Anyone who has been to Wuning as a guest and eaten the banquet in Wuning's hometown will have a special liking for this unique and rich wild vegetable. It does not pay attention to high-protein and high-fat foods, such as big fish and big meat, whole chickens and whole ducks. It is all made up of local products in mountainous areas, such as shredded bean curd, sugar-fried sesame cake, glutinous rice snowflake ball, preserved meat and alkaline water cake, auricularia rice noodle skin and so on. Especially the first dish on the table-Babao assorted soup and the last dish of wine-Linglong Pearl Pill, its color and fragrance make people more fragrant and unforgettable for a long time.
"Babao Assorted Soup" is named after "Babao", but in fact it consists of more than eight kinds. Its preparation method is to take a little raw food from the banquet, chop it into brown or minced powder, stir-fry it in a pot according to its fire, then add broth to boil, and add cooked peanut powder, oil residue powder, diced water chestnut, egg white, starch, chopped green onion and seasoning when taking it out of the pot. Needless to say, its taste, that is, looking at the colors in the bowl, red, Huang Qingbai and black, can make people's appetite open and their mouths water. It seems to be an ordinary soup, and it is difficult to master three things: first, the selection of materials requires a combination of meat, hardness and color; Second, cooking, frying oil should be fragrant but not dry, people who soak in water should be tender but not raw, and the cooking order should be determined according to raw materials; Third, if the pot is cooked, it will become clear soup without it, and the slag will sink to the bottom without floating, which is neither refreshing nor beautiful. If it is too thick, it is mushy, difficult to swallow at the entrance, thick and tasteless. Whether cooking is proper or not depends on a lot of practice and produces subtle feelings.
Legend has it that there lived a farmer in front of Jinjipo at the foot of Jiugong Mountain. The old couple are kind-hearted, hardworking and simple. They have four sons. Father and son cultivate a few acres of mountains. They work at sunrise and rest at sunset. Although I get up early and work hard against the wind and rain, I can't cope with the endless corvee, pay the endless rent and land tax, and work hard all the year round, rarely having enough to eat and wear. On this day, the old couple called their four sons to them and said, "Instead of staying with their families and dying of hunger and cold, it is better to go their separate ways and find their own way." If you can find one, it will be considered that God opened his eyes! " After the old man finished speaking, he gave each son a farm tool and a bag of dry food, waved with tears and repeatedly told him, "Go! If you are promising, come back on New Year's Eve in three years, remember! Remember! " The four sons bid farewell to their elderly parents in tears and went to find their own livelihood.
Three years have passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, it is New Year's Eve, rich families, clouds steaming Xia Wei, full of brightness; Poor man, the pot is empty and the stove is cold, and the child is crying and heartbroken. The old man's food has long been gone, only a little potato powder is left. Add some pumpkin and cook a pot of paste to make it a New Year's Eve. The old couple were sitting in front of the fireplace and were about to eat when there was a burst of laughter outside the door. Four sons pushed the door and came in, followed by four strong and plain-dressed mountain girls. Walking up to the old man, he respectfully called "Dad" and "Mom", and then knelt down. The old man was surprised and happy, and the family celebrated the reunion with tears in their eyes.
After four sons told stories about going out to make a living, the old man sighed and said, "There is nothing at home except a pot of mashed potatoes. Let's eat a little and talk about it tomorrow! " After hearing this, the four sons hurriedly motioned to their daughters-in-law, only to see them take out radishes, garlic, tofu, eggs, mushrooms, white fungus, yellow flowers, corn flour, soba noodles, pheasants, rabbits and so on from the basket. Daughter-in-law said that everyone cooked a dish to honor their parents, celebrate the Spring Festival, congratulate the whole family on their reunion and invite their parents to taste the food. The old couple looked at their son and daughter-in-law and smiled from ear to ear. Soon, eight hot and delicious dishes were served on the table. In order to avoid disharmony between brothers and sisters caused by eating food, the old man poured all eight dishes into mashed potatoes and said, "The poor don't pay attention to a few dishes and bowls, they just need a pot of stew." Afterwards, he smashed the whole dish with a spatula. While stirring, he said, "This is called eight flavors harmony and a good pot of food. You have me and I have you, which can satisfy your appetite and satisfy your hunger. The poor are happy. Call it' Babao Assorted Soup'! " Later, it became a famous dish at Wuning folk banquets or family banquets.