape wine.
The foot of Cuifeng Mountain in Zhouzhi County, Shaanxi Province is the place where King Qin Li Shimin met the immortal. The legend of "Suogu Green Tea to Welcome the King of Tang" originated from here. After Taizong ascended the throne, he pardoned Suo Gu and named her "Quanzhen Empress". The Cuifeng Fu (noodle soup) made by Suo Gu for him also became a delicacy in the royal banquet and was very popular in the northwest region. This Suogu who became an immortal by cultivating Taoism is recorded in "Illustrated Records of Guanzhong Scenic Spots", "General Records of Shaanxi", and "Hengzhou Ou Ji" written by Zou Ru, the magistrate of Zhouzhi County in the Qing Dynasty. The ruins of the Bone Sloughing Cave where Suogu sat on the ancient cliff of Hua still exist. The Shrine of Our Lady of Suogu on the top of Cuifeng Mountain has been popular since the Tang Dynasty. Folks call the fairy the "Mother of the Sons".
Taizong had a special liking for "Shaolin Babao Cake" and praised it as a "rare and unique flavor". Unfortunately, the essence and secret recipe of Babao Cake was lost after the Tang Dynasty.
When Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty went to Linyou Jiucheng Palace to escape the summer heat and inspect the people's sentiments in the countryside, he liked to eat thin and smooth blood noodles. This noodle is made from fresh pig blood (or sheep blood) and is steamed in a basket before being dried and preserved, so it has a unique flavor. Also because the production process is complicated and troublesome, no one can do it elsewhere. Because the emperor liked it, the local people cherished it even more. For thousands of years, people in Linyou County have passed down the craft of blood noodles from generation to generation, and almost every household can make it.
Song Taizu and Mutton Steamed Bun
The most delicious delicacy in Guanzhong is the famous mutton steamed bun. It is fragrant, the meat is tender and the soup is mellow, the steamed bun is tough and tasty, and warms the stomach. Hungry, replenish qi and strengthen the body. The forthright northwest men were holding huge bowls, sucking and working hard, eating heartily and making others envious.
In the Western Zhou Dynasty, beef and mutton soup was listed as a ceremonial meal for kings and princes, and it was called "yang soup" in ancient times. Beef and mutton steamed buns evolved from the ancient beef and mutton soup. Suzong of the Tang Dynasty (757) borrowed the Dashi (Arab) army to work with the Tang army to quell the "Anshi Rebellion". Chang'an people saw that the food soldiers often mixed mutton soup with "Turml" (Turml) cakes to eat. Is this probably the predecessor of "Turml" (mutton soaked buns)? But the most talked about and widely influential story is the story of Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty who accidentally invented steamed buns made with mutton soup.
Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin had a difficult time when he was young and unsuccessful. It is said that one winter, he lived in Chang'an and was penniless. He only had two dry buns left, which were so hard that they were hard to swallow. It happened that there was a small shop on the street that was cooking mutton. He asked the shopkeeper for a bowl of steaming mutton soup, broke up the buns and soaked them until soft. This delicious "soup soaked buns" made Zhao Kuangyin feel hot all over, and his hunger and cold were gone. Great spirits.
Ten years later, Zhao Kuangyin became the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty and tasted all the delicacies in the world, but he could not forget the bowl of steamed buns in mutton soup that was so fragrant and warmed his whole body. He asked the imperial chef to make it Several times, I always felt that it was not the same as before.
Zhao Kuangyin went out on inspection and traveled to Chang'an. He came to the street where he once wandered. He got off the chariot and went straight to the shop and ordered a bowl of mutton soup to make steamed buns. The emperor arrived, and the people were shocked by the surprise. The shop owner broke up the dead (unfermented) dough that his wife had cooked in a hurry, poured it with mutton soup and boiled it again, added spinach, vermicelli, and a few slices of mutton, mixed with seasonings, and served it to the emperor. A big bowl full. Zhao Kuangyin tasted it, and the long-lost taste came back, and he immediately ate it. After eating, he felt completely refreshed and satisfied. The emperor immediately rewarded the store owner.
Soon, the news that the emperor came to eat mutton steamed buns spread throughout Chang'an, and more and more people came here to taste the delicious food. Many restaurants followed suit and business was booming. Especially in the cold winter, people want to warm their bodies and improve their energy like Zhao Kuangyin. In addition, the stories circulated are quite inspirational, and mutton steamed buns have become a "delicacy" loved by dignitaries and ordinary people. It looks simple and rough, but in fact, everything from the preparation of the soup stock to the cooking process to the making of the steamed buns is very particular, and it is known as "the best bowl in the world". Even the great writer and gourmet Su Dongpo praised it: "Qin's cooking is only yolk soup, and Long's cuisine has bear wax." ("He Zi You Churi Jian Ji").
