"Although the color of Zhenjiang vinegar is good, the taste is not very sour, which loses the original purpose of vinegar. Banpu vinegar is the first, followed by Pukou vinegar." - "Suiyuan Food List" (written by Yuan Mei of the Qing Dynasty) grew up in Lianyungang.

He has a deep jealousy towards his hometown.

When I was a kid, when I ate dumplings and soaked Laba garlic, my family would ask me to make vinegar. At that time, bottled products were rarely available.

To eat crabs, we only need a plate of vinegar and a little shredded ginger. (Suzhou people think that eating crabs this way is too primitive. When they eat crabs - mostly river crabs - they need to use a lot of seasonings as dipping sauces.) Vinegar and ginger

The taste is perfect for bringing out the umami flavor of crab.

Banpu vinegar is a general name. To be more specific, it should be called Banpu "Wang Shuyou" vinegar.

This brand may not be that famous now, but it was very famous back then.

Let me tell you its history: Wang Yiyu (about 1633-about 1714), the founder of "Wang Shuyou" vinegar, was originally from Huizhou (now Shexian County, Anhui Province). He moved to Dasi Lane, Banpu in the early years of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty;

He built a workshop at home and made a living by boiling "old sugar" and selling it; later he switched to using sorghum to brew vinegar.

He is smart, capable and ingenious.

He carefully researched the vinegar formula, constantly improved the operating process, and quickly developed a set of techniques and experiences to make the vinegar better and better.

The vinegar made by his family is bright in color without turbidity, and the acidity is strong and mellow. Only a few drops are needed each time to taste delicious, mellow, long-lasting and unique in flavor, so people call it "drip vinegar".

In the 14th year of Kangxi (AD 1675), Wang Yiyu, with the support and initiative of Tian Zhongyu (a native of Weinan, who served for the seventh year of Kangxi), the then ambassador of Banpu Chang Salt Department, hung a "Wang Shuyou" sign on the door of his workshop.

"The gold-lettered signboard, with Su Dongpo's inscription on the Wang family genealogy on both sides, is "Forgiveness can only reach things, and the right way can make money by itself."

From then on, "Wang Shu You".

Vinegar dripping started in ancient Haizhou and even the Lianghuai area.

Around the 53rd year of Kangxi (Jiawu Year, 1714 AD), Wang Yiyu died of illness at the age of 81. He was buried in Kunxiang, Liangshan, Dunlangzhuang, West Banpu City (today's Youzhuang Village, Banpu Town). He had sons Canyu and Can

Two people, Wen, inherited their father's business and still made a living by making vinegar.

By the fifth generation of the Wang family, the workshop moved to an alley near the center of the town.

From then on, this alley was called "Wangju Alley" by the masses, and this alley name has been used to this day.

During the Qing Dynasty, successive prefects of Haizhou liked to eat this vinegar and often sent people to Banpu Wang's workshop to pick up the vinegar.

In the spring of the 16th year of Qianlong's reign (AD 1751), Emperor Qianlong went down to the south of the Yangtze River and crossed the canal. Haizhou Zhizhou Fanglu Anhui (who was born in Tianchang) went to pay a visit. Among the local famous specialties he contributed was "Wang Shuyou" vinegar.

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Yuan Mei (Zicai, 1716-1797), a great talent at that time, was overjoyed when he heard about this.

It turns out that he is not only a famous poet and litterateur in the Chinese literary world, but also a gourmet who specializes in cooking.

In the eighth to ninth years of Qianlong's reign, Yuan Mei served as the magistrate of Shuyang County and had long heard of Banpu Wang's vinegar drippings, but he had not studied it carefully. Later, he planned to write a cooking monograph, but because of the "ingredients" in it,

In one section, I was having difficulty because I was not satisfied with the famous vinegars from many places.

Not long after, Yuan Mei, who had just turned 40, resigned from the post of Jiangning County Magistrate, went to Banpu personally to inspect, purchased a jar of Wang's vinegar, and used the vinegar to cook a dish of sweet and sour fish. After tasting it, he thought it was well-deserved.

After returning to Nanjing, he retired to Xiaocangshan Suiyuan. While writing "Xiaocangshan Poetry Collection" and "Suiyuan Poetry Talk", he also wrote the book "Suiyuan Food List" (commonly known as "Eating Recipe" by the masses)

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Before writing this book, Yuan Mei specially made a dish using "Wang Shuyou" vinegar and vinegar from Zhenjiang, Pukou and other places, and invited officials, friends and poets to taste and appreciate it. As a result, everyone unanimously praised the use of Banpu vinegar.

The cooked dishes taste the best.

When Yuan Mei saw that everyone was in agreement, he became more confident and convinced.

In the "Ingredients" chapter of "Suiyuan Food List", he particularly praised Banpu's "Wang Shuyou" vinegar.

He wrote: "A cook's cooking is like a woman's clothing and jewelry. Although she has talent, even if she paints it, it is difficult for her to wear a blue jacket. ... Although Zhenjiang vinegar has a good color, the taste is not very sour and loses its taste.

The original purpose of vinegar is Banpu vinegar, followed by Pukou vinegar."

Although this comment is a bit biased, it does serve as a celebrity advertisement.

Since its publication in the 57th year of Qianlong's reign (AD 1792), "Suiyuan Food List" has been reprinted many times, thus making Banpu, an ancient civilized town that was already well-known, become famous for its time-honored product "Mei Vinegar".

It has enjoyed a good reputation over the years.

Nowadays, there are stories circulating in Banpu that "Emperor Qianlong tasted some sourness and Yuan Zizicai wrote and borrowed it...'Wang Shuyou' signboard was erected" and "Yuan Zicai skillfully made sweet and sour fish, and the name of 'Wang Shuyou' passed down the recipe,"!