Rather than saying it is the "three weird things" in Jiangsu cuisine, it is better to say it is the "three weird things" in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu cuisine.

These "three monsters" are not only the favorites of the locals, but also bring charming yearning to the tourists.

There is even a saying that "if you don't visit the Great Wall, you are not a hero, and it would be a pity if you don't taste the three monsters".

——So, who are these "three big monsters"?

——The balsamic vinegar is not bad, the meat is not a dish, and the noodle pot is covered with a lid.

Next, let Lao Yulai explain these "three big monsters" in detail.

As for "balsamic vinegar is not bad", although it is said to be "weird", in fact this is the highest praise for Jiangsu Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar.

Zhenjiang is the original place of production of balsamic vinegar, and balsamic vinegar is a specialty of Zhenjiang.

According to legend, the balsamic vinegar invented by Du Kang’s son Heita was in Zhenjiang at that time.

In addition, Zhenjiang's balsamic vinegar has a major feature - it does not get moldy in summer, does not freeze in winter, and does not deteriorate even if it is left for a long time.

And, the longer it is left, the more intense and mellow the flavor becomes.

Therefore, there is also a saying that "balsamic vinegar is not bad".

And calling it "weird" is just a local pride in their specialty.

Of course, this has also become a major highlight for outsiders coming to travel.

In addition, Zhenjiang’s balsamic vinegar has a rather special taste.

Compared with other varieties of vinegar, in addition to the sour taste of vinegar itself, it also has a sweet taste, and this sweetness best reflects the delicious taste of the food itself.

For example, if you dip dumplings in balsamic vinegar, even if the flavor of the dumplings itself is not very prominent, they will become delicious at this time.

When eating seafood, dip it in balsamic vinegar and the original umami flavor of the seafood will become more prominent.

The meat dish in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province belongs to Huaiyang cuisine and has become a famous traditional dish with its unique deliciousness.

It was once selected as one of the main cold dishes at the "First Banquet of the Founding of the People's Republic of China", so it was given the title of "The First Dish of the State Banquet".

Zhenjiang meat is eaten as a cold dish. It is transparent and reddish in color, tastes very tender and delicious.

Although it looks fat and thin, because the fat has been removed, it doesn't taste greasy at all.

The meat used to make Zhenjiang delicacy is selected pig trotters, so the quality of the meat is very high, and when eaten cold, it will still have the crystal clear jelly cooked from the pig trotters.

At the same time, in order to add more flavor, Zhenjiang meat is also added with saltpeter.

But as for the strange thing about "meat not being used as food", we have to start with the legendary story: I heard from the old people that a long time ago, the couple who opened the tavern accidentally made a mistake when making pig's trotters.

Mistaking nitre for salt.

After knowing this, I didn’t dare to sell the meat for fear that something would happen if I ate it.

But that morning, Zhang Guolao, one of the Eight Immortals, smelled the fragrance as he passed by and insisted on eating it.

The couple couldn't resist, so they cut him a plate.

Because the meat was cold and I was afraid it would have a fishy smell, I added some shredded ginger to it. I was afraid it would make my stomach feel uncomfortable, so I poured him some Zhenjiang vinegar for dipping.

Later, Zhang Guolao was full and left.

The couple tasted it and didn't expect it to be so delicious.

And paired with shredded ginger and Zhenjiang vinegar, it tastes even more delicious.

As a result, this kind of meat has been passed down.

But at first this kind of meat was called "salt meat", but later it was changed to "delicate meat" to make it sound better.

But no matter what, the meat dish has spread in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province.

Following Zhang Guolao's habit of eating meat in the morning, local people in Zhenjiang are also used to eating meat in the morning.

And when eating, make a pot of tea with shredded ginger and Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar.

Therefore, there is a strange saying in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu that "meat is not a dish".

"Boil the pot lid inside the noodle pot" actually talks about a kind of noodles called "pot lid noodles" in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province.

"Guogai Noodles" is one of China's top ten famous noodles, and is also known as "The No. 1 Noodle in Jiangnan".

It's weird, mainly because when cooking noodles, there is a lid in the pot.

This pot lid is not used to cover the pot, but to be placed in the pot to cook with the noodles.

There are many legends about this strange thing, but no matter which one, the reason why the pot lid is cooked when cooking noodles is actually closely related to the taste of the noodles.

First of all, most of the pot lids used here are made of fir.

The fir wood itself has a light natural woody fragrance, which makes people feel very comfortable when smelling it.

Therefore, when the cedar pot lid is cooked with the noodles, the noodles will also have a light fragrance.

In addition, if you don’t cover the pot when cooking noodles, the noodles will easily become sticky and unpalatable.

But if you cook with the lid on, although the noodles will be cooked quickly and delicious, the water in the pot will also keep overflowing.