Before I went to school in Northeast China, my favorite dish was sweet and sour pork. After four years in the Northeast, my favorite became Guobao Pork.

Many people think that Guobao Pork and Sweet and Sour Pork are similar dishes, but they are actually different: the two dishes are very similar in terms of general taste, but they both have their own characteristics.

Speaking of Guobao Pork, it is a famous dish in the Northeast. It was created during the Guangxu Period by chef Zheng Xingwen, Yin Du Xueying of Daotai Prefecture in Harbin. It was an innovative dish at a Chinese and foreign banquet at that time. . Guobao Pork is a dish with a heritage, so there must be some opinions about whether it is authentic or not.

Sweet and Sour Pork seems to be a dish that does not distinguish between cuisines (just like Coke Chicken Wings). Therefore, probably no one dares to stand up and say how to make authentic sweet and sour pork.

I think there are three differences between Guobao Pork and Sweet and Sour Pork:

1. Guobao Pork must be Slices of meat, sweet and sour pork tenderloin are mostly meat strips.

2. The first outstanding feature of Guobao Pork is that the meat slices are crispy! ! ! ! Very important. The first characteristic of sweet and sour pork is the sweet and sour mouth

3. Guobao Pork is beautiful when all the juice is wrapped on the meat, and no excess juice appears. There are no strict requirements for sweet and sour pork, it depends on your own preferences

4. Guobao Pork has a slight ginger aftertaste, which is a must when making sauce. There are no specific requirements for sweet and sour pork.

As a lover of sweet and sour food, I have traveled all over Northeast China to try various kinds of Guobao Pork in the past four years, from Shenyang, Liaoning to Dalian, from Changbai, Jilin to Jilin City, and from the ice city of Harbin. Return to Liaoning. Go try a variety of Guobao Pork and look for what the locals call the old-fashioned Guobao Pork. The most delicious restaurant I have ever eaten is in Changbai, yes, in a small restaurant in Changbai County. My friend took me around and found an old store. It looked like it was about to close down, but it had the sweet and sour taste in my memory. Golden in color, sweet and sour in the mouth, with a lingering hint of ginger in the aftertaste.

The recipe of Guobao Pork seems simple but it is not easy to make it well. Nowadays, all kinds of signboards selling authentic Guobao Pork are popping up on the streets, but it has become difficult to find the authentic ones.

Before the good Guobao Pork is served, there will be a vinegary and sour smell in the air, making people salivate. The Guobao Pork has just been served. From a distance, the plate is golden, with a little coriander leaves and shredded ginger on top for decoration. It looks really nice. Picking up a piece of pot-roasted meat, the steam is constantly steaming. When you bite into it, it is first crispy and then soft, and a sour taste goes straight to your brain.

If you want to say what is delicious, the thickness of the meat slices is important. If it is thin, the meat will be dry and lack the moistness of the gravy. It's too thick and there's no flavor in the middle of the meat.

Then there is the oil temperature. The reason why it is not done well at home is that the oil temperature is not properly controlled, which is also the key to crispiness.

Generally, dishes pay attention to color, aroma, taste, shape, and golden color. However, this dish also needs to add a "sound", that is, when chewing, it should be crispy like eating cornflakes, and it should also be sweet. , salty taste intertwined, especially the juice poured on top. If you want the texture to be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, it depends on it.

Because of the sweet and sour taste of this dish, it is a delicious delicacy when paired with rice, which greatly increases people's appetite and makes them unable to put down their bowls and chopsticks.

Guobaorou is not just Guobaorou, it also contains the culture and memories of the old Northeast. In the future, I will still think of those years of running around and having fun.

It’s a pity that when I return to my hometown, I can no longer eat authentic Guobao Pork. Fortunately, I had the next best thing and had sweet and sour pork to satisfy my craving. My mother went to pack my beloved sweet and sour pork and finished the meal.