Some time ago, a friend came to Xi for a trip. Xiaoyu accompanied his friends to several places where tourists must punch in, and also went to Huimin Street. At that time, I took my friends for a walk in Huimin Street. In addition to seeing all kinds of "Internet celebrity" food, I also met street food that was common when I was a child but not common now, which reminded me of it.
This dish is even more magical. Nine times out of ten, foreign tourists don't know its name, and locals will pronounce it "wrong".
It is-Nan pancake.
"Bitter cake" is a traditional food spread in Guanzhong area of Shaanxi with a long history. Simply put, rice, red dates, red beans and other raw materials are steamed on the iron retort, which is soft and sweet and suitable for all ages.
The word "Zan" will be mispronounced when foreign tourists taste it, but it is interesting that the name of Shaanxi people is not its correct pronunciation. The correct pronunciation of "Zan" is "zèng", which is pronounced as "jìng" in Shaanxi dialect. Therefore, many people will mistake "pot cake" for "mirror cake", which is actually wrong. Because this word not only shows the long history of this delicious food, but also shows the special features of its production technology.
"Zan" is a kind of steamer in ancient China, which is often used with a kind of cooker called "Zan" (Li). There are many small holes in the bottom of retort. Put the food in the retort, pour water into the retort, and then cook the food by the steam generated in the retort after heating with fire. The principle is probably similar to that of the steamer we use now.
This kind of steamer appeared in the late primitive society and was widely used in Shang and Zhou Dynasties. In my impression, when I visited Baoji Bronze Museum, I also saw "Zan" and "Zan" made of bronzes.
The history of pot cakes named after the word "pot" can be imagined.
In Huimin Street, the price of baked rice cakes is not cheap. At that time, I asked a random shop, palm-sized 10 yuan and large 20 yuan. On the street of the North Yard Gate, there is a shop with a signboard of "Jingyang Ku Cake". It suddenly occurred to me that this may be because the TV series "Full Moon Blossoms That Year" starring Zhou Ying, the richest woman in Shaanxi, happened to have the plot of "Ku Cake" that Zhou Ying liked. The TV series is on fire, and so is this food.
However, for many people in Shaanxi, this kind of glutinous rice cake is not sold in stores, but street food sold by carts, which is usually eaten as breakfast. Later, I finally found a glutinous rice cake seller in the morning market near my home and bought one, which is still familiar with sweetness.
After steaming, the baked rice cake looks black and sticky, coupled with street snacks and a large pot in a large aluminum basin, so foreign tourists will feel "dirty" when they first see it. But in fact, it tastes very good, soft and glutinous, sweet and delicious. Think about it, after all, it can be circulated for so long, and its taste must be tested by the public!
If you travel to Xi and meet this delicious food, I suggest you try it. But don't eat too much, because Jiangmi is full. After all, you have to save your stomach to taste other specialties of Xi!