At the beginning and end of the year, cold rain is flying. While going to Ningbo on business, I want to pay my respects to Quan Zuwang's tomb. We can drive to South Station, but after a search, there is still no trace of Quangong's grave. On the one hand, I am in a strange place, and I can't ask passers-by. On the other hand, time is limited and official business matters. In a hurry, I had to give up looking for it, which seems to be against the whole public again.
It's interesting to make a vow to get to know Quan Zuwang, but the origin of this is a small sea leap. I remember that Gouqi Island, where I lived in Shengsi in my early years, produced sea dragonflies, but the output was small, which was quite rare. I sent a few catties to my friends in Ningbo. A friend sent a message of thanks, including two poems, which were written by Quan Zuwang: "A bottle of crab nail pure yellow sauce, a thousand fish heads are fine."
After reading the poem, I immediately aroused my interest in Quan Zuwang. It seems that this old gentleman is also a foodie, and he knows so much about crab sauce and sea dragonflies. Crab sauce is yellow because of its cream, and sea dragonflies are small and fine. One is yellow, the other is thin, and it is just right. It's reasonable to think carefully. Although Quan Zuwang is a great scholar, he is not a bookworm who doesn't know anything about the world. What's more, as a native of Ningbo, who doesn't know or have not tasted these two delicious foods?
needless to say, crab sauce is enough to arouse the greedy insects. In the hot and cool summer, people in fishing villages often see a dish-winter melon and sea cucumber soup. A few pieces of white gourd crystal clear as jade, and a few shrimps-like sea dragonflies floating and sinking, seem to be simple and clear soup, but in fact, the delicate flavor of the soup can seep into people's hearts.
wax gourd and sea dragonflies should be a perfect match, just like Longjing tea and tiger running water, which have the same effect. According to experts' research, winter melon can induce diuresis to relieve summer heat, while sea cucumber is rich in nutrition, and winter melon sea cucumber soup has both advantages, which is especially suitable for summer consumption.
Cao Wei, a Zhoushan poet during the Daoguang reign of Qing Dynasty, wrote poems to chant this dish, which he thought was more delicious than the famous dish turtle skirt soup admired by Su Dongpo: "The waves are calm and the fire is bright, and the sea is leaping together. If * * * winter melon is cooked together, it is clear to the old turtle skirt soup. "
It seems that this dish was popular and famous in Zhoushan more than a hundred years ago. Although the sea dragonflies are not as expensive as the turtle skirts, it is a blessing to eat them because of the production in the sea and the limited conditions in ancient times.
sea dragonflies seem to eat only one way. I once saw that Yuan Mei recorded another way to eat it in "Suiyuan Food List": "Hai Yan, Ningbo Xiaoyu also tastes like shrimp, which is very good for steaming eggs and making side dishes." Steamed eggs on the sea have never been heard of in Zhoushan, but Yuan Mei, as a great gourmet, seems to be recommended by him, so he can give it a try if he has a chance. Sometimes local people are short of snacks and drinks, so it is also common to grab a handful of wine. As for Yuan Mei's saying that "the taste is the same as shrimp", I beg to differ. There are many differences between them. It is estimated that Mr. Yuan is the only one who can eat the shrimp.
in the local document Guangxu Yinxian Annals in Ningbo, there are the sources of Quan Zuwang's two poems, but the author has become Li Yesi. It belongs to one of his "Zhuzhi Ci in Jidong": "A small urn of yellow grass is sent to the south of the grass, and it looks greedy in exchange for good taste. A bottle of crab nail pure yellow sauce, a thousand fish heads and fine sea otters. "
Zhuzhi Ci mainly depicts local customs. This poem describes a very interesting social situation at that time: in the old days, Ningbo called Taiwanese and Wenzhou fishing boats Caonan, and the fishing boats lacked vegetables at sea for many years. Ningbo locals traded shepherd's purse for seafood, and they often got delicious dishes such as crab sauce and sea dragonflies. And both sides have their own needs and are happy.
as a regional specialty, sea dragonflies are produced in Ningbo, Zhoushan and other places along the east coast of Zhejiang province. "Records of Yinxian County" said: "Jiangshan produces the best." Jison is now Jiangshan Town, Ningbo. Although Jison is not connected to the sea, Fenghua River passes by, and it is quite convenient for Jison fishermen to fish in Zhoushan and Shengsi waters along the river. It's just that this sea strider is named Jiang Shan, and I'm afraid there will be a lawsuit in the future.
