Everyone in Zhenjiang must know about the Three Monsters of Zhenjiang.

There is a saying in Zhenjiang that goes, "The balsamic vinegar is not bad, the meat is not a dish, and the noodle pot is boiled with the lid." You can guess the first of Zhenjiang's three weirdos. Yes, it is balsamic vinegar. Zhenjiang Hengshun Group is also one of the best-known local companies in Zhenjiang, and has truly promoted balsamic vinegar to the whole country, and even the world. In a recent US survey on the most popular Chinese products in the United States, Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar ranked second only to Laoganma, < /p>

It is said that Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar was invented by Heita, the son of Wine Saint Du Kang. At that time, Du Kang and his son gave this rare product to their neighbors to try. The neighbors repeatedly said that it tasted good. After that, more and more people came to buy it. This balsamic vinegar was sold in Zhenjiang City at that time. , and then became famous all over the world.

Then the people of Zhenjiang at that time discovered that vinegar would not deteriorate after being stored for a long time. On the contrary, the longer it was stored, the more mellow its flavor became. "Basic vinegar never goes bad" has become a major feature of Zhenjiang vinegar.

Zhenjiang Balsamic Vinegar is famous both at home and abroad for its strong color and fresh taste, fragrant but slightly sweet, sour but not astringent.

What delicious foods are there in Zhenjiang? Ning Zhenyang both belong to Huaiyang cuisine but are not exactly the same. Zhenjiang has more red soup. Du Mu's "Poems of Du Qiuniang": "The water of Jingjiang River is clear and smooth, and the birth of girls is as white as fat." Zhenjiang's delicacies are also like the cold spring in the heart of the river, which is due to the beauty of the water.

Traditional delicacies include three fish and two heads... anchovy and saury are hard to eat. I lived in Jingkou when I was a child and have been away for more than 30 years. The chili pork made by my girlfriend’s mother is the most unforgettable delicacy.

Zhenjiang is a dock. Since its opening as a port 3,500 years ago, it has always been a place with various influences. The food is naturally influenced by various places.

For example, the halal snacks include Jingjiang Navel, Da Jingguo and Xiao Jingguo... Jingjiang Navel has a very long history. It is said that it was originally an octagonal shape in the early Qing Dynasty because it was taboo for the Manchu rulers at that time (the Eight Banners soldiers were eaten), had to be changed to the current hexagonal shape. The famous know-how of Jingjiang navel is all in the craftsmanship and firework. When making Jingjiang navel, knead the oiled flour into a small ball, like a steamed bun, gently cut it into hexagonal shapes with a knife, and then stick it to the furnace wall or push it into the oven. , the fragrance will waft out after a while, shovel it down and eat it. The freshly baked Jingjiang navel is like a three-dimensional snowflake with six distinct corners. It tastes soft and crispy. It can also be broken open and eaten soaked in boiling water and broth. When the elderly eat noodles, they often soak it in the noodle soup. With flavor. There is also a kind of sugar navel that is sprayed with brown sugar water and turns red when cooked. Because it is easy to digest, it is a nourishing food for women after childbirth. "Brahma Tian Lu Cong Lu" anecdotes between the government and the public: "When Emperor Qianlong was on tour to the south, the Empress Dowager became dizzy while crossing the river and committed mischief, so she wanted to find food to calm her down. When a patrolling patrol boat was on the side of the imperial boat, he brought in three Jingjiang embroidery coins he had brought, and the Empress Dowager ate I was very happy. After staying at Jinshan Palace, Emperor Gaozong paid his respects. The Empress Dowager felt seasick while crossing the river, so she recovered from the fatigue of the Jingjiang River. "

I remember that there was a small Muslim restaurant called Jiuru. ..The most impressive thing is the rabbit head in the four corners.

I used to choose old sow pork for the meat, because of its thick muscle fiber and moderate hardness due to the action of saltpeter...

Pot noodles! !