Kublai Khan and Shabu-Shabu Mutton
On a cold winter night, with strong wind and flying snow, the house is filled with hot air and fragrant aroma. Relatives and friends sit around eating hot pot and mutton, drinking wine and chatting, which is warm and nourishing as well as warm and comfortable.
Hot pot was called "antique soup" in ancient times. It got its name from the "clunking" sound made when food is put into boiling water. The tripod of the Zhou Dynasty should be the earliest prototype of hot pot. Cao Pi, Emperor Wen of the Three Kingdoms Dynasty, had his "five-cooked pot", which is a pot that cooks different ingredients at the same time in five compartments. It can be called the ancestor of "Mandarin Duck Pot". By the Tang Dynasty, there were already copper "hot pots". After thousands of years, it spread all over the country, including Sichuan's spicy food, Fujian and Guangdong's seafood, Hubei's game, Beijing's shabu-shabu... Hot pot combines the New Year atmosphere of reunions of thousands of families, and is known as the "spring breeze on the table" in the cold winter.
Mutton warms the heart and stomach, strengthens yang, replenishes qi and blood, dispels cold and keeps fit. It is a good food for tonic in winter.
"Mutton pot is the most common delicacy in the cold weather...it is a relic of the nomadic past in the north..." ("Hundred Stories of the Old Capital"). According to research, the mural unearthed in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, of ancient people sitting on the floor around a hot pot, depicts the Khitan people eating boiled mutton in the early Liao Dynasty. After the Chanyuan Alliance, there was no war between the Song and Liao Dynasties for a hundred years, and economic and trade exchanges were frequent. The Northern Song Dynasty exported tea and silk. The plump Liao sheep were very popular among the officials and people of the Song Dynasty. Hot pot was available in the taverns in Kaifeng City, Tokyo in winter. Lin Hong, a scholar of the Southern Song Dynasty, wrote in detail the process of boiling rabbit meat in "Shanjia Qinggong", and emphasized that the same method is used for boiling pig and mutton. After the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty took over the Central Plains, it brought about the peak of mutton consumption in China, and the methods of mutton were also diversified. Among them, "raw Cuan (sound cuàn) sheep" is the predecessor of today's mutton-shabu. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty would eat hot pot with chicken, mutton and mushrooms every winter solstice. The "Thousands of Old Man Banquet" organized by this long-lived emperor had more than 1,550 hot pot dishes. Mutton hotpot is also a popular diet full of market smoke. "Qingbaileichao" records: "In the winter in the capital... it is best to boil mutton."
The most widely spread one is Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty. and the legend of hotpot mutton. Back then, Kublai Khan led his army south. Just when he was setting up camp and preparing dinner, a battle report came from the front line. It was too late to stew mutton, but you can't fight on an empty stomach! At Kublai Khan's urging, the chef cut the mutton into thin slices with a flying knife, rinsed it in boiling water, took it out and sprinkled it with salt. The soldiers finished eating quickly and hurriedly mounted their horses to meet the enemy. Kublai Khan greatly appreciated this method. Not only did it cook quickly without delaying the opportunity to fight, but it was also exceptionally tender and delicious. From then on, mutton-boiled meat was often made in the army.
Kublai Khan made his capital Beijing, and his favorite mutton-boiled meat was served at luxurious palace banquets. The copper pot used to cook mutton looks like a yurt when it is covered, and it looks like a Mongolian cavalry helmet when it is opened. It is said that Marco Polo had this kind of Mongolian hot pot in the palace of the Yuan Dynasty, so the English translation of hot pot is Mongolian (Hot Pot), while the Japanese and Koreans simply call the hot pot "Kublai Khan".
"Marco Polo's Travels" (also translated as "Oriental Insights"), which was dictated by Marco Polo and recorded by Ruth Tiqian, mentioned that there were many banquet utensils and "extremely "Exquisite", "In the Golden Kingdom of the East, residents like to eat milk ice", and "noodles". Unfortunately, there is no record of hot pot, and it may be abridged in different versions. This strange book is still controversial, but the folklore Its powerful force cannot be underestimated, and it has historical value as a supplementary reference.
Shabu-shabu mutton is not just stewed and slow-cooked. The meat is sliced ??as thin as paper and evenly smooth. When cooked, it changes color and can be eaten with sesame sauce and other condiments. Authentic mutton-shabu-shabu specializes in clear soup in a copper pot. Just put some green onions, ginger, wolfberry, and dried shrimps in the base soup. What you get is the freshness of the mutton and the taste of nature. Finally, rinse some cabbage, tofu, and vermicelli to clear your mouth. Therefore, mutton-boiled meat has very high requirements for meat quality. In the early years, the best mutton restaurants in old Beijing chose sheep from the Xilin Gol Prairie of Mongolia. They were mellow and not overpowering, tender and delicious.