Shengshan, Lycium barbarum and other places in Shengsi Islands are also famous for producing sea dragonflies. When I lived in Lycium barbarum, it was sunny at the turn of spring and summer, and I liked to take a walk along the coast when I was free. In the distance, I saw several boats prowling around the beach near the shore. At that time, I was puzzled and asked the villagers, saying that they were fishing for the sea. After careful reading, I realized that the two boats were a group, each pulling one end of the net for outflanking activities. This is generally the same as the old purse seine operation, but the mesh must be as thin as gauze, otherwise the sea dragon will not escape through the net.
The fishing methods recorded in Zhoushan local historical materials are different and interesting to read. "The Records of Guangxu Dinghai Hall" said: "The sea drags, born in the sea, the fish is half an inch long, and they like lights. When fishermen shine the fire on the water at night, they gather and take it." According to this statement, sea dragonflies should belong to phototactic fish, and fishermen in the past knew to use this characteristic of sea dragonflies to light a handle to gather fish. This is similar to the current light fence again. It's just that after the fish gather, what method is used to catch them, which is not explained in the annals of the hall.
According to the textual research of Yin Yuanwei, a native of Cixi, Ningbo, in Jiaqing, Qing Dynasty, the sea dragonflies are the goose feather rafts produced in Enzhou, Guangdong Province, but with different names. Yin Yuanwei quoted the "North Household Record" of the highway in the Tang Dynasty and said: "There are goose feathers in Enzhou, which are stored in salt. They are as fine as wool and delicious. You don't need a net to take them. At night, you can take a boat and put lights on it. When you see the lights, you can make a profit in an instant. Otherwise, you can't carry them."
According to this description, this goose feather clumped together after seeing the light, and obediently jumped into the boat and caught himself. And wave upon wave, so that the boat can not be loaded, there is a danger of sinking the boat.
Yin Yuanwei also quoted Yang Shen's "A Picture of a Different Fish" in the Ming Dynasty, saying that the Muer he recorded was also another name for the sea dragonfly. Praise said, "The carp is very small, just like a needle hook. There are thousands of tails, and a thousand heads are embarrassing. Fishermen take it, not net it. Come like a cloud, press a few sinking boats. The fish said to jump into the boat, and the righteousness can be sought. "
After reading this passage, I feel the same as the goose feather in the Record of the Northern Households. They are all as small as a needle, and they don't need a net to catch them. They all jump on the boat. Goose feather is produced in Enzhou, that is, Yangjiang and Enping, Guangdong Province, which are close to the South China Sea. It is not surprising that sea dragonflies are produced. And Yang Shen's "Moer" did not specify where it was produced, so it was impossible to determine its real situation. As for whether this goose feather and mud carp are sea dragonflies or not, it needs professionals to study and verify them.
after the sea dragonflies are caught, they should be processed as soon as possible while they are fresh. Fishermen will set up a big stove, boil a large pot of water, put a small half basket of sea otters into the boiling water with a bamboo basket, then gently shake the bamboo basket left and right, instantly lift the basket out of the water, and then spread it evenly on the bamboo mat. If the sun is fine, it will be sold thoroughly that day.
Sea-climbing is a technical activity, which needs experienced people to master. Sea dragonflies are small and tender. After a long period of soaking, the meat will turn rotten and lose its appearance after drying. And the time is short, the meat is fresh, and the color and appearance will be greatly reduced after drying. This degree of familiarity is mastered in minutes. Coupled with the steam in the cauldron, it is impossible to open your eyes to observe, and you can only feel it by experience.
It takes about one month for the sea dragonflies to catch and fall to the market. At the beginning of fishing, the sea dragonfly was the smallest, as thick as a matchstick, with only a small black spot on its head, which could not tell the shape of a fish at all, but it was the most expensive after drying. This kind of sea dragonfly is called "Xigui" or "Squinting Sea Dragonfly" by fishing village people, which is the most suitable gift for relatives and friends.
after a few days, the sea dragonflies gradually grow up and look like fish. The eyes are a little bigger, and the body shape can also distinguish the back, abdomen and tail. At this time, the dried product was called "Zhonggui", and the price was much lower than that of "Xigui".
when it went down to the market, it was like a small fish. The villagers called it "coarse sea dragonfly" or "coarse osmanthus". At that time, the price was lower, and the flavor was different from that of "fine osmanthus".