The unique method of pot cover noodles is the use of "jumping noodles". The so-called jumping noodles are to put the kneaded noodles on the chopping board, and the operator sits at one end of the bamboo pole. , the other end is fixed on the chopping board, jumping up and down, like dancing, like acrobatics, repeatedly squeezed into thin dough, and cut into strips with a knife.

Of course, pot lid noodles are small pot lids that are placed on top of the soup while the noodles are being cooked.

So why put the pot lid? In order to allow ventilation around the large iron pot but prevent the boiling water from overflowing, the wooden pot lid can hold down the rolling noodles. The noodles stick under the pot lid, and the water boils around it. There is no gap between the water and the pot lid, and the cooked noodles are It's very chewy, and the noodles are put in portion by portion and won't stick together after they're cooked.

Therefore, the unique taste of pot noodles has made it famous throughout the country.

In addition, the toppings of Zhenjiang pot noodles are now diversified and more distinctive. If the pot noodles developed by the dock culture in the past were first and foremost convenient and delicious, today's pot noodles have long been soup noodles, using pig trotters, trotters, and ribs to make a thick white soup full of colloids. , paired with jumping noodles and topped with a spoonful of cooked minced meat, it’s a real treat. ,

I am from the north, and Zhenjiang pot noodles are still very suitable for my taste. Later, I invited friends from Beijing and Shandong to come, and they all have a fondness for pot noodles. Solitary. What I’m talking about here is red soup noodles. It is served with long fish. In fact, I think the ingredients are insignificant compared with the noodle soup. Secondly, there are many brands of pork delicacies on the market now. You can eat them again and again, but I have also tried some brands that are not delicious. The balsamic vinegar is too sour and I can’t get used to it.

There are three strange things in Zhenjiang: the meat is not a dish, the balsamic vinegar is not good, and the lid of the noodle pot is cooked inside. What do these three sentences mean?

Delicate meat is not a dish

Delicate meat is actually called salted meat, and Zhenjiang people call it meat. There is also an interesting legend about this delicacy.

Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong went down to Zhenjiang from the south of the Yangtze River and took a group of ministers out for inspection. He felt hungry while walking, so he walked into a small restaurant and wanted to eat something. The lady boss saw so many well-dressed dignitaries. , was very nervous, and in a hurry accidentally sprinkled saltpeter into the pot for cooking meat. Unexpectedly, the cooked meat was fragrant. Emperor Qianlong ate it and praised it. He thought it was a rare delicacy, so he gave the meat to the pot. It was named "Yorou".

Zhenjiang people have the habit of drinking morning tea. Meat is indispensable. There is no feast without meat. On the morning tea table, meat is eaten as a snack instead of a dish, so the saying goes "meat" Not suitable for food."

The balsamic vinegar is not bad

Zhenjiang’s Hengshun balsamic vinegar is world-famous. In many foreign films, as long as there is a shot of a vinegar bottle in Chinatown, the trademark must be Zhenjiang Fragrance. Vinegar, I went out on an international cruise and found that among the various condiments provided for tourists on the ship, there was also a bottle of Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar, which shows that Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar has gone global. Zhenjiang's balsamic vinegar is sour but not astringent, fragrant and slightly sweet. It lasts for a long time and becomes more and more fragrant. It is perfect for dipping hairy crabs and meat dishes. Therefore, when dining in Zhenjiang restaurants, as soon as the guests sit down, the waiters will Everyone will be poured a small amount of butterfly vinegar to dip into cold dishes. Zhenjiang is well-deserved as the "Vinegar Capital of China".

