Pouch rice, also called lotus leaf rice, is a traditional folk food. According to Qu Dajun's "Guangdong News": "Dongguan uses fragrant rice mixed with fish and meat, wraps it in lotus leaves and steams it. The outside and inside are fragrant, and it is called 'Pouch Rice'." It can be seen that the Pouch Rice in Dongguan's impression has long been included in the list. Later, I read some books and discovered that there are other historical stories about Pouch Rice. In 551 AD, the Liang Dynasty began to prosper, and the prefect Chen Baxian was ordered to lead troops to guard Jingkou. The protracted war and the scorching summer caused a shortage of food in the army and the soldiers suffered from the heat. People in the Liang Dynasty rushed to wrap rice with lotus leaves and fish to support the Liang army and comfort the soldiers. The military morale was greatly boosted and the summer heat was relieved. As a result, Chen Baxian defeated the Northern Qi Xianbei army of 100,000 soldiers in one fell swoop. Lotus leaf rice has also been popular since then. Wang Shixing, a scholar of the Ming Dynasty, recorded in "Guangzhiyi": "The county's young master Zhuji took Hairi as the market... He wrapped rice in lotus leaves and went there, which was called taking advantage of the fair." After the Ming Dynasty, this kind of delicious summer meal has been passed down. To the bustling towns and cities, the fragrance lingers to this day.

Liu Zongyuan, a litterateur of the Tang Dynasty, once wrote a poem in his poem "Liuzhou Cave Min": "Green pouches and rice take advantage of the people in the market". A "green purse" makes people think differently before they smell its fragrance. Before talking about lotus leaf rice, it must be clarified that lotus leaf rice and glutinous rice chicken are just twin brothers. The two are very similar in appearance. But lotus leaf rice is made from sticky rice instead of glutinous rice. Not only do they use different rice, but they also have different origins. According to legend, the glutinous rice chicken originated from the night market in Guangzhou before liberation. It was originally steamed with a bowl covered. Therefore, the two can be said to be similar in appearance but not in spirit.

< p> As the saying goes, "You can never tire of fine food, and you can never tire of fine cooking." Chefs who are really demanding are very picky about the selection of ingredients for lotus leaf rice. From personal experience, Thai fragrant rice is a better choice, because compared with domestic rice , it has an obvious grainy texture after cooking and is less likely to expand, giving it a better appearance and taste. In addition, new rice and mature rice must be in a certain ratio to make the rice a little sticky but not too sticky. In addition to good sticky rice, lotus leaf rice usually has four ingredients: minced mushroom meat, shrimp, Cantonese sausage and fried egg shreds. Although the four ingredients are ordinary, the combination is full of interesting flavors. Before steaming lotus leaf rice, the lotus leaves need to be washed and soaked until soft. Then add cooking oil, MSG, light soy sauce and other sauces to the rice and mix together, then add the meat and chopped green onion, mix well, and finally put it all on the front of the lotus leaf, wrap it up and put it on the steamer for about 20 minutes, one The delicious and natural lotus leaf rice is ready. The fragrance of the lotus leaf has penetrated into the rice during the steaming process. The taste can be expressed in Cantonese dialect: no good taste. No matter from the selection of ingredients to the cooking, the whole process reflects the simplicity and pragmatism of Dongguan people, so it is better to use it to represent Dongguan cuisine.

In the hot summer breeze, the emerald green lotus leaves not only provide a pleasant viewing angle, but can also be used as a healthy delicacy. Lotus leaves have fragrance, heat-removing and detoxifying properties. "Compendium of Materia Medica" records: "Lotus leaves are bitter and mild in nature and can clear away heat, detoxify, dissipate blood stasis, and treat summer heat." It is mainly used to treat summer-dampness, dizziness, water edema, vomiting and other diseases. For example, lotus leaf soup can strengthen the spleen and stomach. , the effect of relieving heat and lightening the body. Due to the characteristics of the lotus leaf itself, food made from the lotus leaf generally has a refreshing fragrance and a rich color and aroma. In addition to enjoying the lotus flowers, the lotus leaves can also be used in food. It can be said that everything is put to good use.

Try Dongguan-flavored poached rice and appreciate Dongguan’s delicious flavor. It’s a pleasure to kill two birds with one stone.