Yushan Taro Dumplings

When you ask Yushan tourists who are away from home which delicacy they miss the most in their hometown, they will always list many, and there is always taro dumplings. For example, every time I go home, I always invite my friends to eat duck heads on Yanhe Road in the county town. After finishing the duck heads and duck feet, I will add taro dumplings to the remaining spicy soup. At this time, I always feel that it is dinner. Just begun. Of course, the truly delicious and unforgettable thing is the taro dumplings made by my family.

There are not a few people growing taro in Yushan, and almost every household in the countryside has taro. Large taro cannot be boiled, so it is usually stir-fried with chicken and duck in shreds, or cut into shreds and cooked, mixed with sauce, and dried in the sun before being eaten as a snack. In addition to boiling taro with pig blood, the most common way is to make taro dumplings. Use your own taro, wash it and boil it into a thin skin, add sweet potato flour and crush it, add flour on one side and one side until it is not sticky and has a certain toughness, then you can stuff it. The whole process is very easy for a skilled Yushan grandma, and it can be said to be warm.

Friends who work outside sometimes always think of the taste of taro dumplings in their hometown, and the warm scene of family and friends making dumplings together, so they inevitably have to buy the raw materials and make them by themselves, maybe there is no spacious space. The kitchen doesn’t have all the tools, but taro dumplings don’t seem to require much, just a warm heart! When you’re ready to invite colleagues and friends to taste it together, send it to Moments and show it to your relatives on WeChat. It’s a beautiful thing to think about.

Perhaps taro dumplings are not only a delicacy in the hearts of Yushan friends, but also a strong nostalgia.

Jianou Taro Dumplings

Taro Dumplings are also called "Liao Taro" and "Galaze"

It originated in Jianou, Fujian Province and is popular in Jianou. The towns in northern Ou are mainly Dongyou, Shuiyuan, Chuanshi and other places. There are many legends about the origin of "Galaze". One theory is that it began in the Yuan Dynasty. At that time, the Mongolian soldiers invaded the Central Plains and invaded Fujian. The people of Jianou hated the burning, killing, looting and looting of the Mongolian soldiers, so they used taro and Sweet potato powder and other raw materials were wrapped with meat fillings to make triangle-shaped dumplings named "Tatar" (pronounced "Galaze") (at that time, the Mongolian soldiers were called "Tatar" contemptuously), and cooked in a pot. I hated it and didn't want it to taste unusually delicious, so I continued to improve it and became today's taro dumplings ("Galaze"). According to this calculation, taro dumplings have a history of more than 700 years.

Another theory is that beginning in the early Qing Dynasty, Jianning Fucheng (today's Jianou) suffered a brutal massacre by the Qing army. The rich people living in the city went to the countryside to stay with poor relatives, and the poor in the countryside Relatives suddenly received so many guests that they couldn't come up with good food. In a hurry, they had to boil the taro seeds, mix in sweet potato powder, and make dumpling wrappers. Then they chopped up the ready-made animal meat at home and wrapped it in triangles. Shape, put it in the pot and cook, take it out, pour it with sesame oil and soy sauce, sprinkle with minced green onion and ginger, and pour home-brewed red wine. It was a rare occasion when the rich were hungry. They tasted this delicacy and repeatedly praised it and asked, "What is the name of this dish?" How did the poor relatives know the name of this dish? They thought, if the Qing soldiers hadn't come, how could you have suffered? This Tartar is really hateful. An idea struck me, and the name of the dish came out of my mouth. It was called "Yao Ta Zi".

We can see that the birth of taro dumplings is related to the invasion of foreign races. Both the Mongols and the Manchus were the foreign races that invaded the Han people at that time. Therefore, in order to express their hatred, the people named the food "Tatar" "Eat it, taro dumplings are the most unique among dumplings, and their triangular shape is rare among dumplings.

In Dongyou and other places, every household must eat taro dumplings during festivals, because the filling needs to be fresh. Lean pig meat makes lean pig meat more expensive in the countryside than in cities. This shows that the local trend of eating taro dumplings is very popular. Contrary to the northerners who like to eat flour dumplings, people here rarely make dumplings and eat taro dumplings instead. The main reason for making dumplings is that the raw materials are convenient and can be obtained locally. More importantly, taro dumplings have a unique and delicious taste. They are easy to cook and can be cooked without fear of leakage of fillings. Just put the water in the pot and put it into the pot, and there is absolutely no fear of sticking to the pot.

