"People are setting off firecrackers, but I'm breaking the hammer." "People are making rice cakes, and I'm suddenly feeling uncomfortable." It's almost that time again, and although Ala's life has improved, I'm not feeling so uncomfortable anymore. But the scene of making rice cakes is still so clear in my mind.
More than sixty years ago, almost every household in the countryside of Ala had to make rice cakes before the Chinese New Year. It's just that the big families invite the rice cake team to come to their homes to set up a temporary workshop, light up the fire and start the stove, and they are busy for a day or two; but the small families like us can only go to their homes to say good things and beg them to help them make the rice cakes. At one point, after getting permission, they would carry the soaked japonica rice and glutinous rice and carry the dried rapeseeds to their homes to set up a "simple boat".
When making rice cakes, we children can’t do much to help other than eating the rice cake balls, but what about making gifts? Everyone, young and old, can help.
Glutinous rice does not need to be ground and powdered like rice cakes. Instead, glutinous rice and japonica rice are mixed in a certain proportion, and then soaked in water for a period of time before steaming. This glutinous rice must be dried and "transformed" in advance. The so-called "transformation" means that after several days of exposure to the sun, the color of the rice grains will change from the original color to pinkish-white, otherwise the rice will taste "hard and brittle". When the pink-white glutinous rice becomes translucent when steamed in the steamer, it is ready to be cooked.
One master holds a steaming steamer and pours the steamed glutinous rice into the mortar. The other master will pick up the tamping head and grind it vigorously. The glutinous rice itself is sticky and pounded. The pounding head is constantly grinding and grinding in the hot glutinous rice, which will make the glutinous rice stickier and stickier. At first, the master will pull the pounding head back and forth, and then it will move in circles, and his front legs will be arched. He stretched his hind legs, worked hard all over, and was sweating profusely. Sometimes you have to change to another master to continue grinding... After grinding it, you have to pound it into "thick rice cakes" like rice cakes.
After the glutinous rice has been pounded, there are no more rice grains. The master reaches out and picks up a large ball from the mortar, picks off the ball with the thumb and index finger of one hand and throws it to the ground, and then quickly puts the glutinous rice on the ground. Switch the dough to the other hand, and then pick off a ball with the thumb and index finger of that hand. Because the glutinous rice balls are too hot, you have to keep switching to avoid burning your palms. Of course, the utensils for placing the glutinous rice dishes have already been prepared on the ground: large families use bamboo mats, and medium-sized families use door panels or straw mats. We only need to use Tuanban plaques. In order to prevent the glutinous rice from sticking to each other, these utensils must first be evenly sprinkled with pre-ground dry rice flour. As soon as the master took off the glutinous rice balls, people rushed to take them in their hands, round them with both hands, and then pat them with both hands. While patting, they had to let the glutinous rice spin parallelly in the middle of their hands, patting and patting. , shot so straight that no rice grains can be seen on the surface. If you rub the patted feed on your face gently, you will feel as smooth as satin. The smoother the glutinous rice, the less likely it will rot when immersed in water. Not only will it last longer, but it will also taste better. If you are greedy for convenience when making rice noodles and don't pat it properly and just press it, then not only will it not last long, but it will also taste "grainy", as if it is still glutinous rice. Taking pictures of glutinous rice is a very interesting activity. Anyone, men, women, old and young can participate, talk and laugh, and even eat secretly.
What is just poured out of the steamer is glutinous rice balls, which are the "rice rice" that is bought every morning. After being crushed and pounded in the mortar, it becomes "feeding beads". When making gifts, adults will also give children a small "feeding pearl", which is soft, glutinous and warm. If you add a little "black foreign cake" or "pickled bamboo shoots", The taste is really the best in the world. After eating the "feeding beads", the children worked harder to give the gifts.
After the glutinous rice is made, it needs to be left to dry for several days. After it is completely dry, brush off the dry rice flour attached to the surface and put it into clean water for storage. The storage containers are usually earthen jars or clay pots, and the place must be cool and ventilated so that they can be stored for a long time.
When Ningbo people describe two people with complementary personalities, especially when the couple cooperates tacitly, they often say, "Fei and rice cakes go really well together." In fact, in our daily diet, whether it is fried rice cakes or rice cake soup, in addition to the rice cakes, we in Ningbo will also put a few glutinous rice cut into small pieces in it. Only in this way can it taste like "hard and soft".
A notable feature of glutinous rice is that it is resistant to hunger and makes you less likely to be hungry after eating it. When you get up in the morning, you are eager to go out, you are pressed for time, and you have a bad appetite. Country people only have a bowl of soup and rice with pickles. Therefore, people always like to put a glutinous rice dish in the soup and rice. This way, whether they are going to work or going to school, they will have a smooth meal. By noon, you won’t feel hungry anymore.
Another characteristic of glutinous rice is that it cools slowly. Before going out in the morning, stick some moss and glutinous rice on it, wrap it up in a torn cotton jacket, and eat it at noon. It will still be hot, soft and fragrant. So at that time, farmers often brought glutinous rice to make snacks to ward off ridicule; sometimes they went out to cut weeds, make stools, exchange ash, or even students went on trips. If they couldn't go home at noon, and it was inconvenient to cook outside, they would bring a few with them. Serve fried glutinous rice with rice.
Of course, you can occasionally eat bean paste or lard when you have distinguished guests at home or during the New Year and festivals. Needless to say, the taste is delicious.
Perhaps it’s because I’m a bit like the “nine-pound old lady” described by Mr. Lu Xun in my old age. Why do I always feel that the taste of the glutinous rice noodles bought in the market today is far inferior to the ones I personally photographed in the past? Woolen cloth? !