The Culture of A Dream of Red Mansions | Eggplant | Author | Jun Jian Ya Kan Hong Lou
The most famous food in A Dream of Red Mansions is the "eggplant" that Granny Liu ate when she entered Guo Rongfu. It is not difficult to see the "eggplant" method introduced by Wang Xifeng. This is just a pickled eggplant diced. It's easy to do. I don't know how it tastes, and it's not delicious. Interestingly, Wang Xifeng clearly knows the practice of "eggplant", which shows that "eggplant" is a famous "private kitchen" of the Jia family. But do you know that "eggplant" is not actually a dish?
The method of "eggplant" is not difficult. Just fry peeled diced chicken, then add chicken breast and various ingredients to chicken soup for seasoning, add sesame oil to collect juice, mix with bad oil and marinate in a sealed jar, and mix fried chicken and melon when eating. A cold dish is ready. Strictly speaking, the production method is not difficult, and it is easy to make now. However, it should be noted that "eggplant" is not an eggplant dish, but a mixture of eggplant flavors and belongs to seasonings.
The taste of "eggplant" is mainly a waste of oil. Waste oil is a traditional food in China. It is made of bad juice, salt and monosodium glutamate, which is similar to oil consumption after mixing. The "eggplant" with bad oil is an "old godmother" with similar eggplant flavor. When eating, you don't mainly eat eggplant, but you need to match the main ingredients such as "diced chicken (chicken melon)" to be delicious. If you eat it alone, it will probably make people laugh.
China people's food varies from place to place, and there are many similar "eggplant" practices. For example, Jia Zheng later gave it to Jia Mu, and Jia Mu gave it to Lin Daiyu. Bamboo shoots are preserved, and chicken bone marrow is delicious. "Eggplant" is not eggplant, but the main eggplant flavor seasoning.
Wang Xifeng is the eldest daughter of the Jia family and the eldest daughter of the Wang family. She doesn't need to cook. Even the kitchen may not be able to get in a few times. Although ancient women hoped to be virtuous and virtuous, there were many things they could do. However, it is impossible for a rich woman to learn to cook without touching her fingers. Identity determines that none of them can cook. Not only Wang Xifeng, but also Xue Baochai, Lin Daiyu and Sanchun.
There are two main reasons why Wang Xifeng can't cook, but she obviously knows the way of "eggplant".
First, "eggplant" was mentioned by Jia and should be Jia's "private kitchen". In ancient times, wealthy families privately trained technicians in various fields. For example, kabuki, troupe, samurai, diners, tea artists, doctors, chefs, etc., and often hold activities to compete or show off their skills. Take the chef as an example, the most famous one is the chef in Song Dynasty.
During the Northern Song Dynasty, the wind of wealth and extravagance was extremely heavy, and the family of dignitaries had the wind of raising "cooks". Let "chef" become a beautiful landscape for social and technical personnel.
According to records, this chef is extremely luxurious in cooking. Many ingredients only cost a dime or two, and all the rest are discarded on the ground. Euphemistically called "non-aristocratic food" is far more luxurious than Jia's "eggplant".
Although there were no chefs in the Jia family in the Northern Song Dynasty, private chefs like the Liu family in the small kitchen had their own specialties in "private cuisine", which was a necessary feature of the Jia family's banquet and reception, and also a natural feeling for dignitaries to show off their wealth. "Eggplant" should be Jia's "private cuisine"
Second, the reason why Wang Xifeng knows the practice of "eggplant" is because of her cleverness and ability. Wang Xifeng is a housekeeper and granddaughter. The most common thing to do every day is to serve the elders and sister-in-law for dinner. He is also the host of Jia Mu's banquet.
For example, on Mrs. Wang's birthday, guests come to entertain them every day. These ladies in Nan 'an feel good after eating Jia's "private kitchen". When Wang Xifeng and others ask about the method, they must open their mouths, not ask the chef to tell them the method.
Grandma Liu asked about the practice of "eggplant" at the banquet, which was something that Wang Xifeng often encountered. In the comic dialogue actor "The Name of the Newspaper", the housekeeper's daughter-in-law Wang Xifeng had to "recite the recipe".
When reading A Dream of Red Mansions, we often have to savor the story behind it. Granny Liu made a fool of herself. It's ridiculous. Jia's "eggplant" is cooked with "a dozen chickens", which is very luxurious, but behind this, Wang Xifeng's "memorizing recipes" is an extra aftertaste.
From the fact that Wang Xifeng can't cook, but she knows eggplant very well, we can see her usual diligence and hard work. Compared with eggplant, the 35th "Lotus Leaf Soup" is much simpler. And the rich daughter-in-law needs to know and know so much, which makes us have to admire.
Of course, "eggplant" also represents the extravagant atmosphere of Jia family. No wonder the Jia family was so wasteful that they finally made ends meet and suffered a crushing defeat. People who have no vision will have immediate troubles, but Jia Jia is a person who has no vision. What do you think of this? Welcome to leave a message for discussion.
"Wen/Jun Jian Ya Kan Hong Lou"
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The information in this article is mainly quoted from:
Re-evaluation of "The Story of the Stone" by 80 Red inkstones;
80 "Stone" revised this week;
A Dream of Red Mansions People's Literature Publishing House1982/1990/2018;
A Dream of Red Mansions, Hebei Education Press 2001;
Cheng Yiben started to revise A Dream of Red Mansions;
A Dream of Red Mansions is a complete and peaceful painting.