< p>Ingredients: (main ingredients) taro, potato starch, domestic pork, chicken soup (auxiliary ingredients) salt, lard, chopped green onion, coriander, home-brewed rice wine.

Production process: Today’s tartars have There are two types: unstuffed and stuffed. Boil the red bud taro, peel it and knead it into taro paste. Add fern powder (there is very little fern powder now, use sweet potato flour instead), add an appropriate amount of water and knead it into a dough. Set aside. For example, make a meat sauce using the method of making flat food stuffing. Add salt water and alkali and mix well into a flat plate. Shape it into balls with a bamboo knife. Wrap it in taro flour skin and shape it into a triangular star shape. Cook it in a boiling pot and add the broth. Add MSG, red wine and other seasonings, add sesame oil, and sprinkle with chopped green onion.

Features: After the taro dumplings are cooked, they become crystal clear and look like jade, also known as "jade dumplings". The filling is soft and refreshing, and the skin is soft and crispy.

There are two ways to make taro dumplings: one is the most authentic triangle shape, and the other is the same as ordinary dumplings. If the filling is not enough, just roll the skin into strips, about the size of chopsticks, and pinch them into 10 cm long pieces. This is a snack unique to the Eastward Journey generation, commonly known as Yuqiuzai, with a unique taste.

< p>How to make taro dumplings:

1 Taro dumpling dough: The taro dumpling dough is made of sweet potato flour and taro. It is best to choose old and pink taro. After cooking the taro, Peel the skin immediately while it's hot and knead it together with the mixed sweet potato flour to form a dough.

2 Taro dumpling fillings: The fillings of taro dumplings can be determined according to your own preferences. Here in Wuyi. Most of them are meat, green onions and tofu, all three mixed together.

3 How to make taro dumplings: After making the dough, roll the taro dumplings into a section, use a rolling pin to roll it into a dough, wrap the fillings in it, and shape it into a triangle.

Note: The dough must be moderate and not too wet. The proportion of sweet potato flour should be greater than that of taro. It must be cooked thoroughly when cooking. Wuyi, Zhejiang, is very famous for making taro dumplings. Taro dumplings are cooked at wedding banquets or funerals in the countryside. Taro dumpling casserole is very common in snack bars.

Method:

1 Taro dumpling dough. The taro dumpling dough is made of sweet potato flour and taro. It is best to choose old and floury taro. After cooking the taro, Peel the skin immediately while it is hot and knead it together with the sweet potato flour that has been mixed to form a dough.

2 The fillings of taro dumplings The fillings of taro dumplings can be decided according to your own preferences. In Wuyi, most of them are meat, green onions and tofu, a mixture of the three.

3 How to make taro dumplings: After making the dough, roll the taro dumplings into a section, use a rolling pin to roll it into a dough, wrap the fillings in it, and shape it into a triangle.

Note that the dough must be moderate and not too wet. The proportion of sweet potato flour should be greater than that of taro. It must be cooked thoroughly when cooking. It is said that Xinchang people have been making and eating taro dumplings for hundreds of years. At least during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it has become a food for farmers. Taro dumplings taste waxy, soft, smooth and delicious.

Xinchang taro dumplings are famous. They look like northern dumplings and a bit like wontons, but taro dumplings are made of taro mixed with sweet potato flour. The taro used by Xinchang people to make taro dumplings is different from other places. The taro used by Xinchang people to make taro dumplings is fine, soft and waxy, tender, thick and sticky. Taro is relatively rough and contains The amount of water, and lack of stickiness and waxiness. The meat filling of taro dumplings is very delicious, because the taro dumpling dough can keep out the water and completely isolate the soup in which the taro dumplings are cooked.

Taro dumplings are very resistant to cooking and storage. The cooked taro dumplings can't be eaten all the way, and they will taste soft and full of flavor the next day, while dumplings, wontons and other stuff, let alone the next day, will just be put aside for a while. , the skin was swollen and swollen.