Boil the pot lid inside the noodle pot

Zhenjiang people love to eat noodles, and their daily life starts with a bowl of pot lid noodles. Outsiders find it strange when they see Zhenjiang people: In a super large pot, there is a small wooden pot lid floating. The pot lid rises and falls with the noodle soup, and the noodles are boiling under the pot lid. The noodles are chewy and have a smooth texture. According to the thickness, the noodles of pot cover noodles are divided into thin noodles (very thin), small noodles (round and thin), medium noodles (slightly wider), and large noodles (very wide). Everyone can choose the noodles according to their own preferences, just tell the boss. , the noodle soup base is each family’s secret recipe, and the boss’s homemade soy sauce base is used, so there is no right or wrong about the authentic pot cover noodles, because the taste of each family is different, some people like this one, some like that one Generally speaking, once you get used to it, you won’t change it. Pot cover noodles have been selected as one of the top ten noodles in China.

You ask me which one of the three monsters is my favorite? I choose balsamic vinegar. Because you don’t have to eat meat and you can make noodles at home, but balsamic vinegar is indispensable in life. You can eat noodles, noodles, cold dishes, shrimps, crabs, dumplings, and sweet and sour dishes. Balsamic vinegar. If you don’t add balsamic vinegar when eating noodles, I always feel that something is missing and it doesn’t taste good.

I use up my vinegar very quickly, one bottle every half a month. When I travel to other places, I am afraid that I cannot buy Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar locally, so I always bring the travel version of balsamic vinegar packaged in oral liquid to Zhenjiang. The unique aroma of balsamic vinegar can be smelled as soon as you open the bottle. You will not want to eat vinegar from other places if you smell it. So for me, balsamic vinegar is my favorite.

Boil the noodle pot with a lid

Let me talk about the first problem first: the balsamic vinegar is not bad.

As the saying goes, seven things are required when opening a door: oil, salt, firewood, rice, sauce, vinegar, and tea. Vinegar is the first of the five flavors: sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty. Vinegar is a traditional acidic condiment in my country. The ancients gave vinegar the reputation of "food steward". For thousands of years, people have added some vinegar when cooking, such as stir-frying, stir-frying, stir-frying, and stir-frying, to remove the fishy smell and relieve greasiness, and to enhance the flavor of the dishes. When tasting the crystal trotters and crab roe soup dumplings, dip them in some balsamic vinegar and add shredded ginger to make them feel fresher and more fragrant. As for the vinegar-braised mandarin fish and sweet and sour pork ribs, they are all Jiangsu famous dishes with unique flavors. When Su Dongpo, a poet and gourmet of the Song Dynasty, tasted anchovies in Jiaoshan, Zhenjiang, he once wrote a poem praising: "The whitebait is roasted with buds, ginger, and purple vinegar. The snow bowl is more than two feet high, and there is still the peach blossom spring air. The flavor here is better than the seaweed sea bass." ".

After talking about balsamic vinegar, let’s talk about the second strange dish, meat. The meat is called Tian Deng Bang Yao. It is crispy, soft and tender, and is popular among those who love lean meat.

The hoof can be used as the main dish at a banquet; it can also be used as hoof noodles when having morning tea; it can also be cut into pieces and put on a plate for breakfast, so there is a saying that "the hoof is not a dish" said. Crystal dish hooves are not only a delicacy on the dining table, but also a great gift for relatives and friends. Put a tube of banquet vinegar (Zhenjiang Hengshun Balsamic Vinegar) in the crystal dish gift box, which is not only easy to carry, but also extends the storage period and facilitates tasting.

After talking about the meat, let’s talk about the third strange thing: the lid of the cooking pot inside the noodle pot. Pot-covered noodles, "cooking the lid inside the noodle pot", is a creation in Zhenjiang's culinary art. The noodles used for pot cover noodles are "jumping noodles". The so-called "dancing noodles" is to put the kneaded noodles on the chopping board. The operator sits on one end of the bamboo pole and fixes the other end on the chopping board. They jump up and down, like dancing or acrobatics, and squeeze it repeatedly to form noodles. The thin dough is cut into noodles with a knife. This kind of noodles has pores, and the marinade is easy to taste. It is chewy and has a unique taste when eaten in the mouth.

