Spring pancake: a gourmet legend that has passed through the years

Since ancient times, spring pancake has been famous for its thin, soft, waxy and mellow taste. Every spring, the attractive fragrance of spring cakes wafts in the streets and lanes, which makes people drool. When did this delicious dish come from and what kind of history and culture does it contain?

Tracing back to the Spring and Autumn Period, military delicacies

According to historical records, spring cakes can be traced back to the Warring States Period at the earliest. At that time, Wu and Yue were at war, and Wu Jun could not attack Yuecheng for a long time. In desperation, General Wu Zixu used his quick wits, and ordered people to make pancakes with flour and package wild vegetables and fish as rations for soldiers in the army. This kind of cake is not only easy to carry, but also can replenish physical strength, which greatly boosted Wu Jun's morale and eventually conquered Yuecheng.

spread from Han dynasty to Tang dynasty, the food is famous

with the passage of time, spring cakes spread to Han dynasty and gradually became a common food among the people. Liu Xiang, a famous scholar in the Han Dynasty, recorded in Bielu: "Spring cakes are eaten in spring, so they are called spring cakes." It can be seen that the name of spring cake is closely related to the eating season. In the Tang Dynasty, spring cakes became more popular, and various fillings began to appear, such as mutton, beef and vegetables.

The Song Dynasty was at its peak, and court delicacies

The Song Dynasty was the peak of the development of spring cakes. Due to the economic prosperity and the improvement of people's living standards, the production of spring cakes has become more elaborate and has become one of the royal meals of the court. Su Shi, a poet in the Song Dynasty, wrote in Cold Food Post: "Spring cakes and lettuce are exchanged for wine." It can be seen that the combination of spring cakes and sake became the spring delicacies of literati at that time.

inheritance and folk customs in Ming and Qing dynasties

in Ming and Qing dynasties, spring cakes have become a traditional food widely circulated among the people. Every time in Tomb-Sweeping Day, people make spring cakes to offer sacrifices to their ancestors, and use them as a necessary snack for an outing in spring. Spring cakes symbolize the coming of the new year, the revival of everything, and people's wishes for a better life.

making method, thin skin and thick stuffing

the raw materials for making spring cakes are very simple, only flour, water and salt are needed. First, mix flour with water and salt to form dough, knead until smooth, and then roll it into a dough as thin as cicada wings. It is best to roll the dough thinly and evenly, so as to wrap more stuffing. The fillings can be freely matched according to personal preference, such as mutton, beef, pork, eggs, leeks and vermicelli.

Cooking skills, frying golden

After the stuffing is wrapped, the spring cake needs to be fried in a pan until both sides are golden. When making pancakes, we should pay attention to controlling the heat, and slow frying with small fire can ensure that the spring pancake skin is crisp and not burnt. Roll up the fried spring pancake, and the delicious spring pancake will be finished.

nutritious, healthy and delicious

Spring cakes are not only delicious, but also nutritious. Flour is rich in carbohydrates and provides energy for human body. The meat and vegetables in the stuffing are rich in protein, vitamins and dietary fiber, which is beneficial to supplement the nutrients needed by the human body. Therefore, spring cake is not only a delicious food, but also a healthy food.

Cultural connotation, spring prayer

Spring cake is not only a delicacy, but also bears profound cultural connotation. In the folk, spring cakes symbolize the coming of the new year and the revival of everything. People eat spring cakes in spring, praying for good weather and peace in the coming year. Spring cakes also symbolize a happy reunion. In some areas, people will make spring cakes during the Spring Festival, have a family reunion and have food to celebrate the festival.

Conclusion

Spring cakes have passed through the long river of years, from the rations of the army in the Warring States Period to the delicacies of the court in the Han and Tang Dynasties, and then to the folk customs in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and they have been enduring for thousands of years. It is not only a delicious food, but also a treasure of Chinese cuisine bearing historical culture and good wishes. Every spring, when we taste the fragrant spring cake, we might as well savor its long history and rich cultural connotation and feel the profoundness of Chinese cuisine.