The hard work of Xinchang people, their emphasis on eating and their love for life have made taro dumplings popular again. What is puzzling is why such a delicious and delicious food is not as famous as Wuhan's hot dry noodles, Ningbo's glutinous rice balls, and Jiaxing's dumplings. Hehe, fortunately I have a recommendation for everyone. Regarding the taro dumplings among Shaxian snacks, some netizens also raised objections, believing that taro dumplings, siomai, gold-wrapped and silver snacks and other snacks are not Shaxian specialties. In this regard, "Xia Dora" said, "Many snacks are available in many places. Some netizens said that taro dumplings are from Jianou, but after searching online, I found that they are also available in Sanming, but they may be made differently. Many places like Shaomai are available. Yes, but it is also one of the four characteristics of Shaxian County.”

On the Mid-Autumn Festival, the folks in Shaxian County make a snack called taro dumplings.

Making taro dumplings is easy. Boil and mash the taro, put it into the powdered cassava flour, knead it vigorously into a large ball of dough, then pinch a small ball of dough and shape it into a small dish, add the stuffing and shape it into a triangle. Just the shape. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, many people in Shaxian County celebrate it at noon. In the past, adults always said "a tough year, a tough festival (Dragon Boat Festival), a happy Mid-Autumn Festival", because during the New Year the things stored in the winter have been eaten up, debtors are afraid of people coming to collect debts, and the crops have not been harvested during the Dragon Boat Festival, only the Mid-Autumn Festival The crops during the festival have just been harvested; so many people spend the day at home, offering sacrifices to their ancestors and having a delicious meal at noon. The filling of taro dumplings on the Mid-Autumn Festival is very particular. First cut the lean pork into small cubes, add red wine, monosodium glutamate, soy sauce, five-spice powder, etc., and then wrap it in the taro dumplings with onions, mushrooms, dried bamboo shoots, etc. Some people also like to put some ginger in it to prevent the taro from colding the stomach. After the taro dumplings are cooked, use duck soup as a condiment, and then sprinkle some chopped green onions to garnish. The soup cooked with home-raised ducks is delicious and nutritious. It is really full of color, fragrance and flavor. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, some people make taro dumplings on a regular basis. When guests come or when dinner is not enough, they make some taro dumplings to fill the meal. But the stuffing is not necessarily so particular. Sometimes it is just stuffed with dried bamboo shoots and pickled vegetables; sometimes it is not stuffed at all, and the taro and tapioca are kneaded into small strips, shaped like a loach. Then add some sauerkraut or one or two red mushrooms and cook together. It can be used as rice or as a vegetable. Because it looks like a loach, it is called "fern pink loach". Obviously they are made of taro and cassava flour, why are they called "fern powder loach"? The taro dumplings in my hometown were originally called "fern powder loach". They are made of fern powder and taro from the mountains, and are wrapped in a triangular shape. Much like a medicine from the mountains. It is said that a long time ago, a febrile epidemic was prevalent in my hometown. An old doctor went to the mountains to pick an herb with triangular fruits and came back to treat the villagers. One day, someone fell ill again in the village. The old doctor went up the mountain overnight to collect medicine. As a result, he fell into the cliff and never came back. The villagers went up the mountain to look for the old doctor. When they were hungry, they dug up the fern's roots and ate them, because fern is also a herbal medicine that can clear away heat and detoxify. Eating fern's roots can cure diseases and strengthen the body. Later, the villagers ground the rhizome of the fern into starch, kneaded it with taro and wrapped it into a triangular shape like an herbal medicine. They named it "fern powder mushroom" and used it as a food to strengthen the body and cure diseases. Every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival when taro is ripe, the whole family gets together and makes "fern mushrooms" to eat. One is to commemorate the old doctor, and the other is to strengthen the body and cure diseases. Later, fern flour gradually became less and less, and the folks used tapioca flour instead, so it was also called taro cake.

We choose the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival to make taro dumplings because the Mid-Autumn Festival is a reunion festival. The whole family sits together to eat taro dumplings and pray that their family members will be safe and sound. Over time, it became a custom.

Yushan Taro Dumplings

Yushan Taro Dumplings are a hometown delicacy that is cherished by travelers who are away from home. It has a crystal clear appearance, a soft and tender texture, and is as popular as the elders when making taro and sweet potato noodles. The warmth often makes people feel that taro dumplings are not only a delicacy, but also our deep nostalgia.