Hu Shi Yipin Guo is a representative Anhui cuisine that is rich in ingredients, delicious and nutritious. In addition to the attractive taste of the dishes, Anhui's Hu Shi Yipin Hotpot is also more curious about its name, because the word "Hu Shi" in Hu Shi Yipin Hotpot reminds people of the ancient town. Shangzhuang Town is located in the west of Jixi Ancient City. In addition to Shangzhuang Village with its towering Hui-style houses, there are also Shijia Village with criss-crossing roads that look like a chessboard and Huichuan with endless scenery.
The annual An Miao Festival lets the world know that Shangzhuang is an ancient town that preserves Huizhou’s traditional folk customs very well. Celebrities from past generations have let the world know that Shangzhuang is a prestigious historical and cultural town. Hu Shi and Hu Kaiwen are two of the many celebrities. Mr. Hu Shi was the founder of the New Culture Movement. It was he who pushed the history of Chinese culture to a new level. At the same time, he also created a new food culture concept - communication, and the representative dish that interprets the concept of "communication" is the "Hu Shi Yipin Hot Pot" in his hometown Shangzhuang Town.
The main medium through which Hu Shi spread food culture was "Hu Shi Yipin Hot Pot". Hu Shi, who was born in Shangzhuang Town, went to the United States to study when he was young. After returning from studying in the United States, he worked as a professor at Peking University and was later appointed president of Peking University. Hu Shi was very hospitable. After settling in Beijing, friends often went to his home for dinner. Most of Hu Shi's guests served Anhui cuisine from his hometown, among which Yipin Guo was the main dish. Every time before he even touched the chopsticks, he would praise it and say: "This dish is my hometown dish, authentic hometown flavor, extremely delicious, be sure to invite everyone." Enjoy and taste it.”
With Hu Shi’s vigorous promotion and dissemination, Beijing and even other places know that there is a delicious Yipinguo in Shangzhuang, Anhui. When everyone talks about this dish, they all say “Hu Shi’s Yipinguo.” ", over time, Shangzhuang's delicacy "Yiping hotpot" became known as "Hu Shi Yipin hotpot". Later, Hu Shi became the ambassador of the Republic of China to the United States and moved to the United States. There, Hu Shi entertained friends from all over the world. Every time he entertains guests, he will personally cook this dish for the guests to taste, and proudly tell the guests: "This is authentic Chinese food, Anhui cuisine, Hu Shi Yipin Hotpot."
Delicious Yipin Pot The hotpot quickly conquered the taste buds of the guests, and a delicious "Hu Shi Yipin Hotpot" in Anhui, China spread throughout the world. "Hu Shi Yipin Hotpot" is famous overseas, which is proof of Mr. Hu Shi's success in incorporating "communication" into food culture and creating a new food culture concept. The reason why Hu Shi chose "Hu Shi Yipin Guo" as the main body of communication and promotion is because this dish embodies his attachment and love for his hometown.
As a native of Shangzhuang, Hu Shi loved to eat "Yipin Guo" when he was a child, and his mother often made it for him. When he grew up and left his hometown and his mother, he concentrated all his longing and love for his hometown and his mother in this dish. It is said that every time Hu Shi was upset, he would go into the kitchen and cook this dish. The familiar aroma of the dishes made him feel as if he had returned to his hometown and his mother. All his worries would dissipate in this aroma, and his heart would become peaceful.
Sometimes, for us, a piece of food is not just a tool to satisfy our taste buds, but also a spiritual sustenance. The predecessor of Hu Shi's Yipinguo is "Yipingguo", and the predecessor of "Yipingguo" is "Hodgepodge". It is said that one day during the Qianlong period, Qianlong paid a private visit here incognito. Fascinated by the beautiful scenery, he wandered around in the mountains and lost track of time. When he felt empty, he realized that he had missed the meal time. It was too late to rush back to the county town to eat, so he decided to find a farmer in Shangzhuang to eat. .
The people in Shangzhuang are hospitable. Even though they are strangers from outside, they still treat them warmly. But what kind of "delicious food" can be found in remote areas? The housewife was extremely smart. She took out all the edible things in the house, steamed them layer by layer in a pot, and served them on the table to entertain these foreign guests. Emperor Qianlong ate delicacies from both mountains and seas every day. Occasionally seeing a dish with a different style would give him a refreshing feeling. In addition, he was ravenously hungry. Once a person is hungry, everything he eats will be as delicious as delicacies. In this regard, nobles are no different from common people, so this hodgepodge is extremely delicious in Qianlong's opinion, so he is very interested in it. Big thumbs up for this meal.
He asked the farmer what the name of this dish was? The owner replied that it was just a pot of stew. Qianlong was an elegant man and felt that such a delicious dish could have such a tacky name, so he named it "Yipin Guo" on the spot. These three words are like a yellow mantle draped over this ordinary delicacy, and the country home-cooked food suddenly becomes noble. Over time, "Yipinguo" has become a famous dish in Anhui cuisine. This dish is naturally indispensable at official banquets, and even ordinary people regard this "first-class hotpot" as an indispensable dish for entertaining guests. Whether it is a wedding, a funeral, or a gathering of friends, it would not be a banquet without a "Yipinguo".
If the transformation of the homely "hodgepodge" into the noble "Yipin Guo" is the work of Emperor Qianlong, then it is Hu Shi who transformed the "Yipin Guo" into the world-famous "Hu Shi Yipin Guo" Efforts to promote and disseminate results. Compared with "Yiping Guo", "Hu Shi Yiping Guo" has more high-end and rich ingredients, including chicken, duck, ham, mushrooms, eggs, etc., and has more layers, mostly six or seven layers, so it is considered a government dish. .
The ingredients of "Yipin Guo" are mostly local wild vegetables such as tofu, dried vegetables, radishes, etc., so it is considered a farm dish. This kind of "Yipin Guo" usually has four layers, less meat, and fewer layers. .
Later on, people’s lives became affluent, and chicken, duck, and fish were no longer expensive ingredients that they could not afford. The contents of the “Yipinguo” made by each family were roughly the same, so this dish in Shangzhuang was It is collectively called "Hu Shi Yipin Hotpot". At this time, each family no longer competes with whether the ingredients are rich or not, but competes with whose family makes it more fragrant and delicious.
Nowadays, many Anhui restaurants regard Hu Shi Yipin Hotpot as one of their signature dishes. Anhui people’s Hu Shi Yipin Hotpot is brightly colored, with various rich raw materials neatly laid out in layers, with both meat and vegetables available and colorful. The aroma is great, and in the mist of slow fire, the aroma overflows. Pure natural ingredients and traditional cooking techniques can't help but add a bit of nostalgia.
This dish is suitable for all seasons, nourishing in summer and warming in winter. Especially in the middle of winter, outside the house, there is heavy snow and ice; inside, the house is steaming, family and friends are reunited, everyone gathers together to eat and chat, the more they eat, the hotter and more delicious they are, as if their wishes for a better year in the coming year are also melting. Gathered in this lively and colorful Hu Shi Yipin Guo.