As for the names of soup noodles, there are many varieties, and when saury is on the market in early spring, the latest soup noodles are "saury noodles"; in summer, there are "long fish noodles"; in autumn and winter, there are various "covers" Pouring noodles." Usually, the most commonly eaten soup noodles are red soup noodles. The noodle pot is cooked with a lid (big noodle pot, small pot lid). It is said that in the past, people in Zhenjiang did not use pot lids. Once, Mrs. Zhang of a small noodle shop accidentally covered the pot lid in order to make the noodles cook quickly, and accidentally put the soup in the pot. Putting the jar lid into the noodle pot had an unexpected effect. Later, this method was still used.

After the noodles are put into the boiling water pot, use a small pot lid to cover the noodle soup. When we recite the "Three Monsters" and taste the "Three Monsters", we will understand the meaning of the "Three Monsters" more. Charm

Zhenjiang people eat authentic noodles. The noodles are smooth and elastic, and the aroma is delicious. The noodles are full of nostalgia even before eating, which shows off your appetite. The most popular thing to eat in Zhenjiang is the pot noodles. Zhenjiang vinegar feels more flavorful than vinegar from other places. Every time you eat pot noodles, you should add some Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar. It is a perfect match, hahaha.

For me, the most intuitive expression of nostalgia is greed. The dictionary definition of "禋" (禋) is: Want to eat delicious food; love to eat delicious food. The so-called greed is a complex emotion of wanting to eat but not being able to eat. I won’t be greedy for McDonald’s double cheese, but I will go for Chongqing noodles with some beans and Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar.

Zhenjiang pot noodles, also known as gang noodles, is one of the "Top Ten Noodles in China" and a household name in Zhenjiang. It is called the "No. 1 Noodle in the World" in Jiangnan. The method is simple: knead the flour and roll it into thin slices, then cut it finely with a knife, put it in the pot with the lid and cook it, take it out and put it into a bowl with the seasoning. The noodles are characterized by the right amount of softness and hardness, good flexibility, and are suitable for all ages. In October 2009, at the "10th Chinese Food Festival and the 8th International Food Expo" in Tianjin, it won the "Golden Tripod Award for Chinese Time-honored Brands' Centenary Famous Snacks" and has been successfully declared as a municipal and provincial "intangible cultural heritage" . Guogai Noodles was not originally located in Zhenjiang. It took a lot of twists and turns before it became famous in Zhenjiang.

Zhenjiang’s Three Weird Things: The balsamic vinegar is not bad, the meat is not suitable as a dish, and the noodle pot is cooked with the lid

This choice is so difficult to answer, three I love them all. But if I have to choose one, I still like pot noodles. I have been eating it since I was a kid. Every morning when I get up, I have to eat a bowl of pot noodles cooked by my grandma, and then add a few drops of Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar. , it’s really perfect. Whenever I feel hungry, pot noodles are also my first choice. It is both convenient and filling.

In order to allow ventilation around the large iron pot but prevent the boiling water from overflowing, the wooden pot lid can hold down the rolling noodles. The noodles stick to the pot lid and the water boils around it. There is no gap between the water and the pot lid. If there is a gap, the cooked noodles will be very chewy, and the noodles will not stick to each other after being cooked.

In addition, the toppings of Zhenjiang pot noodles are now diversified and more distinctive. If the pot noodles developed by the dock culture in the past were first and foremost convenient and delicious, today's pot noodles have long been soup noodles, using pig trotters, trotters, and ribs to make a thick white soup full of colloids. , paired with jumping noodles and topped with a spoonful of cooked minced meat, it’s a real treat.

Is there any reason why I don’t love this kind of pot noodles?

First of all, the pot noodles are the simplest noodles with dried shredded pork, because I am afraid that other ingredients will be too heavy and affect the taste of the noodle soup itself. I really can’t put it down. , I have to eat it every time I go back to my hometown. I eat it every morning. I never get tired of eating it. The more I eat, the more I miss it! Secondly, meat is a must-have dish every time! For balsamic vinegar, you have to ask people who like jealousy for their reviews!