Zhu Yuanzhang and Bai Yin Ruyi
He was a poor cowherd boy, an orphan whose family had been destroyed, and a young monk who was begging for food. Once he fainted from hunger on the roadside. Fortunately, a kind-hearted old woman saved him. For him, this bowl of food made with rotten vegetable leaves, rotten tofu and leftover rice grains became his favorite delicacy - Pearl Jade White Jade Soup.
This wandering monk who lived in the open air later became the founding emperor who unified the world. He conquered the south and the north and regained the northern barrier that the Han people in the Central Plains had lost for four hundred years - the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. Zhu Yuanzhang, Taizu of the Ming Dynasty (October 1328-June 1398).
All this was achieved on the eve of his 40th birthday (in the autumn of 1368). At the celebration banquet to reward the ministers, Zhu Yuanzhang named him to eat "Silver Ruyi". The imperial chef was confused. He had never heard of it and didn't know how to make it. Only Queen Ma Niangniang, who was familiar with the emperor's living habits and dietary preferences, understood it and told the imperial chef the specific method.
At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the world was in chaos. Zhu Yuanzhang defected to Guo Zixing's rebel army. Because of his strange appearance, bravery in combat and proficiency in writing, he was appreciated by Guo Zixing and became the ninth commander of the marshal's personal soldiers. If you send him to lead troops in war, he will win every battle. He is brave, resourceful, and capable. He is a talented and blessed general! Therefore, Guo Zixing betrothed his adopted daughter Miss Ma (Ma Xiuying, later Queen Ma) to him, and the 25-year-old Zhu Yuanzhang became the marshal's son-in-law.
The chefs at Shuaifu are good at making good pasta. One of them is called "Baiyin Ruyi", which is made by kneading fermented flour and alkaline water thoroughly, removing the sour taste, and then adding white sugar and steaming it quickly. of. Snow-white as silver, shaped like cotton bolls, soft and plump, the top "smiles" like a flower bud blooming, also known as "flowering steamed buns" and "flowering steamed buns".
Zhu Yuanzhang, who was suffering from hunger and cold, had never eaten such good steamed food. It was soft, delicate and pliable. The more he chewed it, the more he loved it. It had a rich wheat aroma and a light sweetness. It is also delicious when eaten with vegetables and porridge. This "Silver Ruyi", which means good luck and beauty, is just like his moon-faced bride. He, who was homeless and had nothing, finally ushered in the spring of his life and had a warm home from then on.
His honest and wise wife has always tried her best to help and support him. She is not only considerate and polite, but also dedicated to solving his problems. Ma Xiuying's "saving her husband with a pancake" is a well-known story. Ma Dajiao (without bound feet) carrying her injured husband to escape from danger is even more touching. Through life and death, adversity and sexual intercourse, the husband and wife are loving and affectionate.
After ascending to the throne, Zhu Yuanzhang repeatedly praised the queen's virtues to his ministers, comparing it to "squid bean porridge" and "Hutuo wheat rice" ("Book of the Later Han·Feng Yi Zhuan"). Although he is already a ninety-five-year-old, he still feels more comfortable and at ease eating home-cooked civilian meals.
At the end of the celebration banquet, the emperor's favorite "Silver Ruyi Flower Bun" was brought out. The ministers tasted it and praised it repeatedly. Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Ma Xiuying, ordering this noodle dish was also a tribute to Wang Husband's virtuous wife, and his understanding wife nodded to her husband with a smile...
Legend has it that steamed buns were invented by Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms period. There is a record in "Book of Jin: He Zengzhuan" that "the steamed cake will not be eaten unless it is made into a cross", which means that the steamed cake will not be eaten until there are cross cracks on the steamed cake. This kind of "flowering steamed bun" that cracks after steaming after fermentation is actually more like pistachios. Peng Dayi of the Ming Dynasty mentioned in "Shantang Si Kao Food Volume 2" that Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty ordered the palace maids to pick flowers and steamed rice cakes to give to important ministers. In the late Qing Dynasty, Empress Dowager Cixi could not do without "Baiyin Ruyi" for her daily breakfast! Flowered steamed buns are a festival and banquet snack for Kaifeng people. They are gifts given by villagers in Shaanxi to relatives and friends. In some villages and counties in Shanxi, every household steams flowered steamed buns during festivals.
The production process of flowering steamed buns is quite strict. To make authentic steamed buns that open naturally during steaming, the word "fa" is important. Sufficient fermentation is the key (the dough will rise to twice its original size). After the noodles are mixed, they need to be fermented twice. The skill of kneading the dough and the strength of kneading the dough are also very important. No yeast or baking powder is used, and the dough is made using the ancient method of laofei (noodle starter). The traditional flavor is naturally mellow and chewy. The more simple and unpretentious the pasta is, the more it tests your skill.