There is such a nation in the southwest corner of Shaanxi Province. It is surrounded by the Qinling Mountains in the north and the Bashan Mountain in the south. It has always retained its traditional, simple, tranquil and pure beauty. The residents here eat from nature, respect nature, believe that all things have animism, and live a life of paradise isolated from the world. ""Qiang" was originally a general name given by the ancients to the nomadic tribes living in western China. The ancient Qiang people have always lived on the vast grasslands of the northwest. Later, as the times changed, they gradually moved south and settled. In 1046 BC, King Wu conquered Zhou. The Qiang people led their troops to come to the rescue. After that, this part of the Qiang people established their own rule in the Qinba area (Ningqiang, Mianxian, Lueyang and other places). Most of the Qiang people still live in seclusion in the mountains or mid-mountain areas, which are also known as "". "Nation on the Clouds". As time went by, places such as Lueyang and Ningqiang in Shaanxi became Qiang settlements. Ningqiang (ancient name Ningqiang) was even named after the character ""Qiang", which was later changed to Qiang. In 2008, the Ministry of Culture officially established The scope of the Qiang Cultural Ecological Reserve includes Ningqiang County and Lueyang County. The Qiang people have a long history and have retained profound cultural heritage and distinctive local characteristics. They are an important part of Chinese civilization (Ancient Qiang Nomadic Map). In the process of creating nomadic civilization, the Qiang people believe that all things are animistic and respect nature. They have adhered to their own folk culture for thousands of years. Their unique language, clothing, food, customs, etc. have been intertwined with the long-standing Bashu culture for thousands of years. In the Hanzhong area, The Qiang people have a rich diet, with corn, potatoes, wheat, and highland barley as their staple foods, supplemented by buckwheat, oil wheat, and various beans. As time goes by, the traditional cuisine of the ancient Qiang people has evolved. It has also entered the streets and high-end restaurants from history and people's emotions, and has become a highly representative delicacy of the region. Canned tea is a living custom passed down to this day by the ancient Qiang people, and it is also the foundation of the ancient Qiang tea civilization. It has important origins and was included in the list of intangible cultural heritage of Shaanxi Province in 2006. The ancient Qiang people lived a nomadic life. The food in the jars is made of a mixture of batter and vegetables. The ingredients are rich and nutritious, and they are resistant to hunger and easy to digest. When you were nomadic, you could make tea to quench your thirst and satisfy your hunger anytime, anywhere. Until now, there is a saying among young people: Drinking Can Can Tea will keep you warm and strong all day long in winter. Traditional Can Can Tea requires three earthenware pots. For brewing, the three pots have their own uses: one is a tea pot, used to make the most basic tea soup ""Taizi tea""; the other is a noodle pot, used to make various condiments: huoxiang and fennel , ginger, batter, etc.; the third one is used to hold the cooked cans of tea. After several evolutions, the farm hostess usually prepares the ingredients of cans of tea at home: scrambled eggs, walnuts, twists, fried soybeans, When you want to drink canned tea, add diced tofu, diced potato, crispy rice, etc., use white flour, add patchouli, fennel, tea leaves, ginger, etc. to make a thick soup in a noodle can, and pour it into the prepared ingredients. The rich ingredients are transparent. With a strong aroma of tea, it is invigorating, appetizing and refreshing. The traditional food of the Qiang people is made from local materials and adapted to the natural living conditions and environment of the mountainous areas. It embodies the wisdom and ancient food culture of the Qiang people. The Qiang people like to eat sauerkraut, and the juice of sauerkraut is called sauerkraut, which is widely used in Qiang cuisine. The tofu in the vegetable tofu festival is made with sauerkraut. The authentic and traditional vegetable tofu festival is full of ritual. ""Vegetable plate" consists of tofu and jiejie. After the soy milk is boiled, the tofu is cooked with physalis water, and golden jiejie (6-inch long noodles rolled from cornmeal and wheat flour) are attached, and served with ten There are several kinds of "" dishes" to eat. The sour and sour tofu, paired with a variety of seasonal side dishes, is simply a treat on the tip of the tongue. ""Chinese dishes" are very particular. They must have good taste and a wide variety of patterns. Usually, it would take more than an hour for a capable and skillful woman to make a decent dish of vegetable tofu at home. In addition to the dishes that can be eaten all year round Cold bean sprouts, kimchi, pickled vegetables, shredded potatoes. The ingredients of the "vegetable dish" change with the changes of the seasons: shredded lettuce, cowpea, cucumber, zucchini, celery, shredded cabbage, shredded radish, shredded eggplant, etc., and the methods are even more diverse: There are only one kind of spicy seeds, including red spicy seeds, green fried spicy seeds, green fried spicy seeds, etc. These vegetables are green, green, purple, and red. They are colorful when placed together, which also symbolizes the colors. A colorful life. The Qinba Mountains are covered with deep forests, and fern seedlings, a perennial herbaceous plant, grow wild all over the mountains. The seventh and eighth months of the lunar calendar are a good time for the Qiang people to "root" (the process of making fern root starch is called ""). "Drawing roots"). Because fern roots have the most starch deposits during this season, and farm work is not too busy. ""Drawing roots" must first go to the mountains to dig fern rhizomes. Ferns generally grow on high mountains and have deep roots. The roots are so intricate that it is very difficult to dig them out. The dug roots must be stacked neatly like firewood and bundled tightly. They should be carried to a ditch at the foot of the mountain, soaked in water, washed away with sand, and then placed on a big stone. Use a wooden hammer to smash the fern root starch into filaments. The Qiang people use it to make root noodle balls, root noodles, root noodles, and root noodles, which are traditional Qiang people. A dish in the vegetarian feast: use wild fern root powder as a skin, fill it with seasonal fresh vegetables, steam it over high heat until it becomes light brown and translucent, and then dip it in hot and sour sauce to eat. The skin is glutinous and the filling is fragrant, fresh but not greasy. . Root noodle dumplings were originally a light-flavored pure vegetarian type, which has been popular for a long time. Later, in order to cater to the needs of different diners, it was changed to a strong-flavored type, so the vegetarian and meat varieties were juxtaposed.

Yellow rice cold cake is a representative staple food in the northwest. It is generally made of yellow rice and glutinous rice. It is sweet, soft and glutinous and very delicious. Similar to vegetable tofu, the yellow rice and glutinous rice in yellow rice cold cake must be soaked in physalis water before use. If the rice is fermented well and the acidity is appropriate, the cold cake will naturally taste good. The traditional yellow rice cold cake is simple and easy to make. In addition to yellow rice and glutinous rice, you can also add red dates, raisins, coconut milk and other ingredients according to personal preference. It has a rich taste, nourishes the lungs and kidneys, nourishes yin and moisturizes dryness. Nowadays, yellow rice cold cake is not only a traditional delicacy, but also an Internet celebrity delicacy in small restaurants and high-end restaurants. It has been passed down from generation to generation and is loved by countless diners.

The Qiang people respect nature and are grateful for nature. Their food culture is also environmentally friendly, simple and natural. Until now, the descendants of the Qiang people still cook and eat naturally, using natural spices and ingredients and a special sense of ritual to create a rich natural feast (this article Some pictures are from the Internet)